The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-05-23

fine gold OF the value OF Sos, ,0se. ~ during
the year. The large dredging plant erected
on Grasshopper creek. near Bannaek, IN
1885. was successfully operated during the
season OF lSss. This plant works the placer
deposits near bedrock and resulted In the |
recovery and saving OF large amount OF
placer gold which could not have been
accomplished by any known method. The |
future installation Of similar plants IN |
Montana would greatly increase the out
put OF placer gold here. Already 60 acres
of Alder gulch, In Madison county, the |
most famous and largest producer OF |
placer gold In the past, is under lease ana
bond to capitalists. who. at present. are
thoroughly prospecting the ground. and
II proved profitable will erect during the |
coming year dredge similar TO the one
near Bannack.
THE year 1897 viii also witness the cree /
tion of the first plant In Montana for the |
extensive extraction OF gold by a modiii-
cation OF the cyanide process. An expert
mental plant of this kind was successfully
operated by the Montana Mining company
limited. at Marysyille during 1876 under
the sole supervision OF Mr.. Z. w. Merrill
OF California. who has attained promi-
nence IN this line OF work. and is a recog-
nized authority in the same. From the
runs made by this experimental plant last
l
settling dams which this company has
built along Silver creek 10 reclaim the tail
ings can be worked profitably, and as "A re-
suit cotton plant Is now being erected
| for this purpose under the superintend-
ency OF Mr., Merrill The Introduction OF
this process into the state will undoubt-
edly stimulate a careful study OF the same
and the future will witness its adaptation
to the extraction of gold and silver from
10
| exist. This. too, would add materially TO
the output of gold and silver In Montana.
THE silver mining industry in Montana
\ is steadily decreasing In Importance. The
mines throughout the state that have pro-
duced silver exclusively In the past. with
the exception of the property at i;lkhorn
and Neihart are closed down because Of
the prevailing low price for this metal
However. the production of silver Is san
very large and makes most creditalie
showing for this state. This large produc-
| tion is due to the greater extraction of
copper ores during 1896 than In previous
years. In 1886 49, per cent Of the entire
| silver output OF the state was 'by-prod-
uct' from the copper ores. In lSh the silver
| from this source Increased TO 10.6i40 002 81
ounces of fine silver In the total produc-
ton of IL. 100 022 A fine ounces. This Is
equivalent to 81 per cent. from copper
ores of the entire silver production of lss6.
and confirms the steady decrease in the
industy already referred to.
'ln 1896 Montana mines and smelters
put forth the enormous aggregate of sl2,-
096. 4S3 pounds of copper OF value of s2s.-
2,65i0.1I. This shows the increase over
| the production of that OF the previous
year TO have been 81, ,oe2, lsl pounds. or more
than four and a quarter million dollars.
Practically all of this Is produced In the
mines located at Butte. In Silver How
county. The commercial activity createf
by such AN industry is necessarily enor
nous and the benefits resulting from the
same reach into and help every section d
the state. There are at present more mel
working In Butte than at any other tiup
in the past. Besides the market for prov
sions. clothing and the other necessities
of life that In made by the presence ,f
such an industrial force as is there en-
ployed the direct consumption OF supplies
by these mining companies In unde'
ground operations Is stupendous. Mr.. c.
| w. Goodale, the eminent mining engineer
! OF Butte. In a recent address before the
Society of Civil Engineers, stated that h
one year these companies consumed 5000
900 feet of lumber. From this one item the
reader may get some idea of the demand
thus created for steel blasting powders
castings and general hardware by IN,
copper mining industry, well as for all
other materials necessary to mining ope
rations
"As already stated practically all of tn,
copper that has been produced In this
state has been the output of Silver Bow
county. Recent discoveries. however. in
the extreme northwestern part of the
| state, promise new field for the future
mining of copper In Montana.
L lassS at tp,n nf ba
mining Industries in the state. neverihe-
less the output OF lead Is no small item
and In 1896 II reached "A total production of
2.a2l.a pounds. and equal In value to
SGT, ,00g.s1. This sum seems small when
compared with the gold. silver and copper
operations during the year, yet operations
In this one branch add several prosperous
communities TO the growth of the state.
Now silver-lead properties have been
worked for the first time near Libby creek
and Flathead county makes its advent into
this class OF producers as n consequence
with more than two million pounds OF
lead and 10000 ounces OF pure silver to It's
credit.
''The silver-lead camp at Castle II show
| Ing new and vigorous activity. During the
year the Montana railway has been built
TO this camp from the main line of the
Northern Pacific railroad. near Townsend.
! "A distance OF about ~ miles. The early
opening Of this road for traffic will add
materially to the future lead production
BY Montana. as this camp has been idle
for some years because of a total lack OF
transportation facilities.
Large expenditures are being made by
some OF the most prominent smelling com
panies operating In the state that promise
improved conditions for the treatment OF
ore. As IA consequence It Is believed that
the treatment charges now made by these
smelters to producers will eventually be
lowered and will result in the opening
and profitable working OF properties yield
ing gold. silver. copper and lead that are
now idle, as well as securing materially
increased profits to the smelters them
! selves. AT present these improvements are
in the direction OF cheaper power. The
erection of a large and new smletine plant
is being made by the Parrot Smelling
company of Butte at Gaylord, on the JEFF
ferson river. because II can he run en-
tirely' by water power and the building OF
n dam across the Missouri river at Canyon
Ferry. near Helena, will generate some
5000 horsepower and furnish the works
of the United Smelling A. Refining com
pany at East Helena with electric power
at a low cost.
! Taken altogether. Il Is safe 10 say that
if Montana Is not already the leading min
ing state In the union II will become such
| In the near future. To use an old and
] nOmslN gyuTeSsion al the nroSnagsnr and