The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-01
any other district of similar character

any other district of similar character
| in the West.
The country is especially fortunate in
| having at hand an abundant supply of
| the natural resources that are essential
! in the economic working of mines and
mills The mountains are covered by
dense, luxuriant forest of spruce, fir and
pine. While a half dozen or more
streams flow out of the district
The mining country is easily access-
Bile to all parts; in fact. a well-graded
. county road extends almost the entire
length of the mining belt.
The past seasons development work
has established beyond question the per
manency and richness of the ore de-
posits Among the great number of
prospects and mines under development
not a single instance can be found
where the present and prospective
value of the ground has not been in
creased by intelligent work. With the
exception, perhaps. of the Mammoth
mine at Coloma, the mines that are
now classed as great properties have
been self-supporting and have paid
from the grass roots and while this
is the best that can possibly he said OF
any great mine, to depend entirely upon
the returns from ore shipped to develop
a mine is necessarily a slow. impractical
anu expensive way VI iillHl!lS anu Is
carried on by mining men only when
it is absolutely impossible to secure the
necessary capital with which to develop
the property in a practical manner.
The system of mining at present in
operation around Garnet is to sink a
shaft 80 feet or so on the ore chute and
then stop all further development work
until the ore above this point has been
"coyoted' out. Then the slow. pain
lit, n
gouging out the ore above is again en-
plOyed as a natural consequence of this
pernicious system of mining. Some of
the most excellent properties after a
year or more of active work are found
with practically no ore reserve.
From one point of view the outlook
for an active and prosperous seasons
work the coming summer is especially
favorable. The idea is slowly dying out
among the prospect owners that capt.
talists are in the market looking for
prospective mines on which to venture
vast sums of money. 1t is also being
more fully realized that without suf-
ficent amount of capital It is almost
impossible to develop the average mine
and place it upon paying basis In
consequence of all this enlightenment
the price of a mining property is now
more apt to be based upon the intrinsic
or speculative value of the ground than
upon some vague, avartCious dream, as
was formerly the CASE. In days gone
by it was customary for the prospect
owner when asked the consideration
for a fair looking prospect to mention
price out of all reason and then prompt
~ throw over the whole deal a large
wet blanket in the shape Of a monstrous
bonus in cash.
This ancient and obsolete method of
doing business is the chief reason why
heretofore mining men who know how
and have the money with which to de-
ve.0p mining property have steered
clear of this place and invested in other
less promising, but more modern
camps. In a majority of cases moneyed
men will now be met half way on any
fair proposition tha: seeks the speedy
development Of the mines and even
tually the mutual benefit of all parties
concerned. Thus can be seen in the
rise of this new spirit of progress among
the prospect owners the coming of an
active and prosperous season.