The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1886-01-06
MONTANA'S MINERALS.
Interesting From
the Geological Bureau.
BUTTE,S w EALTH.

tQC UtU1UElUOl
w EALTH
Facts and Figures That are Platter
ing to Our Highly Pros
porous Territory.
The following interesting report O.
Montana's mineral resources is from
document furnished the Geological
Bureau of the United States:
The reticence of some OF the pro
ducers, among them the largest in tn
Butte district, has made the collection 9
statistics for 1884 a particular Difficult
matter. For 1883, however, the dat
are nearly complete, since every mine
sent either full data or estimates which
allowed of a close approximation. Ar
effort has been made to arrive at a salts
factory estimate, in spite Of the retusa
to give information. From the retarrl
of the railroads giving shipment Of orc
and matte it has been possible to closely
approximate the quantity semitic market
by the Anaconda mine, the figures O.
other important shippers being known
A check upon them, of some value, was
furnished by the statement of the ex'
ports Of this country, although it does
not specify the quantities Of matte sent
broad. Then. on the other hand. the
| returns of American refiners Of copper
giving the quantity of fine copper pro-
| duced from Montana material was OF
great service. The quantities thus ar
rived at are lower than those indicated
by the estimates of receipts Of fine cop
per from American ores in England. 1t
is believed, however, that the latter in
clude Mexican ores, chiefly from Lower
California, shipped from San Francisco.
Amatter which makes all such estimates
precarious is the fact that the grade Of
the shipping ore varies within wide
limits. 1t must be noted, however,
that one shipper reports that II 900 tons
sent abroad through him averaged25 per
cent. of copper, which is considerably
lower than the general average assumed.
Under the circumstances the production
reported is as close an estimate as a
cautious and thorough examination of
the facts available could make it. 1t is
unfortunate that important interests
should refuse data especially at a time
when excitement, produced by exag-
gerated reports, has done much to I'M
settle values. Uncertainty in such
contingencies is worse than the truth,
even if the latter presents an unexpect-
edly unfavorable state Of affairs.
THE FUTURE.
As for the immediate future of the
copper production of Montana, one i'm
| pOrtant fact must not be left out Of con-
sideration. The heavy shipment of rich
ores may be expected to decline very
rapidly and it's output will henceforth
depend more upon the quantities of
matte produced at local smelling works
by the treatment of low grade ores pre-
viously concentrated. 1t becomes, there
fore, more a matter of the ~caracity of
the works. Most Of them have been en-
larged during 1884, and the largest has
not yet, at the close ofthe year, worked
long enough to allow of anything but APP
PRESENTATIONS Of its possible maximum
output. This. undoubtedly, is very
heavy, but it remains to be seen whether
the estimates made can be accomplished
in actual work. Ifthe plants now in oper-
alton can be run continuously with ores
Of the same grade as that hitherto
treated, the record of 1884 will be out
stripped.
AN OPINION
which has been gaining ground is that
all Of the Butte ores carry paying guam
titles of silver. If correct, this would
put the district into a much more favor
able position than it really is. Such is
not the case, however. On the con
trary, indications point in the other di-
rection; that, in reality, a smaller por-
ton Of the ore is sufficiently silver-bear-
ing to carry the matte produced within
the limits of profitable extraction.
Some data as to the silver contents of
MATES has been furnished, but they are
not complete enough to allow Of the
presentation of any specific figures. The
question is one which influences the
prices realized very considerably, and,
therefore, affects the capacity of Butte
copper mines to resist low prices.
SOME FIGURES.
The other factors affecting the cost Of
production are cost Of labor, fuel and
transportation. On the first point the
following figures of wages may be sub
Miners, $3.50 per day; laborers,
per day; furnacemen, 81; foremen.
IS to $3.50; carpenters, S. to Sc; and
masons $6 to s.. Several attempts We're
made late in 1884 and during January,
1885, to force a lowering of wages, but
ln%successfully. Fuel was lowered dur
1884, and coal is now purchased at So
% 50 and coke for SIG. Freights to Mis-
souri, points are about $50; to the Allan
lie or Pacific, S23; and to Liverpool, S25
per ton, since reduced to SIS. During
1884 considerable ore, in all about 4,OOO
'ons, was sent via San Francisco and
Cape Horn to Europe. AT current
igures for labor, fuel and freights. the
profit in concentrating and smelling COD
per ores carrying from II to IA per cent.
md little silver, is very small indeed:
md it is reported that, in some cases.
here is an actual loss. Returns on the
oasis offs shillings per unit, in England.
cave practically nothing for the miner
n shipping ore running % per CEN of
Technically,
THE BUTTE COPPER INDUSTRY
considerable progress in 1881. Al
matter which has attracted considerable
attention has been the bessemerizino of
matte at the Parrot works. Il ;s
----A-