The Helena independent., 1893-12-14
M|SSOULA COUNTY MINES
Depression in Silver Has not Pre-
vented the Development Of
Good Properties.
Helena and Victor People Have
Struck It Rich Again In tho
Noted Curlew.
The Iron Mountain Looking BETTER Than
Ever and Still Remains the Hammer
Property OF the District

Special to the independent.
M1ssouLA, Dec. l3.-Ths mining situa-
tion in Missoula county il perhaps ~ favor
able az In any other county OF the state.
Ouite number of men are working and
considerable ore 10 being shipped. The de-
pressing effects Of adverse silver leRisla-
tion have been fslt and shown more &C.
vsrely in the lumber Camps than directly in
the silver mines. This is owing TO the fact
that those Of the mines which had received
devslopmsnt sufficient to have placed them
In the list Of producers before the slump in
silver contain ore of such grade that they
can still BE- worked without losa The
lumber camps depend largely on general
trade throughout the state.
The Curlew mine. near Victor. owned BY
the Helena and Victor Mining
sr.atic dividend payer. Al times the proata
accruinR from the working Of the mines
have been large; st othsr times II has been
operated at loss. The ore 10 eonesn'
tratsd in 10O-ton mill located near the
mine. The concentrates produced have
always been high grade. Recent devel-
opmsnts have disclosed bodies of ore which
are now being worked at prodt, notwith-
standing The low price Of the white metal.
One Of these ore bodies was struck on
the 5OO.foot level and gives promise of per
mansncy. II 10 thought to BE- continua-
tion Of ths ore chute which in the 200 and
0OO.foet levels made 90 much money for the
company . little over three years ago.
Another ore chute was also struck this win
tsr in an entirely new portion of the
- nh
The grade of ore in this 10 very high.
eoing. il is said, between 800 and 400 ounces
in silver to tho ton. The greater part Of
the indsbtsdness incurred by the company
after the disastrous caves OF eighteen
months ago has been paid. and the com
pany BY the hrst Of the year VIII % able to
show pleasing balsnce on the right side OF
the ledger. A considerable increase was
recently made in the working force at the
mine.
The report that the men at the Iron
Mountain mine at Pardse had gone out on
strike has happily proved to bs untrue.
owing to the condition Of the lead and sill
yer markets, to request the men TO aocept
Temporary reduction OF wages. The propc-
sition was aceeded TO and the mine has
been running unintsrruptedly since. The
mine was, however. closed for short
time shortly sitter the heavy drop in silver.
u
bers In the lower levels and made necessary
considerable Eetimbering on these levels
before ore extraction could be resumed in
them. While this was being done
the concentrato1 was run on lower grade
ores from the slopes Of the upper levels.
and the mine "a in thoroughly good con-
dition. II 10 stated by those in position to
know thmk 10 has never before in its long
career u prosperity shown as large quanti-
ties of ore nor has tho ore at any previous
time hesn of better grade than at present.
demdfa rated by the present condition OF
the l0A levels. This fact ID contradic-
tion y. rho opinion expressed By q we'll
known Expert who examined the property
several years since. It is stated that more
concentrates are now being produced than
at any time heretofore. The Iron Noun
tain is the banner mine OF Missoula county.
The bulk of tho stock 10. however, owned in
Helena.
The Keystone. In Spring gulch is being
worked under lease. Sixteen men are em-
ployed in this mine. At Martina the mine
and mill of tho Nine Milo company are
closed down. This company posted notices
that wages would be reduced to 50 for
miners aud 81. so per day for muckers. The
closing of this property throws about sixty
men out of employment. This company
has been running its mill for something
over year. Walter NJ. Biokford, who is
vice president of the Nina Mile Mining
company. stated to The INDEPENDENT rep
rssentatiye that circumstances were such
that it was necessary to reduce working ex-
penses on the mine or let it lay idle. and
they had given the men the alternative.
The Charcoal mine. in Camas prairie, ia
working q small force OF men and is ship
ping ore regularly. It's present owners are
tho original discoverers. The mine has
been paying from the grass ropts. OF the
mines Of this portion Of the state that have
to any extent been producers, the only one
closed is a gold mine. It is thought, how
ever. that the question of wages between
the company and the men will before long
be amicably settled and the mine resume
operations.
fine china cup and ssucer is cheap and