The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-10-15
MINES, MILLS, SHELTERS
A Scene Of Great Activity Around
the Big Anaconda Copper and
Silver SHELTERS.
An Army Of Men Employed IN the
Work of Reconstruc-
ton.
Extensive improvements ON the Elkhorn
.. prODertfe6-NNwa from ATnAfen,.
- Properties-News from Madison
County.

Extensive Improvements ON the ElkhOrn
Properties-News from Madison
County.
The amount of territory already covered
with the smelters and reduction works OF
the Anaconda company is something enor-
nous, but the plant, as large as it is, is far
from being complete, according to the ideas
of completeness outlined by Marcus DAILY
and it will be several years yet before the
extensions already contemplated will be
fully carried out. The following from the
Anaconda Standard will give an idea of the
work that is in progress: The upper works
present at this time such scene of activity
as is seldom witnessed. The work of reno
walton which has been going on all summer
is being pushed with additional energy, and
strenuous efforts are being made to COM
plete the reconstruction before winter
sets in.
The framing and enclosing of smelters
and is completed. In the former
built, the work of setting the immense
Bruckner roasters in position begun, the
connections with the large fue have been
made, and where to the eye of the uniniti-
ated two short weeks ago all seemed chaos,
the perfect system which directed the whole
is now apparent. Huge boulders wrought
BY cunning hands have been trimmed into
shape and placed in position to uphold the
heavy calcining v'achinery; hundreds of
tons of earth have been removed, leaving
vast tunnels through which the ore will be-
conveyed from furnace to furnace, and
channels have been constructed for the
passage of the water into which the red
hot slag from the mating process is to
be dropped for transportation down the
valley.
In smelter No. 2 the work of tearing
down and rebuilding the furnaces has com
menced. The debris from No. 3 build
ing has been cleared away and an army of
men is employed unloading cars Of rock
from the quarries and building heavy walls
of masonry on which to rest the new super
structure.
The iue leading up the hill to the large
smokestack is almost finished. Everything
is in readiness for the commencement Of
be 200 feet high, much taller than any other
yet built at the works.
No matte has been turned out in the past
month, the work of reconstruction preclud-
ing the use Of the smelters for that purpose.
Two stampshave been operated in Che con-
and st. Lawrence mines, the concentrates
produced being shipped to the lower works.
The average number of men employed
daily at the upper works in September was
800. The amount paid for labor was $65, 232
and for freight, which was considerably
lighter than usual owing to the small con-
sumption of ore, wood and coal, $25, 1884,
The lower works employed 800 men last
month, paying them in wages $72,527.62.
Thity-One hundred tons of matte were pro-
duced, 81, 15l 900 pounds of ore traated, and
trifie over $4,000 paid for freight.
Jefferson County Mines.
Boulder Age: Last week P. A. Conner
struck fine, rich body of ore in the Swift
zerland mine. Park district. He has been
at work running tunnel to the lead, find
ing it at distance of 200 feet and finding
rich ore when he did get it. He will i'm
mediately proceed to develop the property.
B. Morse has sold four ffths of the Ruby
mine, in Johnny's gulch, for something over
$4,000. One of the purchasers is MI.
Smith, of Helena, who is also large owner
in the Josephine mime. in the Upper Basin
district. Work is to be pushed on the Ruby,
the ore being shipped from Toston.
The improvements at the Hotter mine, in
Elkhorn, will cost 5000 to $4,000, and
include very large and we'll built frame
hoist house with fine stone foundation,
new hosting machinery, residence for
the surPerintendent,. reading room and
other buildings. It is probable, too, that
these are only the beginning of the i'm
provements which will be made. and that
within year or two the entire plant will
be new in every particular.
The @. d D. mine, of Elkhorn, is ship
ping about eighty tons of ore day to the
Great Falls smelter, and the returns exceed
the expectations of the company which
bought the property. Quite q number of
men are at work in the mine taking out
ore, which can almost be shoveled out,
and after the old dump is cleared away
three or four cars day will be shipped. The
property is proving to be immense, and it
improves with each days DEVELOPMENT, A
steam hoist is being erected at the mine.
Judge ]. N. Buck and partners have been
sinking on lead up the hill from Elkhorn
last week at a depth of thirty feet struck
four-f0ot vein of ore which seems to be of
the same character as the ore from the
Hotter mine at depth of 400 or 500 feet.
The discoveries are quite jubilant, and
work will be prosecuted AZ rapidly az posi-
The mine has been named the Eagle, be-
cause the owners think it will fly high.
They are certain. too. that Aley have to
climb pretty high to reach it.
Madison County.
virginia City MadlSOnlan: Major Jos.
Il. Muttly returned from Helena Mon
day. evening, where he had been to
perfect some papers in reference to a min
Ing property deal in which he is engaged,
We have not interviewed him, but under
stand that he was entirely successful in the
accomplishment of the object of his trip,
and that, in a short time, he will take fur
ther preliminary steps for the putting up of
a smelter on one of the large mining prop
critics OF Madison county. We hope to be
able to give further particulars is reference
to this enterprise next week.
Hon. G. l.. Dahler paid one of his period
ical visits to the city this week to attend a
business meeting of the stockholders of the
Alder Gulch Flumipg company. He is oper-
atlng IN the quartz mines at Iron Rod,
principally on the Iron Rod. He says that
that mine is looking we'll. The mill is ~
ing idle At present. but if the weather should
turn off favorable, it will be started up and
make run of several weeks before winter
sets in.
It is rumored that the Kenneth mine has
been sold to an eastern syndicate, and that
active development work will be commenced
on it soon, and that an extensive plant for
the reduction of the ore will be put on the
mine as soon as the machinery and material
can be procured and placed upon the
ground. The rumor comes from . reliable
source. but lacks confirmation. There ia
no doubt but the Kenneth offers splendid in
ducements for the investment of capital,
and 1t is wonder that it has been left so
long idle. We have not learned il the deal
carries the Bertha property with it, but infer
that it does not.