The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-25
ACROSS THE RANGE.
Matters at Marysvine and Conditions at
East Helena.

Matters at Marysvine and Conditions at
East Helena.
The principal mines of Lewis and
Clarke county are located at Marysville,
about 20 miles northwest of Helena.
OF these the Drum Lummon and the
Penobscot, commonly known as the Bel
mont, are the chief producers.
The Drum Lummon.
The Drum Lummon is usually classed
as gold mine, but it also produces
largely in silver. The proportions are
said to be about 60 per cent. gold and
40 per cent. silver. The mine is worked
through a tunnel which strikes the
ledge at a depth of 400 feet At this
point a shaft is sunk 1900 feet, the
hosting machinery being in the tun-
mel near the shaft. The ore is hoisted
to the tunnel and run out directly to the
mills, which are built just below the
mouth of the tunnel.
There are two mills, one of 60 stamps
and the other of so. The 60-stamp mill
is exclusively for gold ores, being pro-
Vded merely with plates and Frue van
ners. Its capacity is about two tons to
the stamp. This mill is now idle, hav-
ing been shut down some weeks ago for
repairs. 1t is stated by the manage
ment that it will probably resume ope-
rations at an early day. The 50-stamp
,
pans and also with Frue vanners for
the saving of concentrates. The con-
centrates need smelling and are sent
away for that purpose. The remainder
of the ore is worked in the pans. Both
mills are thoroughly equipped with en-
gines. boilers, air compreSSoTs, electric
dynamos, etc.
Perhaps the most notable feature of
the Drum Lummon company's work is
the great cyanide plant about four of
five miles down the gulch from the
mine. This plant is engaged in work
ing the tailings that have been caught
and stored in a number of reservoirs
below the mills. 1t has a capacity of
about 400 tons a day. In brief, the
process consists of treating the thor
oughly dried and pulverized material
in immense tanks, with a solution of
cyanide of potassium. The methods of
getting the material to the tanks, put
ting it in and taking it out precipitat-
ing, etc, are merely matters of detail
1t is said that the undertaking has
proved successful beyond the eXpec
tations of the projectors.
1t is also intimated by those familiar
with the process that it may, to some
extent, modify milling methods. The
theory is that the cyanide process is so
inexpensive and that the precious met
ais can be extracted from the tailings at
so small cost as to make it less de-
sirable than formerly to work the ores
closely in the mills. How far this
theory will prevail remains to be seen.
But quite certain it is that the cyanide
process is a success, and that the Mon
tana Mining company, Limited. which
owns the Drum Lummon, is reaping a
goodly return therefrom.
The company is now employing about
300 men, $50 at the mine and mill and
SO at the cyanide works. Frank Halo
well is the superintendent.
The Penobscot. or Belmont.
Under the management Of ]. H
Longmaid, this property is forging to
the front and is now in most excellent
condition. 1t is situated about a mile
above the town of Marysville. The
company, the Penobscot Mining COM
pany, of which John Longmaid is pres
ident, owns group of IA claims, all of
which are worked together. The form
alton is slate everything granite, with
heavy porphyry dykes passing through
it.
The pay ore is taken from three par
allel lodges. two of which are entirely
distinct and the third occasionally
merging into one of the Others All are
said to be strongly marked assures
The present company bought the prop
erty May 10, 1898, and proceeded at
once to build a 20-stamp mill, which
was completed and running by the 18th
of November Prior to this the prop
erty had lain idle for a number of
years.
The mine is worked by tunnel exclu-
sively, the ore being hauled out in cars
by mules directly to the mill The
tunnel is about 1850 feet in length.
The product is almost exclusively gold.
The most of the pulp is taken from the
battery and worked by the cyanide pro-
rtHrl,t H. VI,
remarkably effective one for it's size
crushing nearly Az tons of ore to the
stamp for each "a hours, making a total
of sc tons per day and about $500 tons
per month. The regular force of the
mine and mill is 100 men, but generally
some Is or 90 extras are employed.
Operations both al mine and mill have
been continuous since the present COM
pany took hold, and the outlook is good
for a long and steady run.
The Belmont and the Drum Lummon
are situated in a rich mineral belt, the
product of which since its first discov-
cry may be roughly estimated at $780,
100000.
The East Helena Smelter.
At East Helena. about six miles east
of Helena, is located the plant known
as the East Helena smelter. 1t is a
regular silver-lead smelling plant. ca
pable Of working about 500 tons of ore
per day. 1t has five blast furnaces, of
which, however, but two are now run
ming. This is owing to a scarcity of
ore consequent upon the strikes in the
Occur d'Alenes and other places. 1t is
a well appointed plant for the charac-
ter of work it has to do. 1t has ample
bin room for the storage of ore, regu-
lar hand furnaces, bruckners, crushers,
dynamos, engines, boilers. etc, etc. An
important part of its work is the smelt-
ing of concentrates from the
Peck Concentrator.
This is about a mile distant from the
smelter, and is a very interesting es-
adjustment. Its sole purpose is to take
lOw-grade tailings and ore, throw off
worthless material and raise them
to a grade sufficiently high to be smeIt-
ed. The material, whether ore or tail
ings, is first ground to fine sand in
rollers. 1t is then passed into the pull
veTiZers, which are revolving cylinders
containing loose iron balls. These balls.
rolling as the cylinder turns, grind the
sand to q very minute fineneSS Thence