The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-07-09
LAST A OUTPUT.
The Figures Given by W. ID. Wheeler. in
Charge of the Assay Once at Helena.


Charge of the Assay Once at Helena.
w. d. Wheeler, in charge of the United
States assay Office in Helena, in his re-
port to the director of the mint for the
year 1891 has the following on the min
eral output for Montana for that year:
The product of the precious metals in
the state of Montana for the calendar
year 1891 was approximately: Gold,
S2,Sol 1856; silver, ~16,349,O66 fine ounces,
coming value of S21 .13S, 1853; total value,
S24, ,512. These figures show a slight
decrease in the gold product as COM
pared with 1890 and an increase of about
100000 ounces of silver. Owing to an
abundance of water in most of the placer
districts there was a substantial increase
of the placer output in the counties of
Deer Dodge, Jefferson, Lewis and Clarke,
Meagher and Missoula. The opposite is
true of gold quarts properties, and to
such an extent as to show a decrease
of over 100000 in the total gold product
of the state. due principally to the de-
creased output of gold properties in Lew.
10 and Clarke and Fergus counties. AL
though several new properties report
gold products for the year. the amount
was not sufficient even with the increas-
ed placer product, to counterbalance the
decrease in several large gold properties,
one of which produced no gold the last
year and another only a small amount.
The falling off of GOO ounces in the
output of the Jay Gould mine, of nearly
as much more in the Spotted Horse, and
Of 600 ounces in the Montana company,
was not counterbalanced by other gains.
The most notable gains we're over 5000
ounces from the Empire mine, in Lewis
and Clarke county, and from the Lex
ingtOn and Colorado Smelling and Re-
timing company, of Butte, the gold out
put of which increased 1900 and 1920
ounces, respectively. The falling off,
however. in the gold output of many of
the large producers of Silver Bow county
was almost equal to the aggregate of
the last " amounts. 1t is there
fore apparent that the decrease in
the gold product is due to the
shortage of the Jay Gould mine in Lewis
and Clarke county, less the gain the pla.
GER product, the gains andlosses in other
an increase in the silver product of over
100000 ounces, due to increased products
in a number of counties, but principally
Silver Bow, although the mines of
Meagher Castle district) and Missoula
counties contributed to the result.
The Anaconda, which was shut
down for a considerable portion
of the year, shows a diminished
product, while another large silver pro-
perty in Deer Lodge county reports it's
products as over a million ounces less
than in 1880. 1t is impossible to make a
satisfactory comparison of the increase
and decrease of the gold and silver pro-
duct in Montana by counties for 1891
and 1890, owing to the nature of returns
from smelters and retineries for 1890,
which prevented a large part of the pro-
duct handled by them being credited to
the proper counties.
Especial mention should be made of
the Castle mining district, in Meagher
county, to which attention was called
last year. Although still without rail
road connection it has materially in.
creased the silver output. and the
amount of lead produced by one company
, alone was 100000 pounds. 1t seems
more than probable therefore. from the
increased output over 1890, which was
estimated at 10000 ounces of silver and
100000 pounds of lead, that the district
will become a large silver producer in the
future. The total value of the product Of
gold, silver. copper and lead was 539,-
G35,935. Production of gold, silver, cop
per and lead iE Montana for 1891: Gold,
/. l39,S10.S42 fine ounces: value, 1882, $780,
80. Silver, 1G.3i9.0GG.43 fine ounces; val
ue, S2l LBS, 1861. Lead, 2S,3J3.jOO
pounds; value, 5l,229,027. Value of de-
posits at the assay office in Helena from
Montana in 1891: Gold, 8G,20G.OiJ
standard ounces; value, Sl,045, G92.2G.
Silver, 24,512.GI ounces; value, sd ,G03O2.
Total value, Sl,OG1, 20J 2S.-Independent.