The Bozeman weekly chronicle., 1888-01-11
T., WEDNESDAY, JANUARY II, 1888
GALLATIN'S COAL FIELD.
Their Extent, State of development,
Qaality or Product and POsibiIi-
ties For The Future.

Un the west SIDE OF the range at Tin
berline, mining has been carried on
more extensively: the Northern Pacific
Coal Company have recently completed
very extensive rock tunnel upon which
they have been at work upward of q
year, which taps the coal seam $50 feet
below the surface OF the hill. The coal
at this depth is said to be OF better
quality than any produced in the past,
The Timbeilinc mines have not been
producing any fixed output of the past
year, owing To the unfortunate stike in
auguratel upward of wear ago. The
direct cliisc of this labor trouble, which
has proved 10 disastrous to this import
ant and growing industry at Timberline,
is somewhat dillicult problem to solve;
but we believe to the management Of the
coal company to be in a measure respon-
sible, by publishing that now famous
"Book of Rules" together with the at
tempt to enforce them. which was in
terpreted by the miners as an effort to
materially interfere with aad restrict
the personal liberty of the employees of
the company.
AT and near Timberline are situated
many important and producing coal
mines, among which are the coal mines
of Quealy & Hoffman, Enoch Hodscn,
and the Maxey and Chestnut mines, now
owned by the Union Pacific Railway
Company. The coal in these mines is
all very similar in quality and a bitum-
inous coal; nearly all will make excel
lent coke.
The veins in the Bnzeman coal fields
are all very near perpendicular, and
owing to the very troubled nature of the
surface ground in some localities many
faults have been encountered rendering
mining somewhat expensive; it is
thought, however, by experince coal
men, that when greater depth is attained
the trouble will cease and that mining
will be less difficult it is difficult to
estimate the output of the mines the
past year, in fact, there has been no re-
gular output; the quality of the coal in
this great field can be better illustrated,
perhaps, by comparist n with an analysis
with eastern Goals. l therefore add
comparison, published in the former
article some yeais ago descriptive of
Montana coal. From comparison with
the analysis of some of the best Goals of
Pennsylvania, Kentucky and West Nir.
ginia. taken from the geological report
of the States of Pennsylvania, it will be
seen that the Bozeman coal ranks among
the best.
Analysis of best Cannal Goals from
Darlington. Pa: Moisture, 1,l60; volatile
matter, 4s,O25; sulphur, 500; ash, II 1885,
Petunea coal.-Fixed carbon, 4l0O
volatile matter, 1900, ash 1900,
Councillor coal.-Fixed carbon, 23.l5;
volatile matter $50; ash, 1915.
Kentucky coal is said to be the best in
the world except the Baghead of Scot.
land.
Coal from Breckenridge, Ky.-Mois.
turc, LA; volatile matter, 36.4l; fixed
carbon, "a 81; ash, 1886.
Bozeman coal, from Quealy & Hoffman
Moisture. 1877: volatile matter.
SO Al; fixed carbon, 81 AZ; ash, 40.
Directly south of Timberline, from
three to SIX miles, is situated the Trail
Creek coal fields. The veins here are
entirely different, beeing flat or nearly
SO, and ranging IN thickness from six to
feet. The coal is good, hard.
firm, Ignite, comparatively clean
and can be more cheaply mined than the
coal. The center of this
field seems to be about the the summit
of the Bet range of mountains. Among
the large owners are l.. W Perkins &
Co., Ryan Bros. 4 Co., Maxey, Menden-
hall, 4 Ferris, Sloan. Black, Ferguson &
Co., Mounts & CO., Buchler & Co.. and
many others. These mines are situated
from eight to ten miles from the Park
branch of the Northern Pacific Railroad
to which point coal for market is hauled
in wagons. The expense of mining,
add to the wagon and railroad freight
renders it impossible to place this coal
in either Helena or Butte markets at
reasonable prices.
Wages in the coal mines of Montana
are usually So to $3.50; per day for
mines. car men and other laborers, 1925
to S275 per day; the cost of mining coal
in the Timberline District is from 50 to
81 80 per ton, and in the Trail Creek
fields from Sl.50 to 81 per ton. Colonel
Chestnut one of the early settlers of
Gallatin County, was the pioneer coal
miner of eastern Montana. As early as
1867 or 1868 Colonel Chestnut located
the now famous Chestnut mine.
The coal fields of Rocky Fork are situ-
ated at the base of Snow Mountains, on
Rocky Fork and Clarke's Fork, about
forty.five miles south of the Yellowstone
River in Park county. The veins crop
out of the face of high bluff boarderins
about seventeen degrees; fifteen work
able veins have been discovered ut this
writing from fur and halfto twenty
two feet in thickness, aggregiting 136
feet of clear coal, very firm, harl
bituminous, requiring the use of powder
for mining. By an analysis this cal is
found to contain bnt 4 per cent. ash, a
bare trace of sulpher or other impurities
with less moisture than any cal in the
West. AS a storage and shipping coal il
has no equal in America,-Walter Chnp
er, in Miner Holiday Number.
Montana.