Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-01-10
ORE PRODUCTION IN
MONTANA DECREASING

Curtailment in the production Of
copper ores at Butte and the treat
ment of a decreased tonnage of sill
iceous ores in Fergus and Chouteau
counties caused decrease in pro
duction of gold and silver in Montana
II 1911, according to V. C. Heikes
of the United States Geological Sur
vey. However, an increased quaint
ty Of gold was produced from placers
and mines yielding sulphide iron
ores, which helped to offset the de-
crease in the output from copper and
sill ceous gold ores. The placer mines
yielded approximately 10 per cent
mere gold than in 1870 the substan
tial increases in Madison. BroadWat
err, and Jefferson counties offsetting
the losses in the other counties.
Gold contained in mill bullion and
product from cyanide plants de-
creased from 64S43.1S ounces in 1910
to an estimated production of $4,000
ounces in 1911. The mill output
came from Chouteau. Fergus, Deer
Lodge. jefferson and Powell counties.
decreasing in the first two counties
and increasing in the others. The
output of silver from these sources
was also less, aggregating 130,19O
ounces in 1910, against --o,tvO ounc-
es in 1911.
In Beaverland county increased
shipments of gold, lead. and copper
ores were made from the Bryant and
Rannack districts. Advantage was
taken by miners in the Bannack dis
trict of the new railroad between Gil
more, Idaho, and Armstead, Mont.
Shipments of auriferous iron sui
phide ores from the Heating, Black
Friday, and Ohio mines were the lar
gest in the history of Radersburg and
aggregated fully 10000 tons in 1911,
against 1857 tons in 1910. The ore
is valuable to the smelters as a fluX
and averages nearly an ounce of
gold to the ton. Mines of the George
town district, in Deer Lodge county,
produced shipping gold ores. but in
reduced quantities pending the exten-
sion of the railroad from Anaconda
Placer mining by sluicing methods in
West Gallatin Basin, near Bozeman,
Gallatin county, has been carried on
all summer. The B4metalic, Sunday,
and Hidden Lake mines, in Granite
county, were worked under the leas.
ing system during 1911. For the
treatment Of the ores of the Mount
Royal mine a 50-ton mill was erect.
ed. In Jefferson county the Corbin
concentration mill was completed
the Comet mill was repaired to test
zinc-bearing lead ores, and the Ruby
mill was started again. The basin
reduction works operated steadily all
the year and treated large tonnage
of zinc ore from the Butte-SuperiOl
mine at Butte. Mines and prospects
in the Clancy and Lump Gulch dist
riots were heavy producers of silver
lead shipping ore; the Elkhorn mines
also, furnished part of the substan
tial increase in the lead output Of
Montana in 1911.
The Marysville region, In Lewis
and Clark counties, showed more &C
tivity than in the past in milling ant
the rehabilitating of old mills. Sew
eral important discoveries of ricf
gold ore were reported from several
mines in the district. On the edge
Of Lake Swall a large dredge,, oper
ated by electric power, was erected
and started to work toward the
ground in Maybe Gulch, upon which
it will operate. Extensive ground
Elu.cing was carried on at the Libby
placer mines, in Lincoln county. The
Snowshoe and Blacktail mills, in the
southern part of the same county
turned out large tonnage of concen.
trate and mill bullion and at Sly
vanite, in tn northern part OF the
county, the reconstructed mill of the
Lincoln mine was in operation
Stamp mills were under construction
en- several properties in Madison
county, and most # the older mills
were in operation, producing gold
bullion and some concentrate. Near
Ruby, in Madison county, four dredg
es were in operation and furnished
the largest part Of the increase in
placer gold. Improved methods of
concentration were tried on Iron
Mountain ores in Missoula county
and a dredge of $500 cubic yards ca
pacity was constructed on the Ken
needy Creek 2lacers, in the Ninemile
district. Another dredge is working
on Cedar Creek. At Butte, in Silver
Bow county, operation by electricity
and compressed air has reduced the
cost of producing copper South of
Butte. in the Divide Greek region,
the Free Gold mine and cyanide mill
were operated the entire season.
According to preliminary figures
prepared by the director of the Mint.
Montana produced in 1911 $3.169.S40
in gold and 11,116,77S fine ounces OF
silver, valued at .s6,114,22S, against
s3,720,4OO in gold and 2,282,9O0
ounces of silver, valued at $6,632,7OO,
in 1910.