The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-08-08
LARGE BELT UNDEvELOPED
Neither the Water Level or sulphide
Ore Has Ever Been
Reached

The Catarct Mining district in Jeffer-
son county has true copper belt but
it is undevelOped as yet. says the West
ern Mining World. This belt lies about
two miles northeast of the town of Basin
and just east of the porphyry dixie that
cuts through the country north and
south a short distance below and east Of
Basin, and can be traced through the
country for several miles. This sdike
seems to have a very striking effect on
the numerous leads that run through the
country in their regularly easterly} and
westerly course.
Just east of this dixie is a belt of coun-
try, probably about a mile square, that
has mass Of parallel lodges, all large,
strong, we'll defined leads, varying in
size from five feet to so feet in width.
On any of these leads, where a sufficient
amount of work has been done, the fol-
lowing of oxidized copper can not be
beat in any part of the state. The lodges
all have a dip south. The formation in
this copper belt is all that could be de-
sired, being stratified granite and cor
responding exactly with the Butte for
nation.
West of this dixie that cuts through the
country north and south the leads all
dip north and the country shows signs
of being more or less broken. The char
acter of the ore found is entirely differ
ent, it being a heavy sulphide carrying
values in silver and gold; also large
percentage of zinc.
On the copper belt east of the dixie
the country shows no signs of being
broken. The ore found there is an oxide
copper carbonate, showing azurite and
mallichite and oxide of iron, with high
values in silver and some gold. Not in
any one place on this copper belt has
| sulphide ore or permanent water level
been reached. At present there Is only
one property being worked there. 1t is
the Comstock mine, under lease and
bond to A. S. Ray, who is sinking two
compartment shaft on the property. His
intentions are to get below sulphide ore.
The shaft is down about 1876 feet from
the surface and from the latest account
no sign of water. All who know any,
thing of this copper belt are watching
| the progress made on this property, for
If the values are in copper when the sui
phide ore is reached as it is in the oxide
ORE there will be another copper camp
| spring into existence that will give Butte
| hot chase for first place, for We will
know that all that Is required is depth.
If there is anything in the theory that
| our best experts claim that the Butte
| copper belt can be traced in an eaaterly
| direction through this state. this un-
doubtedly Is the one place where Is
shows very strong. This belt Of country
is about 30 miles from Butte and is IN a
direct easterly course. It has the same
formation, the ledge matter is the same
and the leads have the same dip south.
| North and west of this copper belt. the
lodges dip north corresponding exactly
| with the famous Butte belt.
The Cataract mining district Is the
| greatest mineral showing belt of coun-
try to be found in any state and yet we
are sorry to say 1t has very few pro-
l ducing mines. But with the present
amount Of intelligent development work
going on. we expect in the near future
not only to see this district, but Jeffer-