The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-11-17
news FROM THE MINES.
Importance to Butte Of the Recent
Deep Developments Made
Over There.
Nearly All the Properties Of the
Camp Running at Full
Capacity.
the News From the Castle District IL Of
Unusual Activity = The
None-Such.

Unusual Activity = The
None-Such.
BUTTE, Nov. 15.-[special. lit would b.
difficult for an outsider to form just ca.
innate il the importance to Butte of tn,
recent deep developments made by mum
Der of the great mines here. Before tina
time it had been said that this camp, ik'
20 many others before it, would only last ,
few years and that the supply Of pay rocl
must soon be exhausted as greater deptl
was reached. A great many, and amonl
them some of the best posted miners in tn
country, thoroughly believed this and evel
those who had faith were afraid to put tn
matter to q practical test. The Lexington
was the first in this most vital work, as i
has been in great many others, and whel
it was found that at the depth Of 1900 fee
the orc was even better than at the surfac'
a wonderful change came over the estima-
ton in which the camps had been held
even by the most conservative. A wonder.
full impetus was at once given to develop
ment Of every sort, and many of the CON-
panies that had been holding back before
through fear for the final outcome, began
at once to increase the capacity of theil
plants. As result the camp has been
the scene Of unparalleled activity ever
since, and the general productive power has
been largely augmented. The prices
brought by both copper and silver have had
their full weight in determining their rad
ical change for the better but even they
vknk nI,@
permanent improvements had it not been
for the faith in the future of the camp en-
gendered by these discoveries. To-day q
great many of the more important mines
are either at the 1000 foot level or lower and
most of them have in progress plans for
still deeper development.
The past week has been one of unusual
activity among the silver mines of the
camp. All of them save the Gagnon have
heen running at their full capacity and have
been turning out more than their custom
ary amount of the white metal. This is es.
pecially true of the Lexington. Alice and
Blue Bird, where large amount of custom
ular output of the company mines. The
opening of the Blue Bird has worked won
derful change in the two towns of BurlinR-
ton and Rocker, both of them being full Of
business where few weeks since all was
stagnation. The Moulton. which was shut
OOWu 0OUl0 GlMo 6InCc ny AhSAuk AVS buOk0-
stack demolished by runaway engine, has
been outdoino its record and 10 rapidly
making up for lost time. OF the copper
mines the Parrot has been shut down owing
to another failure in the water supply.
When Obliged to shut down before for this
cause four-inch pipe was put in connect
ing the concentration with the Bricker shaft,
where there was more water than could be
uped to advantage. This pipe was found
to be too small and the concentrator was
shut down to allow for the placing of one
two inches larger. The smelter has not
lost q day, however, and both mine and
concentrator will commence with renewed
Hardly day passes that does not bring
something in the way of good news from
some one OF the many new mining camps
recently opened in this state. The last to
be heard from 10 that upon the headwaters
of Gold creek. about eight miles east from
known to many of the Oldest prospectors
in tho state. About the only development
that has yet been done there is that done
upon what ID known az the Potosi group.
Il. w. Eddy, superintendent of the COM
pany owning this group, is in Butte. and
from him WAS learned the following partic-
ulars regarding it and the outlook. The
group in question consists of the Quartette,
the Potosi, from which the name is taken,
and the Moondyne. These three claims are
upon one ledge and are contiguous, though
some very marked differences have already
been found in them. In the opinion of all
the mining experts who have visited them
the Quartette gives the best promise of
making permanent property though both
of the others have shown richer rock. This
claim is 80 situated as to make its working
by tunnel the best means available and a
force Of men have been driving such tunnel
for some time past. They are now fifty
- S~nk~. khA &osvn ko~,o
small feeder of the main vein which made
most excellent returns when sampled. The
work has been pushed with renewed viQor
ever since this find and the men are liable
to reach the main ore body any day. If
this main body makes good the surface in
dications it will be at least eight feet in
thickness and of exceedingly rich char
acter.
On the Potosi it was found that shaft
would be better for the work of develop
ment, and one was started near the east end
Of the claim. For the first fifty feet it fol
lowed the dip of the vein, but at that point
the dip changed to perpendicular droI
and the shaft was changed to correspond
At the bottom of this shaft the vein hal
been cut and full three feet Of good orr
found. The samples from this crosscu,
assayed away up, but the owners are no,
on the faith Of their superintendent that TIL
rock will average $50 in gold per ton.
Some misfortune was encountered il
opening the Moondyne, and it has not beer
shown up very thoroughly in consequence
A shaft was sunk on the vein for ninety feet
when cave was encountered of such q
serious nature that that shaft had to be
abandoned. Another has since been started
hut has not progressed far enough to make
any showing.
The rock taken from these three claims
runs from SO to $726 in gold per ton by
assay, and the owners feel confident that
they have one of the greatest properties in
Montana. The development done SO fan
has shown enough rock and of quality
rich enough to make their fortunes, even Il
the vein should not extend below the lowest
point now reached. They are exceedingly
we'll pleased with the outlook and have
taken all their stock off the market.
force Of men sufficient to keep up the devel.
opment of the three claims will be kept al
work all winter. their grub having beeu
taken in before the first snowfall.
CASTLE DISTRICT.
New Strikes IN the Cumberland, Ameri
can and Jumbo.