Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-03-09
LIBBY MINES
AND LUMBER
Lack Of Snow Unfavorable For
Operations.
MILL SHUT DOWN
b - E.
VIII Resume In a M0nth-WOrk Will
Soon Commence in the Big
Mines.
MILL SHUT DOWN

Frank M. Leonard, of Libby, is in the
city and expects to remain about ten days
on business. He reports that while Libby
and h surrounding mining district have
been rather quiet for the past two or
three months, business has begun to pick
up again and there is every indication of
a most prosperous season in that vicinity.
The past winter has been quite unfavor-
able to lumber operations, on account Of
the lack of snow. The big saw mill of the
Pacific Northwest Mining Corporation
has been hut down since December,
though the planning mill department has
been operated for the past month. The
company has cut about six million feet of
logs, and will begin saving them about
the first of the coming month. Exten-
slve improvements are now being made
In the plant, n 1t is evident that the
company has gone into the lumber bust
ness to stay, having recently ACQUIRED be-
tween five and ten thousand acres of we'll
tlmbered lands in the vicinity of Libby,
The company has just shipped about five
hundred thousand feet of lumber to the
Boston & Montana company at Great
Falls, and they have on hand in the yard
about three million feet of dry lumber,
which Is having a ready sale.
Inc same company owns the Snowshoe
mine, which is the principal producer of
the district. It is equipped with a two
hundred ton concentrator, and has pro-
duced about half a million dollars in lead.
silver and gold. The vein is about five
feet In on an average, the ore concen-
trates about eight into one, and he con-
centrates have a total value of about
sixty dollars. The mill is run by water
power and can not be operated during the
winter months. It has been shut down
since November, and will probably be
put into operation in the course of three
weeks. During the winter the company
has had a force of fifty men at work on
development, and it is thought arrange
.ments will be made this year to operate
the concentration continuously, by bring
ing in a new supply of water The main
tunnel of the Snowshoe is in over ], 700 feet
following the lead all the way. At a
point In 1T 1875 feet from daylight, a winze
been sunk two hundred feet and
drifts turned off at the one and two hum
1dred. The drift at the 100 is in eight hum
'dred feet on the lead all in.
ore of the same character as above. The
stopping so far has been done above the
long tunnel, so it will be readily seen tina
the mine has considerable ore in sight.
The American kootenai Mining COM
pany intends to do considera BILE work in
this vicinity his year. They have a
group of gold claims Oh the West Fisher.
They have all the material for a ten
stamp mill and gravity tram at Libby,
and 1T is now being transported to the
mines. They are satisfied that they have
a good thing and will push it this year as
fast as possible. The company-is com
posed of Cleveland Ohio capitalists. who
were interested through the efforts of w.
j. Beager, formerly a well known resi-
of Butte.
The Brick & B~rannagan mill not far
from the one last mentioned on West
Fisher, had a successful run last fall, and
will be operated again this summer, de-
Velopment on the mine having been push
ed since the shut down of the mill.
1t is thought that the Silver Cable mine
Will be operated this season. This mine
Is equipped with a sixty ton concentration.
and is about five miles south of the Snow
shoe and on the same lead. 1t is owned
by John l.. HART and other MtssouIa
parties and was flowed to lie idle last
year. The mine has been ~nou
by every one who has ever looked at
1T, though no very extensive DEVELOPMENT
has ever been done.
Mr.. Leonard states that the winter has
been exceptionally mild in Flathead
county, n there has been very little
snow. The farmers in the Flathead have
not hauled their wheat to market, and
there a never been a time, when so
much of this crop has been held over The
past two seasons have been of wonderful
progress for this county, vast material
advance has been made in all respects.
n the prospects for the future are most
encouraging.