The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-26
OUR LETTER FROM LIBBY
The Sale of the Silver Butte Min
ing Property.
THE MINE is A GOOD ONE
Gold Property Successfully Operated on
Bramlett Creek-Difculties Over.
come-Machinery
Gone In.
Special Correspondence of the Standard.

Special Correspondence Of the Standard.
Libby, Dec. 20.-Indications point to
the fact that the affairs of the Silver
Butte property are trying to be
Strengthened out by Belden & Belden,
a firm of Spokane lawyers, and for this
purpose they are obtaining judgments
and in other ways acquiring the out
standing Indebtedness of the mine. On
the Sth of this month an execution was
satisfied by the sale of this property
IN the case of E. j. Dwier VS.. the Ken
lucky Montana Mining company, and
This was bought in by man named
lay Lawyer. who is generally supposed
to represent the firm of lawyers above
mentioned. The sale was made in Kali
ispell and of course was made for the
purpose of covering the amount named
in the execution, $6,334.70. There are
now against this property II judgments,
aggregating $31,02S.43 and they have
been obtained in favor of the following
plaintiffs: John Wells, $6,14S; e. A
Gioodchilds, s1,4S9; William Bonett,
s2,S11.25: E. ]. Dwier, Sc, 334.7O; D. Mis-
ehendorf, s5,95S22; H. H. Stackhoff
lam Bokamp, $4,000; Continental Oil
company. $109.73; Main Betting COM
pany, 1913. In addition to the judg-
ments above enumerated there are liens
and other forms of Indebtedness against
The property aggregating enough to
siderably more than $4,000.
The Silver Butte has long been con-
sidered one of the biggest propositions
in the entire Cabinet range of noun
tains, and but for the unfortunate diff
ficulties in which the mine has been
placed through combination of cir
cumstances which it is pretty hard to
explain, there is no doubt that the
property to-day would be paying big
dividends. The mine is admirably sit
uated for the purpose of mining and
the mill is one of the most complete
which has ever been put up on any
property. The mine has been developed
by several thousand feet of tunnels and
all of the work has been done in good
shape. The ledge will run uniformly
about five feet in width and is a good.
strong fissure. The ore is fine for con-
centrating and the values are suffi-
GENTLY high to warrant the product of
the mill being hauled in wagons over
a good road for Is miles to the North
ern Pacific at Vermillion, in Missoula
county. The plant is equipped with
electric lights, power drills and all the
other modern appliances for the pur-
pose of working large propositions and
there is every reason to believe if the
parties now trying to get hold of the
property succeed in getting the affairs
Strengthened out and the mine is given
a good management it will become at
once a large dividend payer.
Gold Property Successfully Operated.
The first gold property to be operated
in the Libby district has turned out an
unqualified success. This is the prop
erty owned by the Fisher Creek Mining
company and is locally known as the
Brick & Brannagan group of claims on
Bramlett creek, which is a tributary
of the West Fisher. The present COM
pany was organized largely by Iowa
people and Ed Murphy was sent here
for the purpose of constructing the mill
and in other ways getting the property
in working order. One of the first diff
ficulties to be overcome by the COM
pany was the construction of about %
miles of new road and this was success
fully done, not only affording this COM
pany a chance to get their machinery
and supplies in, but at the same time
opening up the entire district to others
who have good claims in that section
and who have heretofore been unable
to do anything with them on account of
the transportation problem. The COM
pany owns a group of seven claims on
Bramlett creek and the values are
nearly all in gold. Their ledge on which
they are now running the mill is about
four feet in width and is a blanket.
having a dip of about SO degrees. Their
main tunnel on this property is now in
$50 feet and this does not afford stop
essary number of men to work at the
same time to keep the mill running two
shifts. To overcome this defect the mill
was closed down this week and all the
crew came to Libby for the holidays
and will return again on the Sth of Jan
uary, when the mill will be started up
and run two shifts continually. In the
meantime there are two shifts employ
ed at the mine running the main tun
mel further into the mountain, and 1t is
figured by the management that by the
time the mill crew and others return to
work this tunnel will be far enough
in to put sufficient men into the mine
to keep the mill running as planned.
The ledge is strong and the ore chute
is holding out fully as we'll as antici-
pated. The mill has 10 stamps and is
also equipped with Reliance vanners.
This combination has been found to
work the ore most satisfactorily. The
ore is taken from the mine to the mill
by two buckets, carrying each 1,400
pounds. the loaded one bringing the
empty back. and the tram is about 1900
feet long. The company has made four
shipments of bullion, and while the fig
ures have not been given out, Mr. Muir
ply, the manager, says that they are
well pleased with the results. The sue
cessful operation of this property
means much for that district, for the
character of the ore is the same in
nearly all of the properties in that gold
belt and there is no reason to doubt that
the district will be filled with stamp
mills next season.
Three Loads of Machinery Gone In.
The 10 stamp mill which has recently
arrived in Libby in several sections for
the American-Kootenai Mining COM
pany is now being taken into the hills,
and already three loads have been
taken to the company's mine on the
West Fisher. 1t is the intention of this
company to put the mill up this winter
If the weather will permit, and if not,
work will be commenced the first thing
in the spring. This company owns IL
claims in that section and nearly all of
them are in the same section as the
property which is now being operated
by the Fisher Creek Mining company
The mill is equipped the same as the
latter companys mill and there is no
question of the successful working of
the ore This pOmpany is stocked fnr