The Helena independent., 1894-01-01

Ia The even tenor Of her way. but the past
ysaH has witnessed ~ number OF big gJtdi
strikes, and several sales 70 men with la1ps
capital. An indication Of The psrmsnenoy of
her ore veins. Within the last sixty days
discoveries of gold quartz have bean made
In Neaghsr county. along the line Of the
Montana Midland, that insures within q
year another rich producer Of the yellow
metal. Jefferson, rich both in gold and
silver. IL NOT behind ths othe, counties in
tho number Of new gold properties re-
ported. nor has that county much difficulty
in finding mon with money to aid her peo-
pie in developing them. ..,7s .t s.. u,
Thus II will be seen that the drop In the
price Of silver. while II had its bad effects
had also the result Of directing attention
to the gold deposits of tho state. Hun-
dreds of practical mining mon who were
thrown out of work when the silver mines
closed engaged in the search for gold;
othsrs took leases on gold quartz mines
that had lain idle for years. aud others
again wsnt to placer fields that re-
ooived but slight attention for a long time.
The frat GLASS In many instances were sue
oessful. and the result ID discoveries Of
gold in localities whore II was not thought
there was any quartz. The second class,
tho lsssees availed themselves Of the mod
srn and cheaper methods of reducing ores.
Tho took ore that ran from IS to $50 a ton.
which under the old manner OF treating
would not pay to work, and by
one Of the now processes add
ed both 10 their own and the
states wealth. The third class did not at
tempt. In many cases. to work the bars that
had been gone over, many of them three
and four times for the glitterine dust. but
they went TO the creek bed-the place where
thsis must be more gold than was In the
bars. bus which had bsen left because Of
the difficulty in handling the water. Capi.
tai was required in this behalf, and IL was
quick 20 respond. I'VE are drifting to
bedrock" IL to-dny an expression heard in
almost every placer mining locality in the
state. and IL means that whom bedrock 10
reached many Of these enterprises wall
make their owners rich. Had not capital
been driven from the silver mines Il would
not have been available for these plaesrs
and Other gold mining enterprises. J.4
But while 1893 saw . great decline 10 sill
YER mining aud such . wonderful impetus
given to gold mining. II did not witness BY
any means the extinction Of the silver min.
ing industry. II saw the profits OF the
owners cut oonsiderably. and the expenses
Of operation reduced In every possible way.
but il did not see sll the silver mines shut
down nor developments stopped In any of
them. Many that closed In the summer
started mp later some being worked by
their owners and others being leased to the
miners. While the total output OF the
silver mines of Montana for 1893 will fall
below that Of 1892. II will nevertheless 60
away mp into the millions. Az the year
closed ID was announced that the owners of
the big silver mines ~ PhiIipsbure the
Granite asd Bi-Aetallic. had decided to
sxpsnd $4,000 In improvements looking
TO the reduction Of operating expenses.
aud ~ aoon 40 they we're
made The mines and mills would bs started
mp again. In Jefferson county. noted for
its silver ninsA there was = Temporary de-
preston. but At the close OF the year there
were more men working In silver mines
than at the beginning. In Silver Bow. the
banner mining county Of tAs state. the de-
preston in silvs. was severely sslt al drss,
but there Was . gradual recovery. and oil
she properties. with possibly two sycsp-
tious. that we're being operated year ago,
are working full force Of men nov. And
% the story goes In all the silver producing
ssosionS-tsmpe'ary suspension. followed
BY Fecapsration and sstrsnohmsnl
Bat silver and gold do NOT represent ths
total wealth or Montana in minerals. In
1892 The state produced 1GA, ,S00. 900 pounds