Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-01-11
Past Year Reviewed by Engi-
neering and Mining Journal.
PROSPERITY IS GENERAL
Advanced Prices of Copper and Lead
Have Encouraged Operations
Improvements Made.

In it's review Of the mining industry for
1899 the Engineering and Mining Journal
has the following article on Montana:
; The mining industry in Montana during
1899 shared the general prosperity &C
! tivity of the year to the fullest degree.
! With a few exceptions the industry has
been fortunately free from the injurious
influences of strikes, shut downs, dlsas-
ters or failures.
While the advanced prices of copper and
lead have encouraged exploitation in both
old and new districts, yet the general re-
! suit has been n of expansion of the
mines and mills already in operation
rather han the discovery of new deposits.
In brief, the beginning of 1899 found
Montana producing about to its full ca
pacity with the present equipment OF mills
and shelters. 1t became necessary.
therefore, tina great improvements and
additions to the present milling plants
should be made IL the rapid growth of
past years was to continue. Consequent
ly the year was marked by the most ex-
tensive engagements and Improvements
in the history of mining in Montana. All
of these anticipate large increases in
production, particularly by copper and Its
by-products, gold n silver, but the eff
feet is probably not apparent in the pro-
dlctiOn for the past year. Some increase
over 1898 was undoubtedly made, though
/ perhaps the yield of 1897 was not sur
passed.
The most important event of the year
as regards consolidation of interests ana
reimbursement of milling methods was the
Organization of the Anaconda, Washoe,
Parrot and Colorado companies into the
new Amalgamated Copper company, with
Marcus Daily as president. This put the
control of fifteen of Butte's most impor-
tant mines, with an average of 500 feet
depth to the mine, into the control of the
new company. In the Encouragement Of
the hoisting and pumping plants for
these mines the plan of GENERALIZATION will
be followed. The Parrot smelter was like
wise closed down to lessen the cost of
Of smelling the company's ores, which
was done by centralizing the work at
Anaconda. Thu other smelter, the Coo
RADIO, however. is still running.
At Anaconda the greatest changes are
going on, chief of which are those in the
furnaces and concentrators. Three new
matte furnaces, with interior dimensions
of AZ feet by IA feet, the largest ever
built, have lately been put in operation.
The charge that these furnaces can sue
cessfully handle is fifteen tons. The re-
suit of all of these improvements will be
to increase the output, to decrease the
cost Of reduction and materially increase
the percentage Of extraction. The last
two months of 1899 gave a material in
crease in output of opp at these works,
approximating 2,50o,0O0 pounds, per
month, making a total of nearly Il, 900, 600
pounds per month.
The Boston & Montana has
made great additions to its Great Falls
plant, as has also the Montana Ore Pur-
chasing company to its works in Butte.
Most of the companies have begun erect
iro oman Sfap1 pEilnwS fra mas fnr tho
!, hosting plants.
Another marked change in the Butte
mines was the let UP in sinking and the
increase of men employed. Only about
1900 feet of sinking; was done, rs COM
pared with 5000 in 1898. This, taken in
connection with the fact that 1900 men
were employed as compared with $3.50 in
1898. would indicate a much larger output
of ore and consequent larger production
OF copper and silver. 1t is of interest to
note that over 60 per cent, of the miners
employed in the state find work in the
Butte district.
Every mine in the district outside of
Butte that can produce a shipping ore
of copper II silver or gold has felt the
effects OF improved conditions, and while
no new districts as such have gained I'M
usual prominence, many of the smaller
ONES have now attained a very
ing position of stability. Particularly
! vi IL LIZ SlkO ~
in Flathead County. and the Bear Gulch
mines i'm Park county. In both of these
districts much Improvement in the way of
developing the mines and erecting perma-
nent plants for hosting and concentra-
tion has been made. At Libby the ore is
a silver-lead ore OF high grade, with some
veins of gold bearing quartz. The mines
at Castle and at COpperopolis, Meagher
county, are much handicapped by lack of
railroad facilities. Or they would make a
stronger showing.
OF particular value to the industry are
the mills and smelters that have been
put in operation near the mines for Gus
tom work, as these help the small produce
ers and the owners of low-grade ores in
! the best possible manner. The smeltsr at
Twin Bridges, which will take the ores
from the Gravelly and Tobacco Root
ranges of Madison and Jefferson counties,
is one of the greatest benefits to the indus
try. In like manner the custom mill near
Garnet and the smelter at Basin are some
of the advances of the Year.
1t is tolbe regretted that the Iron Noun
tain company Of Missoula county should
have closed its mine. This, with the
mines at Marysville and Hope at Ba-
sin, are the few properties that seemed to
have failed to share the great prosperity
of 1899, while the New Elkhorn of Jeff =r-
son county closed down.
The production of lead for 1899 will
probably show q decrease, as practically
all Of the lead ore mined came from the
districts in Cascade, BroadWater and
Meagher counties.