Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-05-01
OUTPUT
OF MONTANA
REPORT OF THE ASSAYER OF THE
MIME FOR 1898.

Eugene II. Braden, aSSayer or the
United States mint at Helena, has COM
piled his report of the mineral output of
Montana for 1898. The report shows that
the production of copper was ZIG. 979, 1854
pounds, value, $26, 1O2, SIG. 30: silver. fine
ounces. 14,S1S, 661, coinage value, $19, $780,
4S2.17; gold, 1884, 67 fine ounces value, So
247,912.91; lead, q, 4os, 592 fine pounds,
value, $S09, 655. rs; total value, $51 3d.
OF. is.
The value of the gold output for 1898
ia $751;, 4s1 so more than that for 1897.
while the value of the silver output is
1851, 227. SO, the copper 1896, POS. 70. and the
lead $119, 56s. 2S less thar that for the pre-
vious year. The net decrease on the
whole is 81, 6S5, 607 IS. But in view of the
fact that the year 1897 witnessed the
heaviest production of copper ores of any
year in the history of the state, and that
the greatest proportion of silve rand cop
per values are derived from copper ores,
as we'll as other circumstances attending
the mining industry in 1898, the fore
going showing is considered by Mr.. Bra
den to- be most encouraging.
The yield of gold from the cyanide
plants is an interesting feature of the
production. From a small beginning, a
few years ago. this product continued
unimportant until 1897, when it suddenly
increased TO about 10000 unces This
was nearly doubled in 1898, and a on
slant growth for a number of years is
anticipated.
The gold won from the copper and lead
ores shows but little change from the
output from this source in 1897. The in
crease of $30O,0 600 originating from dry
| ores and cOnran trafnS frpnaral1V r1qcco6
as smelling ores, was due to an increased
tonnage from mines yielding this class
Of ore.
The Improvement in the amount of sill
Yer secured from mill bullion arose prin-
cipally from the re-opening and opera
ton Of the Granite Mountain and BIZ
metallic mines and mills at Philipsburg.
This feature is especially attractive in
that it works a revival in the state after
a long idleness in the mining and work.
ing of ores carrying values almost ex-
clusively in silver. The consolidation of
the two companies referred to, which was
effected last year, resulted in a good
profit on the yield, Notwithstanding the
low price of silver. This was due
to the economy of management secured
through the consolidation. 1t is be-
lieved that during the coming year these
properties will reach the full production
the r~e-opening anticipated, and that the
iAiAAlAho VA ~ I a. n II
some measure of it's former prestige, the
Granite Mountain mine alone having
yielded more than $12, 600, 900 in divi-
dends.
The decrease of 90 79. 1856 pounds in the
production of copper is explained as be-
ing chiefly due to the shutting down of a
large portion of the mine Of tho Ana
conda Copper company for several
months on account of fire. Attention is
called to the fact that the increase in
price compensated largely for the de-
crease in product. The upward tendency
in both copper and lead is explained as
being due to the genral industrial activ-
ity during the year. Electrical work
ship building and other branches of in
dustry in which copper is extensively
used, were especially prominent in ex-
citing. greater demand and the condi-
tons at the close of the present year in
Dictated that the output for the present
year wou exceed that of any year in
the past.
The decrease in the output of lead was
1891 1862 pounds, as compared with 1897.
The explanation of this is the smaller
tonnage of lead ores put out by the Castle
district. Previous to 1897 the district had
20 transportation facilities and the Mon
tana Central being opened that year, all
the accumulated ores We're shipped at
once and went into the returns for that
year.