The Helena independent., 1890-09-23
GENERAL MINING NEWS.
Interesting Information From I
Mining Expert About Neigh
boring Mines.
A Valuable Bismuth Property on
the Upper Yellowstone
River.
About the Okanogan Countrywide Ruby
and Fourth of Ju1y-Madison
County News.

An INDEPENDENT reporter encountered
William M. Sprague, the well-known min.
ing expert. yesterday, just AS he returned
from the Cataract district, where he is ope
rating the Crescent mine. Mr.. Sprague
was in the best of spirits, and more than
pleased with state of affairs at the mine.
Besides the Crescent, he is interested in
other mining properties with well-known
mining men. The scribe accepted an invi-
tation to go to his finely furnished Offices in
the st. Louis block, and an interesting half
hour was spent with the gentleman. He
exhibited a rich specimen of ore from the
Metcalf property, which Messrs. Shober,
Foote and Metcalf Bros. own, showing rich
black sulphurets and native silver, which is
very rich. Mr.. Sprague says they are ship
ping ore regularly, and are we'll equipped
for prosperous season.
The Crescent mine which is on the east
extension of the Metcalf property is nov q
regular ore shipper and sixty tons per week
is now the regular shipment though in ten
days they expect to ship carload day.
Mr.. Sprague says the ore runs on an aver
age 800 per ton and they are now employ
ing thirty men. Five more men were sent
out yesterday and they have use for addi-
tional teams. They expect to have forty
men on the pay roll within the next ten
OdSb. ue ORC lS DcluR tdhcu lTOIu loVel6
No. and No. 9. He showed cube of pure
galena which he cut out of the vein with a
pocket knife.
The Parrot is the name of copper
mine situated only five miles east of Hell
ena, of which Mr.. SpraRue speaks with
Messrs. Nose Manuel, "China'' Clarke, Mr..
Sprague, Frank Hall and p. d. Barnhardt.
Mr. Sprague has on hand several specimens
of the ore which leaves no doubt of ats
character as carrying high percentage of
the red metal. 1t was in this mine that the
Robinson boys met their death few years
ago. A contract to sink the shaft 100 feet
has just been let and contract for another
100 feet will soon be awarded. About three
years ago ten tons of ore from this property
was shipped to Swansea, Wales. and it aver
aged 81 600 per ton in value. Four hundred
feet from the shaft they have twenty-five
inches of ore that, Mr.. Sprague says, is
worth 500 per ton. The Parrott is we'll
timbered and has a Axe shaft and is re-
garded as one of the best timbered mines
In the country.
OF the Iron Mountain, he says that ore
shipping will be resumed October or just
rs soon as the wagon road Is completed and
that is expected to be finished during this
week. There is $15O.0OO worth of ore on
= the dump besides a large quantity of con-
centrating ore.
But of all the good things in mining Mr..
SpraGue Is fortunate III DelnS interested IN,
he certainly has rich thing in the st. Ju
lien. one of the very few bismuth mines in
the United States. 1t is situated six miles
above Chico in Emigrant Gulch, on the yell
lowstone river. The owners of this are Mr..
Jewett of st. Paul, Prof. Barnhardt. Frank
Hall and Mr.. Sprague. Bismuth is metal
worth $3 per found and is used in the man.
ufacture of type and stereotype metal and
is also used in the fine arts of the female
toilet. These gentlemen paid $4,000 cash
s. for the property, and Mr.. Sprague says the
first shipment they made was one carload
from which was realized not only enough to
reimburse them for the cost of the mine,
but also betrayed all the expenses of ore
sackinR and freight. The freight charges
were 1886 per ton. The property shows
five foot vein of ore which carries per cent
bismuth and $75 in gold to the ton. The
gold is there in sufficient quantities to pay
all expenses and leave profit even if there
was no bismuth. The shipment spoken of
was made four weeks ago. In fourteen
days three men sacked 500 sacks of
ore and placed it on the cars.
Mr.. Webster, the assayer, has made
about twenty assays and from
, one piece of ore weighing five and one-half
ounces he secured two and one-half
once bar of bismuth which Mr.. Sprague
has in his large cabinet, and he also has
several specimens of the ore in different
grades. The st. Julien bismuth mine is un-
QOuDteulV d great DrOperty.