Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-02
THE ATTACK ON BUTTE.

The Amalgamated Companys Off
to the false and malicious rumors
printed in the New York papers about
the lessening percentage of copper in
Anaconda ores. Naturally enough they
90 not care what is reported in dispar-
agement of their ore product so long
as their mines pay interest and divi-
dends and expose abundant reserves.
They know that time will justify the
wisdom of their investme mt. The mar
ket value Of the shares at this initial
stage of their great enterprise is not
of supreme. moment to them. The fact
that very little stock is on the market
and the holders are satisfied with pres
ent profits shows the utterly ridiculous
end baseless character of the report in
the New York papers. We fancy that
if the Anaconda We're looking thin"
il the lower levels, the shares in other
copper mines in it's vicinity would suf-
fer very promptly a sudden reduction
il. market value, and that men who own
the bonds of rival and much less pro-
Guctive concerns in this district would
themselves be nurrying an investigation
committee In this direction. When the
Anaconda weakens, the Inter Mountain,
in that far remote period, will not sup
press the truth and will advise its
leaders that other companies dependent
for their ore supply on Ana conda Off
shoots and extensions will have equally
grave cause for alarm.
1t is obvious, therefore, that if any
concern in Butte from malicious Or
speculative motives, or for temporary
effect on the Legislature at Helena, is
responsible to any extent for the libel
Gus inventions about the Anaconda, it
is in the precise condition of the man
who cut off his nose to spite his face.
since it is impossible to create doubt of
the Anaconda without destroying the
credit of contiguous ore bodies proceed
ing from precisely the same under
ground deposits. Much of the litigation
now pending in Butte is intended to
establish the connection of adjoining
veins with the great parent zone known
become exhausted while the former re-
mains a safe investment will puzzle the
most ingenious expert to explain. II
may be set down for a fact, therefore,
that if the Anaconda, the great mother
vein of the copper belt, has suffered
deterioration it is time for the capital
lists interested in all the adjacent prop
critics, whether as bondholders or share
hOlders-it is time for them to insist
that the investigation shall ''go double. ="
The contentious of the rival mining COM
panies, however and the methods of
attack and defense which may charac-
terze their relationship with one
another need not affect the stockhold-
ers, for the most intelligent of then.
know what is going on, what the real
merits of the mines are, the differences
In the character of their management
and the ultimate purposes of the con-
flicting parties. They are all, we hope
holding their shares for dividends. not
for speculation.
This newspaper believes. in fact l;
knows, upon testimony which is un-
,impeachable, that all the mines in con-
flict, or alleged to be in conflict, are
productive. permanent and uniform
and that the averge percentage of cop.
per in all Of them shows far less reduc-
ton in value than the amount sa ved ir
treatment by modern appliances and
more scientific methods of reduction will
aggregate.
1t will occur to the average observer