The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-11-30
THE ANACoNDA's MOVEMENTS.

80 So
ticable.-Bntte Inter-Mountain.
This announcement that the Ana
conda company is about to establish a
refining plant may be accepted as au-
thentic and semi-official. 1t is said that
Lee Mantle and Marcus DAILY have been
as thick as brothers lately and the Inter
Mountain. as a consequence, has been
able to and willing to the en-
terprises of Marcus DAILY personally and
Of the Anaconda corporation. And in
doing so the Inter Mountain shows
itself a newspaper. The Anaconda is a
big Montana corporation and Marcus
DAILY is one Of the leading citizens of the
state. The doings OF either are of inter
est to the people of the state and ac-
cordingly good news items. That the
Anaconda company is about to put in an
electrolytic refining plant is a first class
item. 1t means the establishment of
another important branch of mining in
dustries in this state and eventually the
refining Of the entire mineral product of
the state in home institutions.
THE INDEPENDENT has known for
some time that the Anaconda company
contemplated tie establishment of a re-
filming plant. Its smelling works, the
most extensive and complete in the
world, turns out matte that is 60 per
cent. mineral. To ship the 40 per cent.
waste material to Baltimore costs a lot
of money in the handling of the great
production of the smelters. 10 save that
expense is the object of the establishing
the refinery. In the near future the
Anaconda company's shipments out Of
the state will be bullion only.
Until within a few days it was be-
lieved by well posted Helena people that
the Anaconna refinery would be located
at Three Jerks, and there are some who
still hold to that belief, the basis of
which is the recent efforts of the COM
pany's agents to purchase property in
that vicinity. The company owns
thousands of acres there and controls
the water power of the Madison, Jeffer-
son and Gallatin rivers and it's move to
acquire adjoining property is a reason
able surface indication of enterprise of
considerable magnitude. That the water
power at Three Forks will be utilized
when the Anaconda company, in its own
mysterious way, develops plans for it's
use is beyond doubt, but when the water
will cease to run to waste and be applied
to practical purposes is one Of those
things no ordinary fellow can find out.
Anaconda operations at Three Forks
may be near or remote. All that can be
said at present is the desire for more
property there appears significant. TIE
electrolytic refinery will be erected at
Anaconda. The INDEPENDENT has
trustworthy information to that effect.
1t is now in process OF construction
between the upper and lower smelling
works. The old refinery in which the
company pursued its experiments is be
ing renovated and the convertors are
already being put in. 1t is claimed that
costly experiments haye finally yielded
a process which will not only extract
IN hlao'o e'eIy ounce Oh copper DuJ
VIII save every particle of silver and
gold. The refinery will give employ
ment to a large number of men. It is
quite probable many experinced work
mon will be brought from Baltimore,
For a long tune there has been a belief
that D.. b. Haggin was interested in the
Baltimore Copper company. That i'm
preston has been strengthened by the
rumor that W. P. Keyser. the head of
that concern had become vice president
OF the Anaconda company. When Mr..
Haggin visited Montana a couple of
weeks since he was accompanied by Mr..
heyser and his son and Prof. Gardner. a
coal expert, Of Albany. Tt is note
worthy that the keysers spent consider
able time at Anaconda. Their move
ments suggest a probability that they
will manage the Auaconda's refining
plant.
The party stopped at Great Falls ON
bhelr way to Butte. A few days later
j. j. Hill, Of the Great Northern, met
haggin and DAILY at Butte, and accom-.
panied them to Anaconda. The infer
ence was that Hill wanted the Anaconda
refinery located at Great Falls, and his
trip to Butte and Anaconda was made
for the purpose of trying to induce Hae,
gin and DAILY to place their new plant
on his line. That he is after the Ana
conda business is evident, and it is likely
that he proposes to get the hauling of
bullion If not of matte, for, as was pub
lished IN a special to The INpErENDEN1
a few days ago, a corps of Great North.
ern engineers have been ordered to sur.
very a line between Butte and Ann.
conda. IL Mr.. Hill can't induce the
mountain to come to him he is going
after 1t. Perhaps interesting facts will
leak out at a meeting to be held in Butte
Saturday for the purpose Of capitalizinl
the Anaconda at s25, 100000, ''and trans
acting such other business as may CONF
before the meeting"
While the people of Montana will re.
Joice over the establishment of a rein,
cry in the state, they will hope for it,
unqualified success and the expansion
of the industry. Meantime they will
watch closely the movements Of the
railroads reaching for the t%ransporta.