The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-30
Montana's Splendid Total.

~ direct interest to every intelll-
~ gent citizen of this state is the
complete review of mining in
Montana, for the year 1885, given in
the report prepared by Eugene B. Bra
den, assayer in charge at the United
States assay office in Helena. Mr.. Bra
den has just completed his arduous
task-his report is printed in full on
other pages of this mornings Standard
The value of this report is in it's trust
worthiness-on former occasions the
Standard has taken opportunities to
speak in compliment of the care and
accuracy evinced in Mr.. Braden's an
nual summaries: we believe them to be
of an order of merit so high that the
professional and metallurgical world is
fully warranted in accepting them as
good authority. That is matter of
prime account, when one considers how
shabby and insufficient and misleading
some Of the mineral production reports
have been and, for that matter, are to
this day.
Last year showed for Montana a gain
Of more than three-quarters Of mill
ion dollars in the production of gold
At best, however, the product of gold
was not great. when measured by the
figures which the authorities at Wash
ington give out as the worlds yield of
gold for last year-the Montana total
is $5,247,912. This total as the Stand
ard understands the conditions, puts
Montana in third place in the United
States. Colorado leads. claiming a gold
production of about $22, 600 900 for 1898
California holds second place, report
ing, we believe, about $11 900, 900, a total
which is a few millions less than Cali
forna's present possibilities, the short
age being charged up to that states
almost unprecedented lack of water
| last year.
The product of silver in Montana
last year, was s19,159,432. That is a
decrease of more than two and one-half
millions. as compared with 1897 If you
| examine Mr.. Braden's table you will
discover that practically ninety per
cent of the states silver product for
last year, represents silver that was a
| bi-product. Montana has two or three
exceptionally rich silver mines-they
rank with the foremost in the world
But it is idle to talk of the production
of silver. as a product of mines that
are exclusively silver mines, with the
idea that these mines can be operated,
at the present average of prices, on a
paying basis. That cannot be done in
this, the silver state. You can find
plenty of gold-standard campaign ora
tors who will tell you that in the mines
| owned by the silver barons" silver is
produced right along at twenty five
cents for the equivalent of coined dol
| lars worth. That falsehood is exposed
by the testimony of facts, the world
| around.
| Last year, the decrease in the pro-
duction of Montana copper, compared
with the year 1897. was more than
| twenty million pounds. The reason for
this is recited in Mr.. Braden's review.
All in all, Montana produced last year,
! in gold. silver, copper and lead. a to-
| tai value Of $51, 319, O67. Thus Montana
leads the world-no other community
matches it; no state in the Union ap-
proaches it or comes within millions of
| it. This was Montanas princely con-
tribution to the worlds brand new
wealth during last year. Send a copy
of Mr.. Braden's report to your ac-
quaintances in the East, who have been
hearing about undesirable states,''
| and ask them to put their community
in comparison with Montana's direct
contribution to the worlds useful in
] lliStrial naSsecSilnS