The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-11
THE MINES Of MONTANA,
The Copper Production Of Montana
and the United States Last
Year.
Another Rurnor That the Great
Anaconda Properties Are
to be Sold.
The Facts About this EIixabeth-News Of
the Mines of Deer Lodge, Barker
and Neihart.

The annual statistical number OF tht
Engineering and Mining Journal Ia to hand,
It Is a valuable collection Of figures on the
mining industry Of the world and repre-.
sents n great deal Of labor in it's compila.
ton. OF the production, consumption and
stocks Of copper in 1850, n says:
The production OF copper in the United
States In 1890 amounted to 27S,610,0O 0
pounds, thus far exceeding any previou 4
record, and being 20 per cent. greater than
the output in 1859; II now amounts to more
than 10 per cent. Of the worlds total out.
put Of this metal in lss9.
The following tables give the details oil
the returns which we desire to say are Off.
cial reports and not at all mere .'estimates''
Of production. The only portion Of the re-
turns ESTIMATED" was the production oi
the last week Of December, and this, hav-
ing been obtained from the works them
selves, leaves very little room for any
material variation when the books arr
finally made up. We have revised our
figures for 1889 by returns made by the
several producers, 80 that our tables can be
accepted as thoroughly reliable in all essen.
tial respects. y
The distribution I the production among
the several states has bsen made with all
the care possible, but since, in Colorado.
for example. the copper is largely produced
by lead smelters from ores derived from
various states. and whose contents in cop
per is not always recorded, 1t is quite posi-
bic that Colorado has been credited with a
portion of the copper which originated in
Utah. Idaho, Montana, etc. The fact that
than formerly, and that many small lots OF
copper ore have come in from various new
sources, fully account for the greater part
Of Colorado's increase in the production OF
tho metal.
The production Of the eastern states,
amounting to about $780, 600 pounds appears
in the general item OF "other sourcea;" the
remainder Of this item il composed Of GER
tain miscellaneous receipts reported by
copper r~einers, and of lead smelters MATES,
which they were unable to distribute by
states and which include copper received in
Mexican lead ores.
The production OF copper in the United
States IN 1890 exceeded that in 1889 by
90 ,O34,O 900 pounds, or 1922 per cent. This
increase was made chiefly in
Montana. where the Anaconda mine is Off
cially reported to Us as having produced
64,046.s1 pounds Of copper, q figure which
the public expectations based on the Ana
conda's shipments. The sale of this great
property in Europe is reported; the figures
are stated at 1886, 600 ,O0O, but the English
company organized some months ago to buy
it is said to have proposed a capital OF $780,
100000. The great Calumet 81 HecIa comes
forward again with a substantial increase
in output, - do also the others.
Arizona has distanced all former records.
while New Mexica has fallen off, owing to
the stoppage for a portion Of the year OF the
Santa Fe mines. Our reports lead us to
expect n considerable increase from this
mine in the future.