The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-02-25
The Season Of 1892 Will Be a Most
Prosperous One for That
Section,
Without Rail Facilities
to Be Tapped by the Great
Northern.
Much Development Work being Done In
tho Iron Mountain District-Spring
Gulch Properties.

The coming season in tho various mining
camps of Missoula county promises to be
more active than any Of its predecessors.
The developments of the past year have
shown that when carried on with the same
degree of caution that is generally consid-
cred essential to success in any other pur-
suit, mining ia this county is q legitimate
business proposition. 1t is true that va
rious wildcat enterprises have been placed
on the market and the stock peddled out
to whoever could be induced to buy, with
out any Investigation Of the merits Of the
properties on which the companies have
been organized. Several companies with
promising mines that can be made profta-
BILE by expenditure in development and
machinery awe somewhat disappointed the
stockholders, not throughalaok Of merit in
the mines, but in the failure of the stock
holders themselves to appreciate the condi-
tions and expenditure generally necessary
to place a good mining property on a pay
ing basis.
The shipment of ore during the past year
greatly exceeded that of any previous sea-
son; but this alone does not nearly repre-
sent the progress made. Alarge section Of
the county has been entirely without trans
portation facilities other than furnished by
rough trails. Next summer the Great
Northern railway will be running its trains
through the heart Of the mineral belt OF
northwestern Montana. Realizing this
parties owning claims in that section did a
great deal Of development work last year.
and are now making preparations for an
active geasan. Many lave already gone to
the mountains on snow shoes and as quickly
as wagon roads can be built connecting the
mines with the railroad ore shipments will
commence. Generally this will require
from four to twenty miles of building. The
ore shipments heretofore have necessarily
been from tho middle and southern por-
lions of the county, these being the only
parts benefited by railroad transporta-
ton. The construction of'the Iron u
ain concentration on Flat creek has greatly
increased the production from that mine
and for the last two months this property
averaged shipping a car load of concen-
trates a day. This has resulted in placing
the company on a firm financial footing,
and in the payment of a $15,O0O dividend.
The West Iron Mountain company. which
is operating adjoining property, has opened
up some fine ore bodies during the last four
weeks, and it is expected that ore ship
ments will be commenced during the COM
ing week. There is also considerable con-
CentratlnG ore IN this mine, Whlcn Will re-
quire the erection of a mill before it can be
economically handled. "a
In Spring gulch the outlook is very prom
Using for q large production during the
coming year. The Keystone mine, which
has been a steady producer for the past
eight months. is now shipping eight ear
loads of ore a month, and recent reports
are to the effect that another ore chute has
been uncovered which will largely increase
the production of this mine. The
Ben Lomon is another mine of this
camp that has come to the front with a
strike of a body of high grade ore. The
groupings of this mine showed considera-
BILE high grade gray copper ore, and the
owners have for several months been driv-
ing a tunnel across the formation to cut
the ledge. It was not encountered in the
distance expected, but the unnel was con-
tinued, and has finally cut the ledge at a
roint considerably beyond where the ledge
was first thought to be.
The King and Queen property of this
camp is one of the most promising con
centrating propositions in this county, a
large body OF this class of ore having been
cut by tunnel at a depth of 800 feet. 1t is
stated that a mill will be erected for this
mine in the spring. On the Lo Lo, a tribn-
tary of the Bitter Root, there have been
several promising discoveries, some of
which show very high grade ore. .