The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-05-15
OUTLOOK FOR THIS YEAR.
Montana Booming in Every Quar-
ter and in Every Branch
Of Industry.
The Mineral Resources Increas-
ing in Extent and
Value.

Value.
Railroad Construction, Coal Mining, smelt-
ing and Refining Enterprises
Under Way.
| The outlook for the mining industry as
we'll as every industry in Montana for the
year 1890 was never brighter. Indeed, the
mining industry has taken a step forward
that is only another move which shall place
Montana in the list of richest states in the
Union. While much has been said of the
extensive mineral fields of Montana, the half
has not been told, because it was not
known. Every day adds to the number of
paying mines of the state, and they are not
confined to any single section. From east
and west, north and south, reports are daily
received of either new discoveries or richer
strikes in developed mines. Where will it
end? There is no telling, and the POSSIBLE
tiles of Montana as producer OF precious
| metals are without limit.
The wealth of Butte is demonstrated, yet
its vast measures of copper and silver and
gold will take ages to exhaust. But new
districts are attaining prominence, and
among these is the Castle district, which is
now attracting attention, and men of prac-
speak for Castle a future equal to that
enjoyed by Leadville. The discoveries
made within the past month at Castle have
fully demonstrated that it is destined to be
a big mining camp, and already steps have
been taken, it is understood, to build
branch of the Northern Pacific from Liv-
ingston to the new mining camp, though
Townsend, only forty miles distant from
Helena, is the more natural point. It looks
now as though the trade Of this impor
tant mining center is to be lost
to Helena and will 90 to Livings-
tied upon, and it is not now too late for the
business men of Helena to pull together and
secure the road. A branch from Townsend
would have to be built only about 40 miles
over water grade, while it will require
about 70 miles of track to build from Liv-
ingston. Sufficient stock to build the
Townsend branch should be subscribed in
Helena in one day: there would be nothing
to lose by it and those who claim to know
say the road would pay for itself in twelve
months. This is an important matter and
it remains to be seen whether Helena is 60
ing to stand by and see trade taken from
her doors.
The Barker and the Neihart mining dis
tricts in the Little Belt range will soon be
among the big producers, and the Dead
wood' of Montana will be the name accord
ed to these extensive low grade ore regions.
And the Cooke City region is only awaiting
the arrival of the iron horse to- transport its
treasures to reduction works.
New and extensive smelling and copper
refnining enterprises are under way, and
important among these is smelling plant
to be erected at Livingston to treat the ores
of the many mining districts in that vicini-
ty, including Cooke City.
The coal measures of Montana are fast
becoming important items in the states
Industries. The Timberline mines are
shipping nearly LOCO tons per day. The
Sand Coulee mines are shipping l 800 tons,
which will soon be increased to 1000 tons,
and the Rocky Fork mines are shipping
nearly 1000 tons daily, while the output of
other coal mines not having direct railroad
communication will aggregate fully 500
.. tons per day.
The camp of Butte and its facilities for
treating ores has not proved equal to the
demands, and this has prompted the Bos-
ton Il Montana company to build one of
the largest smelling and copper refining
plants in the United States, to be located
at Great Falls. where the work is now pro-
crossing the immense plant to receive its
power from the Black Eagle falls of the
Missouri. where large force of men are
engaged in building dam. The Boston d
Montana company's new enterprise and the
big dam represent an Investment of 81 800,
600.
And the Anaconda company, now having
the largest smelters in this country, will
shortly begin the establishment of copper
refining plant at Three Forks. and this will
involve another large outlay of money
7 giving employment to several hundred
men.
Railroad building is also actively pro.
,, crossing in nearly every section of the state
The Gait narrow guage road which starts
: from Great Falls, traversing unsettled por
{ tions of Northern Montana and connecting
with the Canadian Pacific, is being con
structed as rapidly as men and money car
do the work and will be in operation late ir
the present year. The Montana Contra
3 branch to the Neihart districts is now with
in twelve miles of each place and track il
also being laid to the new smelter site t.
ID haul machinery which is already at Grea
Falls. The Northern Pacific branches ar,
rapidly nearing completion. The Butte
!, Gallatin branch is receiving the finishing
= touches and lateral feeders are being ex
o tended to the numerous mining camps neal
: 3 which this line goes. The Elkhorn branch
: from Boulder will be opened in few week
i. and the Missoula cutoff to the Coeu
a d'Alenes is being constructed very rapidly
= Almost any day now orders to start tn
q Great Northern on its way to the Pacifi,
r coast are expected, but it is not certain
:. where the starting point will be. Tn,
% Union Pacific is expected to begin some 9
"a year, among which will be to build !,
~ Helena.
il A new railroad corporation has beef
N formed at Butte under the title of ''Mon
n tana Western and. Pacific Railway ans
a Construction company" with a million
is dollar capital stock, in 10000 shares o
300 each. The ultimate object of thi
company is to penetrate Idaho, starting a
Butte, touching Anaconda along Warn
Spring creek; thence to the Gable, George
= town, Red Lion, Flint creek or Philips
burg districts, probably going through th
Bitter Root valley, on to the Caur d
# Alenes and terminating at som
4 point on the Puget Sound. Tn
# proposed route looks suspiciousl
= similar to that planned by the Grea
Northern and it would not be surprising i
:" it should transpire that James j. Hill is til
n power behind the throne in urging the pro
a Jected route. The incorporators are j.
,r Boyce, Jr., Green Majors, J. H. Curtis
" Chas. H. Palmer, Thomas Couch, Wu
lie Thompson, David Cohen, F. A. Wyman an
l. Il. II. Rae. 1t is proposed to make surve
IL at once from Anaconda to the Idaho line.
/, The recent rains which have been genera
e. throughout the state have made certain
IN prosperous year for the farmer, the horse
breeder. the cattle men, the sheep men. til
M placer miners and the merchants Of til
state and everything looks hopeful for 1Ss
it proving the busiest and most prosperor
a year Montana has ever euioyed NOthwitl