The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-08-25
THE GRANITE MOUNTAIN.
Tho Mine Is All Right, Though Two
Mills Have Been Closed
Indefinitely.
It Costs Too Much to Got Sup
plies to the Works at
Granite.
A Victoria Expert says the Kcotcnai
Country Il Enormously Rich In Sill
vcF-9uecn OF the Hills

Tho Granite mills are shut down, says th
Granite Star. No longer does the familia
rumble of their dropping stamps and pom
ferrous machinery sound music in our camI
the absence Of which 10 kesnly observes
and regretted by all. Tbs diseontinuanc
of these reduction works has thrown q larg
number OF mon ont Of employment and viii
greatly reduce the pay roll OF the Grant,
mpa The probable cause for sucl
action on the part of the company 10 . mat
ter freely discussed by the people at pres
emit; some hastily concluded that the Granite
company would soon pass out OF existence
others have been more conservative and
have every confidence in tho future pros
perity Of the company, while few seem "a
understand the true circumstance A. exists
at present. 1t il said BY many that
Encouragement 10 the causes; that
the mine has not been pros
rscted for two years: that all work
has been on the ore reserves and that they
are now about exhausted. The Star docs
not hesitate to denounse any and all such
wild and %groundlsss rumors and We give the
facts, which will Be of interest to many who
are now guessing. In the first place the
company did not have engine capacity at
the hoist until the past tour months to
raise ore enough to keep all their stamps
cropping upon it, and even since the new
engine was put in its full capacity was re-
CURED to hoist ore enough for all the mills,
and this 10 the principal reason why 80 little
prospect work has been done, a. there was
no opportunity to raise waste rock. aud no
place to store it in the mine. This ciroum-
stance was brought about principally from
cha NJ rroAk dorkh Aha ora ia hOlakAH
from. requiring more time and
greater power of machinery to
do it. Although mills A and B are
closed down, nothing has taken place to in
dioats ~permanency thereof; 1t 10 of such q
nature that would indicate their liability to
start at any time. The machinery is all in
place; some needed repairs have been made;
. general cleaning up has taken place and
all that 10 necessary to start the mill again
Is a simple performance OF the engineer IN
farming on the power when orders are given
for the same.
The closing down of these mills was due
to the additional expense required to run
them, a. while wood can be laid down at
Rumsey for about $3.50 per cord, it cannot
be delivered ut the Granite mills for less
than s. per cord. and all other supplies
had to DO hauled from the foot of the hill by
wagon or tramway at figures largely in e1-
cess of those paid for a similar delivery be-
low. Aside from all of this, there was a
perpendicular haul of ore from the lower
levels, anywhere from ono to 1,5O0 fact, III
amount sufficient to supply the com-
bined ITO stamps. 1t will thus bs aeen that
the company had to pay two prices for re-
duction. and as there is no good reason
why this ahould be done, acting upon the
that reform and retrenchment
were better late than never, the board
wisely concluded to close down now, while
silver was low and times dull. There is no
hat these mills will ever start
again. THAI every level in the ledge il not
producing high grade ore ia an undeniable
fact, nevertheless every level is = producing
one, and wherever it has penetrated the
G eat fissure between the surface and its
depth of 1900 feet it has always
been found wide, strong and in good ore.
fact that a horse sometimes enters, or
that . barren streak Of quartz sometimes
ont tho pay. are Incidents
every mine without exception and
should not be considered az evil
dsnoes Of mine exhaustion. 1t is the inten-
ton of the company 10 push the working
nov being driven into the ledge
from Rumsey "a fast rs it is possible to do
30. When completed it will save an ore up
haul of 200 feet and greatly expedite and
the work of extraction and reduc-
ion.