The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-08
MONTANA FOR 1897.

are Official. They were pre-
pared with a degree of care
and patience and thoroughness not
eQualled In any former summaries OF
the kind ever made respecting Mon
tana's mineral output. They are a
proud total They show what Montana
produced in gold. silver. copper and
lead during the year 1897. The figures
| are on silver at its coinage value: on
! copper at s1L3o the hundredweight. In
Montana 237, 156, $40 pounds Of copper
were produced last year.
The figures we print are quoted from
the report just completed by EUGENE
p. Braden. assayer in charge at the
United States Office in Helena. On the
| eleventh and twelfth pages the Stand
ard prints this morning a liberal sun
mary Of Mr.. Braden's report. Evident
ly he has performed this important
work with great care: in manner and
In matter the report is highly credit
! able TO Mr.. Braden, and he merits gen.
erous compliment for his work.
Here is your best mining state In
America. 1t never was so hunted over
for gold as last year. yet the states
total yield is something insignificant.
when reasonable account is taken of
the worlds actual and pressing demand.
The years production of silver was of
fair proportions; not n dollar of 1t
would nave been produced without loss,
at ~silver's present price. but for the
fact hat II happened to come into the
world as a bi-product. Montana had a
good year in 1897. Copper did it. The
states product for the twelvemonth
was enormous and throughout the
year. because of the worlds heavy de-
mand for the metal. the price was good.
In it's time Montana has added not
much less thar eight hundred millions
10 the worlds mineral wealth. In 1897
the gain In the total was three mil
lions over the preceding year. The
year 1898 will be better yet.
Mind you, this Is absolutely new
wealth. taken right out of the ground
and added, net. to the worlds posses
sions. II goes from here as raw ma
terial. Think what 1t means to labor,
the world over, when you consider that.
In the final value of the finished prod
uct, the mineral raw product is an in
significant factor.
The man who reads this mornings
figures. showing for Montana a mineral
product of these fifty odd millions for
last year. is TO bear in mind. IL he aims
to get right ideas, how young Montana
Is. The men are active to-day in Mon
tana's business life who blazed the trail
out this way and settled here be
fore Montana had any mineral produc'
ton. The ~ifty-four millions for last
year represent a population which, al
told. is tens of thousands short of that
of the single city Of Cleveland. W.
have Just passed the pioneer limit; Of q
truth. II they live and die here. ou'
children-at any rate. their children
will spend their days In a common
wealth tina of itself. is IN empire.
OF course, in this showing for Mon
tana's mineral production, the who'll
state comes in. But, just the same
look at Butte's part. as expressed II
the figures for Silver Bow county, II
the totals on this morning eleventh
page. In the grand total of $4,000, ooC
copper is plump fifty per cent-Butt
furnished the III of 1t. In the gram
total silver is about s2l ,ooo. 900; Butt
furnished a good deal more than 9
per cent Of II. More than twenty pc
cent OF the gold was Butte's. An
what was raw ore out of the ground |
, Butte was. in good percentage, tn
|, merchant copper. silver and gol
; turned out from Anaconda mammot
nlantG