The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-05-19
THE MINES OF MONTANA.
Some Talk of Locating the Big
Anaconda Refining Works
at Anaconda.
Unusual Mining Interest Among
the Prospectors and Small
Owners Around Butte.
The Work of Pumping Out the Anaconda
Mine Going on at u
Rapid Rate.

hap1u lSAte.
Especial Correspondence of THE 1NDEPENDENT.]
BUTTE May 1S.-The past week in min
inc circles in Butte has been one Of con-
tinuous activity, and the stimulating infiu-
ence of spring is felt in every branch OF the
great industry. The vast army of pros
pectors and small owners of this vicinity.
who lie idle during the winter months. has
again taken the field and representation
work, and the development of recent finds
is now in full blast, with new discoveries
constantly being reported. The buoyancy
of the red and white metal has inspired the
entire community, and there is probably
not buster and livelier mining camp in
the world to-day than the Silver City.
The great enterprises are pounding
away with their accustomed regularity
Among them; the ocoh Anaco 1na are nas
share of public interest. AS has already
been noticed by the INDEPENDENT, the work
of pumping out the Hooded mines has been
in progress for week. and IS now beng
pushed with the proTerbial energy Of the
directors of that mammoth enterprise. no
less than thirty pumps are at work both
day and night and the vast volume OF
water in the shafts is being lowered at the
rate of ten feet in each twenty-four hours:
The Anaconda shaft is 1000 feet deep, and
the water had been pumped III SO as to Hood
it to between the four and five hundred
foot levels. 1t will be remembered that
five men persisted in this mine at the time
of the fire. Of these three are known to
have persisted ON the station at the SOO-foot
level. If the bodies remain there they
will be recovered in about three
weeks. The other two are undoubtedly
in the sump, as they fell Oil
the cage while on its last trip up.
Developments at the mines arc far more
favorable than ever the most sangu1ne had
dared to hope. A large force IS employed
and the mine is receiving thorough over
hauling, the repairers advancing almost as
fast as the water recedes. The ground has
swelled in places and the timbers have been
displaced, but not nearly to such an extent
as would naturally be expected. There has
been no caves, and aside from the compare
lively small area where the fire burned,
there has been very little loss. The repairs
are progressing at such a rapid rate that
the mine can be placed in full operation
within six weeks.
The Anaconda company has met with
two great disasters during the past year
and a half which have retarded the great
enterprise from accomplishing what it was
capable of doing. just as the great new
smelter at Carroll was completed 1t was de-
stroyed by fire, and it was scarcely rebuilt
when the fire at the mine occurred. Since
then the company has relied entirely on
the Chambers syndicate of mines. and these
have produced about LOO tons of ore per
day, which with the ore bought by the
company from outside parties has formed a
total of about 1000 tons thas has been
daily treated at Anaconda. The capacity
of the works, owing to the enlarged scale
on which the Carroll plant was rebuilt
now amounts to 1900 tons per "a hours, OF
more than the combined capacity of all
the other smelters in Montana. There il
every indication that this capacity will nov
be taxed to the utmost, as soon as the Ana
conda and st. Lawrence have been pumped
dry. A gentleman prominently connected
with the great enterprise in conversation
with your correspondent recently, stated
that while the fire had been great Gallant
ity, it had been in a mere financial sense, a
blessing in disguise to the company, as it
had taught them what they could do in an
emergency with the Syndicate mines.
There is still nothing definite to be stated
in regard to the projected refining works OF
this company. They have been located
and relocated (on paper) at Great, Falls
Three Forks and some point on the Biz
certained. 1t is a significant fact, however
that the company has quietly erected an ex
detrimental refining plant at Anaconda
and that the same is in operation. Thu
electrolytic process of copper refining II
used, and it has leaked out that the results
mendous effort Is being made by the man
ayers to prevant any information becoming
public. Should these reports be foundet
on fact, it is extremely probable that tn
great refining plant will be built at Ana
conda. The men at the head of the enter
prise are taking a most active and potentia
interest in the little city of Anaconda AM
will undoubtedly place the new plant Their
if it is within the limits of possibility
Should the refining plant go up there
H. oY~o Tow <ta
in the rise of value of real estate as by it
actual operation.
Aside from the operations of the Anacor
das, great interest is felt in the deep deve
opnents of the big silver mines. In tn
Lexington mine great interest is centeree
as it is the deepest shaft in the cam,
There is no development in this mine belo
the l,lO0-foot level. From that point, how
ever, the shaft has been sunk to the dept
of ,4SO feet, and the crosscut to the mort
to develop the lead is now under way.
is estimated that the lead will be encoul
tered in about two weeks, and the future
silver mining in Butte depends largely {
the result. 1t will either establish silv
mining on permanent basis, like cope
with practically inexhaustible reserves {
ore to draw from, or else it will demol
strate the fact that silver propositions mu
be confined principally co the reduction
the oNidized ores in the upper levels
the copper mines, and in the deyelopmel
of the silver prospects to but Unite
depth. The Alice company, just north
the Lexington. is making the same exper
ment, but sinking has now suspended ,
:. the depth of 1900 feet, and crosscuts al
being run.
The recent letter of DIR. Peters, the r,
nowned mining expert, written to the Ne
York Engineering and Mining Journal, h;
excited considerable discussion here.
this letter DR.. Peters stated that he coul
not bring himself to believe that the Bo
ton 4 Montana people actually intended
transport theiriores to Great Falls for I
duction. He says that he does not see al
way in the world by which they can tigu
themselves clear such propositio
and the reputation of DIR. Peters is ST
fcient to lend weight to his stateme
There can be little doubt that they intel
to do that very thing, however, and will II
even concentrate their ores before shi
ment. The new smelter is going to b,
big one. and will be used for the reducti
of the Butte Il Boston company's ores ali
The two companies are very closely ALI.
the leading stockholders of one having Ian
interests in the other. 1t is not like
however, that the capacity of the smell
will be more than 200 tons III 2i hours.
THE MINES OF CHAMPION.
The Mining Operations in That Vicin
In