The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1889-10-09
The Boston & Montana CO. 10 Take
Advantage of Unsurpassed
Water Power
All the Details Completed for
Building a Smelter Near
Black Eagle Falls.
Engineers Now on the Ground and the
work to be Pushed Rapidly
la Completion,

GRE,r FAILS, Oct. s.-lSpecinl. 1T has
been known for some time that the Boston
a Montana Mining company. of Butte. in
tended To erect a smelter of great magui-
tude in order To reduce ON lager scale the
product of its rich copper mines at Butte.
which yield now 2i,gO0,O0 pounds Of refined
copper annually, making the total earnings
about S3,OD,0OOa year. The negotiations
of the company with the Montana Central
and Manitoba railroads and the Great Falls
Water Power and Townsite company have
been completed and the works will be
located here. The contracts have been
signed, sealed and delivered and in short
time the work of construction will be under
full headwuy. Ile agreement with the
Boston and Montana company, is that the
unsurpassed water power Of the Black Eagle
falls is 10 be developed and made ready Ia
furnish motive power for the immense
smelter by August | of next year. To tAis
end work on the dam at the falls will be-
commenced in n short time under the gem
eral direction of Mr.. Tanning. the eminent
hydraulic engineer, who has already pre-
pared the plans and specifications for this
great undertaking. Much Of the work will
be completed this fall and winter as the
conditions are most favorable. The river il
lower now than il was ever knrwn to be,
aud this circumstance will greatly facilitate
the work
The dam to he constructed across the
Missouri will he the most thorough and sub.
stantial IN the United States. and one of tho
most important undertakings of this char.
acter in the country. To develop this great
water power and render il subservient 10 III,
needs of industry, will cost $iO0.OO0. Work
ON the grent smelter will Dee begun
this fall. II is understood that il
will be one of the largest smelling and re-.
fining works in the world. The Boston and
Montana Consolidated Copper and Silver
Mining company, as now organized. is On,
Of the strongest in the United States. They
own the Mountain View mine al Butte
and many others adjacent that promis,
equally we'll. The former is acknowledged
10 he one of the largest. richest and most
valuable copper properties in the world. II
is the intention of the company not only /,
erect smelter. but also refinery at thi,
place. and il is given out that the plant will
be much the largest in Montana, not even
excepting the famous Anaconda. Th,
| engineers will be here in !
few days TO lay out the worl
which will begin NJ the earliest pructicabl,
day. The Boston a Montana company hni
| ALREADY appropriated money for the smeItel
and refinery. The company calculates that
the increase in production will repay IN,
cost of the works in n few years
II is believed that this undertaking viii
give powerful impulse Ia mining al Butte
and difiuse wealth through NIL central Mon
tan0, whose cities. ranches and coal field
will all benefit by the immense cnpita
which the Boston uillionaires will pour il
here to keep the sruelter and refinery work
ing Ia their full capacity, which will b,
many times the present product.