Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-11-17
SAPPH|RES
OF MONTANA
THE STONES FROM THIS STATE
BECOMING MORE POPULAR
EACH YEAR.
EXTENSIVE BEDS IN
NOR fHERN PART OF STATE.
A Montana Syndicate Owns a Large
Area of Ground at Yogo and
Rock Greek.

The fact is not generally known that
the sapphire industry of Montana has
practically been corraled by a syndicate
of Montana capitalists, which, during the
past year, has purchased the extensive
mines at Yogo and Rock Creek An
English company has a few mines in the
fogo district which yield many thou
sand dollars in precious stones each
year, but the Montana men have pur-
CHASED all the ground adjoining and
VIII operate the mines next year. MIR,
TANNER, OF Red Bluff, also owns some
splendid sapphire ground at Req Bluff.
"A phi expert in a recent inter-
view said:
"The sapphire from Montana is becom-
ing well kAuWn to the lupiuary trade
All over the world and A. w.ll in a short
time be as cOnlmOn to hear o. a Mon
tana sapphire, as it is now to hear of
a Mexican opal Just to show how pop-
ular the stones found iE this state are
let me tell You that they received the
award at the Paris exposition. The
stones brought from Cey on have here
tofore been supposed to have been the
sapph1res par excellence, but Montana
stones have come to the front. and I
~ 1oJ SAAt tAGy WALL stay lutTG.
Sapphire mining in this state presents
one feature that is not found to any
extent ewher In most places dia-
monds, s%apphires and other precious
stones are usually found in pockets or
clusters, while in a great many in
stances in this state they run in a lead
ike gold or silver. This is especialiy
true OF the YogO mines in Fergus coun-
(which probably turn out the best
sapllMres in the state. There are large
numbers of blue stones found there.
some of these are Of exceptional beauty
and weight. AS a rule, the sanphire runs
from one-half carat to one and one-half
in weight. The price differs according
to size and quality, very much as it does
in regard to diamonds.
In the Montana mines the stones are
found scattered along the veins Some
times they are found punched I'D togeth-
er, and then again a large amount of
ground Will have to be worked without
finding anything of great value. AS in
all kinds of mining, there is as much
dead work as there are rich finds. One
block Of ground may yield $1,000 carats.
while another may not contain 100, and
then again a block of ground containing
1000 carats may cost so per cent more
l ~ WOIh IMAM the one ina ylelUS Jnree
times as many. AS a general thing,
stones are found in a wall of hard clay,
usually perpendicular. A wall of rock
will be or either side of the clay, which
has to he worked Thoroughly for fear of
something being overlooked. 1T is washed
in a thorough manner and the stones are
picked out and sorted according to their
weight, color and degree of fineness.
When an amethystine is found there is
rejoicing, for this is the rarest of the
sapphire family, and brings a very re-
spectacle price in the market of precious
stones.
The Yogo mines AVE been worked only
to a depth of fifty or sixty feet, but pros
pecting has gone dow much farther. Up
until some time ago there was a fear
that the stones would play out, as the
shaft was sunk deeper, but the opposite
has been the case. The further down the
prospecting shafts lave been sunk, the
more stones have been found. The clay
is considerably harder and will require
a great deal more exposure before it will
taken out without trouble. The ella!
brought from the shaft this fall will be
allowed to lie until next spring, when it
will be washed, and perhaps as many
gems as have aready been found in it will
then be discovered. When this worked