The Livingston enterprise., 1889-12-25
COKE PRODUCTION.
"A $500, 200 Plant With . Daily OUTPUT
Of One Hundresl Tous.

a e3Oo.0 900 Plant With Daily Output
Of One Hundred Tons.
The Capacity % Re Doubled During the
Coming Year.
Among the more recent, as we'll as one
Of the most important resources devel-
oped in Montana, is that of coke produc-
ton. So far operations have been oon-
fined to Park county, and chiefly to the
immediate vicinity Of Livingston. The
pioneer plant in Montana is that Of the |
Livingston Coal and Coke company, sit |
uated eight miles west Of this city. The
measures that furnish the supply of coal
were discovered in 1883 by w. H. Will
Jams, who secured lease Of the land
from the Northern Pacific company and
for two years mined coal therefrom in
merchsntable quantities. In the au-
tumn Of 1885 Mr.. Williams, not possess
ing the necessary capital to prosecute
the work successfully, enlisted George
H. Carver, president Of the Carver Mer
camille company, in the enterprise and
during the following year operations
were condt cted more extensively. In
the meantime the colking quality Of the
coal had been demonstrated by thorough
practical tests, and the following sum-
mer A. L. Love, at that time cashier Of
the banking house Of Stebbins, Mund L
Co., Of this city, was induced to take an
interest in the mines with view to es-
tablishing coke works. Helena capital
lists were readily enlisted in the scheme
and stock company was organized and
articles Of incorporation of the Living
ston Coal and Coke company were filed
with the territorial secretary on Sep
tember II, 1885. The capital stock was
e25O,O with Samuel T. Hauser, A. L.
Love, A. II. Hotter, H. d. Hauser and
E. w. Toole Is incorporators. A bond
was secured by Governor Hauser upon
the coal lands, subject to the lease from
the Northern Pacific. Prior to this date
one coke oven had been erected, from
which seven tons Of coke was produced
and run through the furnaces Of the
Wickes smelter. This was pronounced
by Superintendent Raht to be equal to
the Connellsville coke for smelling pur.
poses, and the company proceeded al
once with the erection Of twelve ovens
This plant was increased to twenty-si,
ovens the following summer, and addi
tions have been since made until, at thil
writing, 100 ovens are now constructed
and in successful operation, making &
continuous line more than one-quarter o
amile in length. The output averages on.
hundred tons every twenty-four hours
and to produce this 100 to 200 tons o.
coal is mined daily. In operating tht
ovens and mines $50 men are employed
making monthly pay roll Of from s15,
600 to $4,000, and contributing in ne
small degree to the prosperity Of Liv.
ingstnn. A branch road four miles il
length was constructed by the coke
company to the works in 1887 to facili
tate coke shipments. This branch leaves
the main line Of the Northern Pacific
about three miles west Of this city. A
locomotive is rum to the ovens with
empty cars and returned with q train.
load of coke three or four times each
week, furnishing profitable feeder FOL
the railroad company. From this city
it is shipped to Wickes, East Helena and
Butte, the Parrot company in the latter
city using it in their furnaces in prefer
ence to eastern coke.
The mines of the coke company are
situated several hundred yards above
the ovens. They have been thoroughly
developed with over two miles Of tun-
nels, e1 posing an apparently inexhausti-
BILE supply Of coal. The main tunnel in
the mountain is over one-fourth Of q
mile in length, from which the smaller
tunnels and entries penetrate the coal
body on either side. Near the entrance
to the main tunnel q slope has been
sunk to a, depth Of 565 feet, all the way
in coal From this slope the coal is ele-
vated to the surface by means Of large
stationary engine, while mules are used