Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-10-20
THE SILVER KING.
The Director OF the Mint Chats About
His Visit to the Minea.

His Visit TO the Mfnea
Mr.. z. o. Leech. the director Of the mint.
was at his desk today looking bronsed
and in the enjoyment Of robust health afte- an
outing Of some two weeks in the Wild and
woolly west
In speaking Of his trip Mr.. Leech said: 81
have been enjoying a brief rest from Official
duties in the mountains Of Montana. The past
session has been long and laborious one, and
as an important part Of its legislation had to
do with coinage and currency matters IL has
kept my nose to the grind wheel, 30 that when
got on the cars for my first vacation felt
like boy out Of school
"Of the sixteen days that have been alb
sent have spent eight days and nights on the
cars and travelled about 5000 miles. passing
through the rich and be autiful lands Of Mime
sofa, North Dakota and Montana, my destins-
ton being Helena, Mont l spent delightful
week in Montana. using Helena as my base, and
from there visiting the different mining Sec
tions OF that state so rich in minerals. / went
through the works Of the Drum Hammond mine
at Marysville, the largest gold mine in the
United States, located on top Of the mountains,
with snow from six TO eighteen inches
deep on all the hills around went to Butte,
tho great silver mining camp Of Montana, and
had the pleasure Of inspecting some OF its mag
nificent silver properties, such as the Blue
Bird, the Lexington and the Alice. This camp
is the largest silver-producing camp in tho
world, and consists Of . town Of $4,000 inhabi-
tants, tho largest city in Montana, surrounded
by immensely valuble silver and copper mines
Owing to the increase in the price of silver
and lead, business is very brisk at Butte, and
the stamps are falling day and night
crushing ores containing the precious
metals. The day I was in Butte lead
touched cents a pound against an average
price OF 3$4 cents last year. This is a matter
of vast Importance to the people in that Sec
ton. When l was last in Butte the Alice mine
was closed owing to the low price OF silver,
while today il ia In full blast running day and
night turning out silver bullion. The silver
bill and the tariff on lead ore have done lots Of
good for Montana
SCIENTIFIC MINING.
'To me it is one of the most interesting
sights to see the delicate and beautiful pro-
cesses by which the precious metals are re-
covered from the rock. People whose ac-
quaintance with gold and silver is limited
to seeing it in the shape Of coins
or articles OF jewelry or plate can form
no conception of the wonderful and varied
operations by which the precious metals are
extracted from nature and made ready for use
as coin or in the industrial arts. To see i'm
mense quantities Of rock, apparently valueless
but having hidden away thirty ounces or less
Of metallic silver to the ton OF ore, dug out
Of the earth six hundred feet below the sur
face of the ground, raised to the surface
and run by gravity cars to magnifcently
equipped mills, where all that science and ex-
perience can devise has been brought. 70 bear
in the way Of machinery and mechanical pro-
cesses to recover economically the minute
quantities of tho precious metals contained in
the ore. is to me source of profound interest
and admiration.
Eat the Blue Bird mine which was closed for
some time owing to litigation, but which is now
running day and night eighty-six stamps in its
magnificent mill which cost S600. 900, which
works almost automatically. / went through all
the tunnels and cross cuts in the middle of the
night rugged up in a miners outfit and can
die in hand, from the 100 to the 600 feet level,
and saw some two hundred men busy mining
and milling its product, and as admired its
magnificent machinery and the appliances for
showing the mercury and carrying il back to
the top OF the mill, it did seem to me as if
metallurgy had been brought to perfection in
successfully and economically recovering the
precious metals.
GETTING INFORMATION.
"Aside from the personal interest and pleas
ure which experienced in visiting these prop
critics, as have to make a report annually to
Congress on the production OF the precious
metals, it was a source of valuable information
to me. As to the prospects of silver mining
and the current production of our
mines l should say that the silver pro-
duct Of the United States is increasing;
certainly there is great activity in all the min
ing camps which visited, and when one con-
siders that only short time ago they were
getting only 30 cents an ounce for silver and
so cents pound for lead, while today silver
is worth Sl.10 an ounce and lead
cents q pound, it is not surprising that
there should be great activity in min.
ing industries and that the output should
be increased But the precious metals are nos
like wheat and cereals or manufactured goods
found and when found are soon exhausted, es-
pecially when actively and probably mined.
MONTANA POLITICS.
"Mr. Carter, the member Of Congress from
Montana. reached Helena at noon last wednns-
at the depot with brass band and a big pro-
cession and paraded through the streets OF
Helena to his own door receiving quite an
ovation from the citizens of Helena.
The chances Of his reelection to Congress
are most excellent and while Mr.. Dixon the
gentleman who is running against him. is a
citizen of Butte and ono of the most eminent
lawyers IN the state and is very forcible OPP
ponent have not a shadow of doubt of Mr.
Carters reelection. His work for Montana il
fully appreciated in that state. and on all sides
/ heard nothing but commentator of his
course in Congress.
II feel much benefited by my trip physi.
cally and mentally, and arr now prepared to
buckle down 10 the business OF the winter.
have two reports to write before the 4th oil
next March, my regular report covering the
operations Of the mints and assay Offices the
last fiscal year and report on the production
of the precious metals for the calendar year
1890, 60 you can see that have my hands full v