Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1889-11-20
ENORMOUS COPPER DEPOSITS.
The Great Mines of the Boston s. Mon
tana Company. .l %.

The Great Mines of the Boston s. Mon
tana Company. .
The Boston u Montana company owns
mining property of vast extent in Butte.
The mines are practically inexhaustible.
They resemble the copper and tin depos-
its Of Cornwall which have been worked
since the days Of the Romans, or those
great Mexican mines which have yielded
silver continuously since the time of the
Spanish conquest
The Mo untain View is the most impor-
tant mine in the large group owned by
the Boston & Montana company. 1t was
formerly the property Of Chas. Larabie
who developed it down to the 600 foot
level, running miles and miles of drifts
therein. o""
Mr.. Larabie sold this property to the
Montana Copper company. The present
corporation was then formed, the com
bined properties comprising the Noun
tain View, Clark's Colusa, Liquidator
and Moose mines.
The new company acquired ample cap
ital in Boston and began the develop
ment of the Mountain View mine on an
extensive scale. The shaft was enlarged
and spacid JUS stations were cut at the 400,
500 and 900 feet levels. The mine was
equipped with machinery which is not
excelled by that of any other mine west
of the Missouri.
The mining operations were attended
with gratifying success. Large bodies of
ore were found yielding from 40 to rs
per cent of copper. Some Of this ore was
rich in silver. ....
The enterprising miners descended to
the 700 foot level and thence went 100
feet deeper. At each level the ore was
found to be more compact and solid than
that above it, confirming the expectation
that this Is the richest copper mine in
Butte. The ore in the Mountain
View mine is remarkable for it's richness.
The kind which yields from 40 to 10 per
cent of copper is sent direct to the re-
tineries. Ore of lower grade is reduced
to matte at the companys smelter In
Butte. Ore Of the lowest crate is dumped
at the mine for future use.
The mining and smelling have been
conducted at Butte under the supervision
of Captain Thomas Couch, who holds
high rank as miner and practical me-
tallurgist. Under his efficient manage
ment the production Of copper has in
creased to great proportions and has yield
ed liberal profits. Captain Couch has an
able assist ant in Richard Daw, who di-
rects the work in the body of the mine.
Mr. Daw might be deemed lucky as
well as skillful miner, since it was he
uncovered the great bonanza in the Rich
ulond & Ely at Phoebe, Nevada.
The Boston Il Montana has made other
investments since the original purchase.
These include the Harrison u Lloyd
property, which is deemed another cop
per bonanza. 1t is estimated that it would
take at least dozen smelters like that at
Meadervil e (Butte) and half dozen as
large as the Anaconda to reduce in an
average life time the immense quantity
of ore now in sight in the company's
mines. -.- 4.--.-
The Boston & Montana smelter in Butte
has done good work, but it has proved
unequal 10 the demands made on it by
the produGtiyeness of the mines. Hence
the determination Of the company to erect
here works where both reduction and re-
hning can be conducted with such econ
omy that the companys profits will be
largely increased.
The business Of the Boston & Montana
company ii of vast extent In the bust
ness year ended June 80, 1889, the pro-
duct in matte and ore was AZ, ,69S
pounds Which Welded 56.97 per cent or
242O4, ,344 pounds of refined copper.
This reali7 ed the gross sum Of $2,807, ,244,-