The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-06-14
Tho Commanding Position Helena
Has Recently Attained in the
Mining World.
Her Capital Develops the Re-
sources of Montana and the
Rocky Mountains.
rhra.. Quarter of a Million Dollars a
Month Comes to This City In the
Way of Profits.

Eha leads, NOT Only tue S~'
the entire country, in opening up the MIN
eral resources of tho Rocky mountain re-
cions, California men. III a few lsoiateo
cases. have gone out of that state to oPer-
ate. but they have gone into properties we'll
developed. Helena men, however, IN adol-
ton to opening up mines III Montana nave
and are operating in Idaho, in Nevada, IN
Wasbinpton, in British Columbia, In Utah,
In Wyoming, in California and IN Arizona.
So great has become the confidence OF the
mining world in the judgment OF Montana
mining men, and of their ability to carry
through any enterprise that they may take
hold Of, that there is not a week but one or
more member of the different Helena syn
dicates operating in mines, are called to
other states and territories to look into the
merits of properties brought to Their
attention. Another thing which
shows the confidence in the judg-
ment of Helena men. is that 1t
Is almost impossible to float a big Montana
mining company in England or the east,
unless Helena men agree to take a portion
of the stock. When they do SO, the foreign
or eastern investors readily join the enter
prise.
Helena has not jumped into the enviable
position of being the head OF the mining
industry in the Rocky mountain country
suddenly, but it has come as the result OF
the operations of her citizens within the
borders of Montana. And 1t Is also due TO
the fact that no man, prominent IN the
Montana mining world to-day, has ever
been in a wildcat mining scheme, or has
failed to put up dollar for dollar with the
outside investor. Take the wealthlest men
of Helena and they all W the greater
portion of taeir wealth to the mines or the
state. People come to Helena, look over
the statement of bank deposits, admire the
fine buildings, and inquire: What indus
tries'have you which has caused your pros
perity up to the present time, ana on what
do YOU base your statement that Helena
will he a great city within ten or twenty
~years?'' They see no factories, have passed
no well-settled agricultural sections on
their Journey through the state, and the
situation is a puzzle to them. When you
tell them that Montana has added to the
worlds wealth i'll gold and silver since 1862
$500. 900, GOO: that until ten years ago only
home capital was invested in mining: that
all of hor wealthy men owe their riches to
her mines; that there is not a mining camp
in the state in which Helena capital is not
interested, and That oo per cent. OF az sne
profits paid by Montana mines come direct
" to Helena, and that 40 per cent. OF the
balance comes here indirectly for the sup
plies used at the mines. the inquirer begins
70 comprehend what has made Helena.
During 1890 eleven mining companies IN
Montana paid in dividends 81, 212,2 50.
These came companies had paid up to last
December total profits of SIS, pa, 800. 1t
should be remembered that these are all
Quartz mining companies, does not include
the profits from the placers. nor the gains
from the hundreds of mines operated either
by close corporations or individuals. Since
Jan, 1, 1891, those mines which publish
their dividends have averaged each month
a total of S4OO, O00. 1t is a conservative
estimate to say that this does not represent
half of the profits, and a fair one would be
for the total each month since Jan. L 81
OOO, 900. OF this million ~three-quarters at
least comes directly 20 Helena; or, in other
words, Helena has received each month
since the first of January $4,000 as her
share of the profits of mining alone in this
region. That i, estimating that the popu-
lation of the city ia $1,000, there has been
coming in each month since the first OF the
wear $50 for every man, woman and Cnlld
in the city, from but one industry.
In orderto take the gold and silver from the
ground 100. 900 men at least are required a,
miners, foremen, mill men. managers ano
clerks. These men all get good wages. ane
40 manufacturing enterprise IN the COUNT,
can show a business which will pay 1T
workers an average of 500 a month as d;
the mines of Montana. and besides pay
profit of $1,0O0,000. AS three-quarters o
the profits come to Helena. SO does tbs sam'
proportion of the money expended Tor sup
plies for the miners and for operating tn
mines.
1t is only during the last eight or tel
years that the mines of average richness i
She state have been worked at 4 profit. Pre-
vious to the advent of the railroads it Wa
too expensive to ship ore to the smelterf
unless it WAS exceedingly rich, and, as a re
suit the greater part of the states lninerf
OUTPUT came from the placers. Among tn
first things dons by the business men o
Helena, after the completion of tho North
ern Pacific railroad, was the copstructio
of branch roads to the adjacent camps
Among them was one to Wickes, atterward
EXTENDED to Boulder, with spurs to othe
rich quartz sections in Jefferson count,
The Wickes branch soon proved the rici
ness of the mines III that section of Jetfcl
son county, aud in a few years hundreds {
thousands of dollars came into fro
the Comet, Alta. Gregory, Rnmley all
other minss. Helena money wei
into these mines to develop them, an
to Helena came the profits. Then u
mines mines III the Cataract district We
opened by neu from the capital city. al
they yield now not less than $50,OO0
month. The Eiknorn district il producer
not less than $l,00),0O0 a year, from I'll
Elkhorn, the q. d b., the Durstone, IL
Queen and others. Then there are IL
mines in the Upper Basin country, ii
Park district, the Amazon district, the w
low Springs, and q dozen others, Whit
have regular producing mines, this ore Sc
ton tributary To Helena producing ut lea
81 GOO, eco q year. And still the country h
scarcely been proapected.
Take Lewis and Clarke county, in viii;
Helena is situated. Some $50, 900, 900 we
were taken By the placer miners out of La
Chance gulch, and there is no way of cor
putting how much will be- taken from h
quart leads. The mines of the county la
year yielded at least $4,000, 600, and possib
g., 0QO, 000. The Drum Lummon, at Mary
vile, has paid in dividends 81, 681 ,987. 4
Pencbscot has produced hundreds of thou
auds of dollars, and so dow through /
list.
In Missoula county there is scarcely
paying mine in which Helena capital is II
interested. The Curlew, a regular diYidel
payer is owned exclusively here, and
brings to its owners at least $4,000
month, and before the summer is over "
increase it to so, 900. The Iron Mounta
Is also owned by Helena people and it l.
paid $4,000 in diyidendB and will ma
it S2UO.GOO before the year closes.
Meagher county, though its mining
dustry IL yet in it's infancy, will tell
same story of mineral wealth as other 81
tons OF Montana. Helena men have rect
niZed the fact, and commenced seye
years ago to put their money in and deveI
some of her mines. The great drawbf
has been the lack of railroad facilities, J
while waiting for these, Helf
men have gone into Neihr
Barker and Castle. and hou,