The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-10-10
The Wealth of Butte.

Everybody understands in very gen.
eral way that the Butte mining district
represents great deal Of wealth, but
few have anything like a clear concep-
ton of what the enormous aggregate
is. 1t is not an easy matter to get at
it with closeness, but a good general
idea may be obtained by a glance at
few of the leading properties.
In the first place it may be stated
that Butte proper is a very fine city
of about fifty thousand inha bitants.
Property is held at high figures, and the
assessed valuation of Silver Bow coun-
ty. of which Butte is practically the
whole. is in round numbers about ST.
100000. 1t is safe to say that this rep
resents not more than one-third of the
actual value. which we may place at
$4,000. 900. ~
Turn now to a few of the principal
mines. These are not included in the
assessment, except to the extent of the
surface improvements. The enormous
ore deposits are not taxed. The Ana
conda is represented by 1900, 900 shares
now quoted approximately at fifty dol
lars a share This makes an aggregate
of $50, 100000 for that company's mines
The Boston & Montana has 100000
shares. now selling at, say, $3.50 share.
Here we have $50 10000 more. Then
comes the Butte G. Boston with 100000
shares quoted at seventy-fve dollars,
making a total valuation of Sis. 000 900.
The Parrot follows with 100000 shares
selling at about fifty dollars, which
foots up $11, 100000 for that mine. The
Colorado is represented by 100000 shares
worth, it is said. twenty-five dollars a
share, totaling s2.5Oo.O0O The Montana
Ore Purchasing company is organized
with 10000 shares. 1t is a close corpor-
alton and it is not easy to get at the
exact value of its properties, but we
understand that the stock is held at
$3.50 a share. This may be excessive,
but if we call it 500 it aggregates
sS,000,000. This makes a grand total of
STAT 100000
1t must be understood, though. that
only limited quantities of these stocks
are now on the market. The most of
them are owned by parties who are
holding them as a permanent invest
ment, and who would not think of sell
ing them at present quotations. They
might not be willing to give any more
for the shares which are on the market,
but they would scarcely part with their
own holdings for any price that outsid-
ers would pay. 1t is practically certain
that the properties named could not be
bought for anything less than $175, O00,-
900.
Then there are other valuable mines.
The Colusa-Parrot, the Stewart and
other Clark properties, besides the
Spectator, the Alice, the Lexington
and many smaller ones. To lump these
at $10,000,00O would be we'll within the
mark This raises the total to $1S5, 900, =
600. Adding the s75,000,OO0 for the city
proper, we have $3.50, 900 600 Deductiug
100000 600 for Implications. we have an
even $3.50, 900 left. That is equal to
5000 for each man, woman and child
in Butte. Is there another community
of 10000 people in all the world thai
can make such showing?
We don't want anybody to rush tc
the brokers and buy Butte stocks CY
the strength of the statements here
made. They are just as likely 10 g
down as up for aught that we know
We are simply trying to convey a gen
eral idea of the actual wealth Of III,
Butte district.