The weekly tribune., 1894-01-26
Montana Resources.

The United States geological survey
report on the Mineral Resources OF the
United States for 1892" is at hand, and
from it's contents the following facts are
cleaned relative to Montana
The production of this state for that
year is as follows:
Gold, S2,S9l. 1856; silver. 81, 2,5223;
copper, 63,206,12S pounds; lead, 2o,1l6,-
197 pounds coal, 564.64S short tons;
coke, 10000 short tons.
In production of gold California is
first, South Dakota second, and Montana
third.
In silver Colorado is first and Montana
second, and in the joint production OF
gold and silver the same.
In copper Montana was far ahead OF
all other states, the Lake Superior coun-
try coming second with a production OF
100000 pounds less than Montana
The principal mine of the Butte dis
trict, the Anaconda, attained the unpar-
alleled record for a single company OF
lOO.OOO,OOO pounds of copper in one year,
and this was achieved although mines
and works were idle during part of the
year. The capacity for production OF
the great plant of the company was
demonstrated by the attainment OF
record close to 100000 pounds in one
month at time when a part OF the
smelling works was undergoing recon-
struction.
As the huge cupper plant at Great
Falls only commenced operations IN June
1898, OF course this report does not in
c!ude the product of these works.
Nor BY EDITOR
Under the ;head of Progress of the
Precious Metal Industry in the United
States Since 1880" by $. F. Emmons, the
writer says of Montana:
The mountainous portions of the state
have many broad valleys that are charac-
teriZed by unusually large accumulations
of detrital material. many of which have
been proved to be highly auriferous.
Their extent and richness has given to
Montana a rank next to California IN
the production of placer gold, and made
II during the first two decades OF Its
existence eminently a gold producing
state. During the decade from 1880 to
1890 this condition radically changed
Its silver production enormously In
creased while the gold product though
tiuctuating from year to year, showed a
considerable decrease from the produc-
tiOn of earlier years. In 1850 the gold
derived from placers constituted nearly
two-thirds of the total gold product OF
the state: in 1SS4 this proportion was re-
duced to a little over two-tifths. AS the
gold product, on the whole. has lncreas-
ed. and as placer mining has been much
retarded by the want Of water, it is
evident there mas been a still greater in
crease in tie proportion OF gold derived
from deep mines. \ considerable por-
tinn OF this gold is known to have been
derived from ores carrying both gold
and silver. The silver product OF the
state. a. shown by statistics, has in
creased steadily up TO the end Of lo92.
\ considerable falling of in the silver
production of the state ii to be looked
for. but the gold output, on the other
hand, is liable to increase. Under
favorable conditions placer mining will
be resumed. \ considerable portion OF
the state is not Yet explored fer ore de-
posits. and gold bearing ores Will be
more sought than formerly. while OF al
ready opened deposits, work on those
that carry considerable value in gold as
well as in silver will naturally be CON
tinued rather than on those whose
values are in silversalone
The following table shows the produc-
tion of gold and silver in Montana since