The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-11
STATE MINE INSPECTOR


made and in the latter the work of de-
veloping the copper veins found there
has been steadily pursued.
Other Counties. aaa
Conditions in Beaverhead county and
| in Deer Lodge county show little, II
any. change from that noted in my last
annual report.
| Because of the constantly increasing
consumption of copper and the inability
| of the present producers to meet such
| increasing demand, copper lodes are
| much sought after. Within the year
two districts rich in promise have been
brought to the notice of the mining
public and are at present being vigor-
ously exploited, viz: the ceded strip of
| the Blackfoot in the st. Mary's dis
trict. Teton county, and in the Stone
wall range of the Little Blackfoot in
| Lewis and Clarke county.
Coal Industry.
1t is a recognized fact that the con-
dition Of the coal industry denotes the
condition of nearly all other enter
prises. This is as true of Montana as
of any other state, but with this differ
ence: That in Montana's case the usual
! relation of the one to the other is re-
versed In most states the presence OF
coal invites other industries. In this
state the necessity of cheap fuel in the
development and reduction of her we'll
known resources has encouraged and
builded up her present coal industry.
With the exception of the Belt mines,
which, on account of a strike, have
| been idle part of the year, the pro-
duction of all other coal mines was linn
| tied only by their capacity. At present
several of the big producers have in
| contemplation the installation of new
equipment of much greater capacity
while at others, notable the mines of
Carbon county, in anticipation of the
increasing demand begun early the
construction of complete mining plants
of modern design, the plans of which
contemplate the doubling of the pro-
duction of these mines. These improve
ments are already reaching completion.
AS TO Cages.
Under the head of cages Mr.. Byrne
says: After innumerable delays, COW
ering a period of two years. the cause
of the state against the Anaconda Cop
per Mining company, for non compli-
ance with the law providing for the EN-
closing of hosting cages, was brought
to trial on May 26 of the present year
in the district court of Silver Bow
county, and verdict was rendered for
the state Appeal was taken by the ce-
PENDANT company and the case is now
in the hands of the supreme court for
final adjudication. The reason for the
dilatory manner in which the case was
prosecuted by the Silver Bow county
attorneys office, as pointed out in my
last report, was made apparent in the
attempted repeal of the law at the last
session of the legislature. To the SEN
ate belongs the credit of defeating the
inhuman purpose of those that carried
the repeal of the measure in the house.
During the tendency of the bill for re-
peal before the house, and contrary to
fact, representations We're made, even
from the floor of the house, that the
device as provided for in the law had
been given a fair and impartial trial
and was found impracticable and that
the great majority of the employees
were afraid to trust their lives on the
cages thus equipped with device de-
signed to prevent them from falling off
or being crowded off or from striking
the shaft timbers and being crushed to
death, or from stepping from the cage