The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-18
IN THE BUTTE DISTRICT
How the Land Lies in This
World-Famed Mineral Belt.
lODES, FAULTSAND BREAKS
What Years of Practical Mining Have
Revealsd and What Geology Has
to Say In Regard to
the Camp.

1t is common expression among
Montanans that Butte is the greatest
mining town on earth" This has
grandiloquent. although somewhat
| hackneyed, sound Nevertheless it is
literally true, with the qualification
that Butte has outgrown the designa-
ton mining town" and become we'll
appointed, substantially built city of
| probably $4,000 inhabitants. 1t lies on
| the southern slope of a considerable
elevation which stretches for perhaps
two miles to the east of bald conical
butte or mountain. from which the city
and district are named.
The United States geological survey
| gives the area of the mining district
at a little less than "a square miles
about six miles long by four wide, the
butte referred to standing near the
center. But, with few not very i'm
portant exceptions the valuable ore de-
posts have all been found in the por-
ton of the district lying to the east
ward or the butte. and within an area
extending about two miles almost east
and west. by one mile north and south
Inc localized character and general
agreement in trend of the mineral veins
is striking feature of the distr Ct
Subject only to the irregularities which
have resulted from the faulting or
breaking of the assures, the veins ex-
tend almost uniformly east and west,
with curvature which carries both
endS sllghtly to the south. Another re-
markable feature of the district is the
fact that the mineral-bearing lodes are
commercially speaking, of two distinct
classes-silver and copper. That is to
say, the mines located on some of the
lodes are known as silver mines. while
those upon others are recognized as
copper mines. This, as intimated, is A
commercial rather than a geological
distinction. 1t is said that the copper
deposits always occur in the granite,
which is the basic rock of the district,
while the silver appears both in the
granite and the aplte, which is anoth-
er of it's characteristic mineral rocks
But aplte is itself species Of gran
lite. differing from the regular Butte
granite mainly in containing mere of
silica or quartz. Hence the division is
far from being well marked and def
mite. This is emphasized by the cir
cumstance that some of the present
copper lodes We're originally opened and
worked as silver mines, the latter met
al disappearing and the proportion of
copper increasing with depth until it
became the chief commercial product
of the mine. To this it may be added
that the distinctively silver ores always
carry some gold, the latter at times
constituting an important part of the
total value; but sthese ores generally
carry no copper in quantities of COM
mercial value. On the other hand the
copper ores always carry both gold and
silver to such an extent as substan-
TALLY to affect the total value of the
output.
The principal silver lodes are gener-
ally in the northern and northwestern
portions of the ore reproducing section of
the district, with secondary series of
lodes in the southwest and west, the Big
Butte lying almost directly between.
The great copper lodes are almost due
south from the principal silver lodes,
running in general nearly parallel with
them; there being, however, many
faults, breaks and offshoots which de-
stroy the regularity. The principal
copper lodes are dstinctively known as
the Parrot, the Anaconda, the Mountain
View, the Colusa, the Moonlight, the
Ground Squirrel, the Syndicate and the
Bell Modoc. Speaking generally. these
lodes lie in two main belts or systems,
running parallel to each other, and
running parallel to each other, and
an intermediate series of smaller veins
lying between them.
The silver lodes are numerous, each
lode generally comprising a number of
veins, but so many of them are now idle
in a state of arrested development, us
it may be termed-that no good purpose
would be subserved by a detailed men,
tion of them in this connection. A brief
reference to the probable origin of the
metallic deposits in this region may not
be devoid of interest to the general
reader. Probably no reputable geologist
-ts.ly ill.,.
by attempting to specifically describe
just how the deposits were made. But
the general idea seems to be this: The
metals were first thrown up from the
interior of the earth by the same vol
canic outbreak that brought up the
granite. Later they came in contact
with sulphuric acid greatly diluted
with water. This solution found it's way
into the veins. assures, crevices and
even the minute interstices of the more
or less porous granite, where the metals
were deposited. Sulphuric acid having
hut little affinity for gold and silver,
those metals We're dropped first, nearest
to the surface. while the copper in the
form of a sulphate was held in solution
longer and carried to much greater
depths. and deposited in conjunction
with the sulphur of the acid. The cop
per ores all contain considerable guam
titles OF sulphur, which is valuable
agent IN the process OF Smeltlng them.
Butte was originally located and
worked for its placer deposits of gold,
in 1864, The developments We're unim-
portant until 1875, when rich silver ore
was found in the Travona lode. Many
important silver mines were opened, In
Guiding the Alice, the Lexington. the
Moulton, the Bluebird and the Nettie.
The camp became famous as silver
producer and continued to be for a
copper mining may be dated from
1S79-S0, when the first copper smelter-
the Colorado-was erected.
Since then the increase in the copper
production has been marvellous, rising
from about 100000 pounds in 1882 to
the enormous aggregate of 2l6,0000O0
pounds in 1898. Even this latter amount.
is 20,000000 pounds less than that for
1897, the falling off being owing, in
large measure, to the closing down for
several months of portions of the Ana
conda mine on account of fire. AL
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