The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-10
MOHTAnh'S BUSY MINES
Inspector Byrps Submits His An.
nual Report to the Governor.
MARKED ACTIVITY IN 1898
ne Year 1899 L. stn More Promising.
A Smaller Percentage OF Accidents
han In l6o7-The Years I'm
portant Discoveries.
Special Dispatch to the Standard.

Special Dispatch to the Standard.
Helena. Dec. a.-The annual report OF
John Byrne. state mining Inspector.
which was submitted TO Governor smith
to-day. is one Of the most interesting
documents 30 far prepared by any
state oficer. II is a careful. painstak-
ing and elaborate review of the year
1885. showing what has been accomp-
lished IN the greatest Of the states in
dustries since Mr.. Byrne last reported
10 the governor. The report is replete
with statistics and tables relating to
the mining Industry. progress in the diff
ferent counties. new discoveries, pro-
duction OF the precious metals. etc.
and gives also detailed accounts of the
unfortunate accidents that are not UNI
common in carrying on this industry.
Speaking of the progress made in diff
ferent communities during the year,
Mr.. Byrne avs:
This a been a year of progressive
prosperity 10 the mining interests.
Fewer suspensions have occurred than
Tor many years past and most of those
closed down have done so but tempo
rarily. On the other hand, many IA
nous producers have again resumed
active operations. Among such the
most noteworthy are:
h Granite Mountain and Bi-Metal-
lie mines, which have lain Idle for the
past five years: the Katy. owned nv
the Boston q Bay State Mining COM
pany. situated at Basin. after being
closed down for several years on ao-
count of the destruction of the hois'iLy
plant and shaft by fire. coumence1
the erection of n smel.ar cs $50 tons ca
pacity. a concentrator of roo tons and
the sinking of a new working shaft.
all OF which is being pushed 10 compile
tion as rapidly as ths character of the
work will permit. the Hope. also sta
ated at Basin, n owners dur 'ng
the year n the new company has re-
sumed operations under an active and
competent management.
In the list Of recent discoveries
which have developed into handsome
paying mines, the following deserve
mention:
The Big Seven. situated at Snow
creek. some seven miles from Nsihart,
must be given first place. the Maynow-
er and its extension. the West May
flower. In Madison county. the Cray
Eagle and Il. & c.. In Jefferson county.
the Cruise mine I'm Lewis and Charlie
county and Nancy Hanks and sham
rock mines In Granite county. al II
which should now be considered as
among the permanent producers. T'hD
result of the developments carried On
during the past year clearly prove these
veins to be both valuable and perma-
nent.
Activity On Butte.
The Butte district was never more
active than In the year now closed. The
Green Mountain mine Is now below the
1000 feet mark. while several others
80 an0naalHn~ IL ~ 49,, - A..
mining has arrived. bringing in It's train
new problems and increased response
bilities TO the mine managers. The
system which has been adopted n
practiced for many years. by the lead
ing producers. viz: that Of maintaining
large ore reserves. enables them TO cal
culate to a certainty for several years
ahead and minimize the elements VI
chance in the expenditures and provis-
ions made for the future. During 1871
and 1898 the Anaconda company has
equipped a lumber OF its PRINCIPAL
shafts with massive deep mining en-
gines. capable of developing these
mines TO a depth of 5000 feet. Many
of the other operators. | am Informed.
have under contemplation plans and
are doing the preliminary work neccs-
sary TO equip their respective mlrcs
for deeper work. The intense activity
displayed In and upon the mines Jf-
lette0 tuc city ana ktne1al community
in like manner. as seen In the large NUM-
her Of handsome and substantial strut- |
lures erected, besides the large expendi-
lures for permanent public improve !
ments. Indications early in the season |
pointed 10 a decreased output by soms |
OF the large concerns. due I'm part %
litigation. and on account OF a lsrrs
portion of w OF the leading PRODUCES
having TO close through the discovery |
that a fire which had been smoldering
for years. n which the mine officials
thought had been extinguished. was
still burning. Tbs inconvenience ani
delay attending the construction OF new
plants has also been a serious hanoi-
cap. so much so. that the Anaconda |
mine has not hoisted any ore for sever !
al months The reports received or
1897 n 1898. coming from those affect- |
ed by the causes named, shows but a
very sight decrease and warrants tie
belief that with the removal OF those
causes we may expect a large increase
in production for the coming year..
many more men employed. and in gem
ersl a year of great prosperity for tEe
greatest mining city on earth.
The Coal Mines.
The coal mining industry has eS-
ceeded all expectations In it's march 81
progress. Carbon county has fully just
fled the nam bestowed upon IL by its
founders. The first vertical shaft of
any considerable depth has been sunk
at Carbonado. under the supervision Of
Henry Burrel. Nine hundred feet of
hard sandstone had to be penetrated
before the coal was encountered. The
Gebo mine. located in the outcrop Of the
same vein as flat at Carbonate. and
some 10 miles distant. passed into the
hands OF johnson & McCarty of Chest
nut. A strong has been or
gained to operate the property and the
summer devoted to erecting buildings
for an electric power and haulage plant,
n first OF its A In the state. Messrs.
Johnson e. McCsrty's long and intimate
acquaintance with the industry. az well
as their thorough knowledge Of husi-
ness conditions. assures the success OF
the new enterprise. In the same field.
and presumably on the same measure.