Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1914-11-29
HISTORY OF BUTTE
AND GREAT COPPER
CAMP development
First ProSpectOrS Settled Near
Present Site in Early Sixties
Hunting Free Milling Gold and
Silver; Copper Came Later.

The worlds greatest deposit of COP
per was first brought into prominence
in 1864 by the FIRST prospectors who
settled in Butte AS these porspect.
ors were in search Of gold. the pres.
ence of copper was deplored. Free
milling ores, carrying gold and silver,
were the only ones desired. as reduc-
tiou facilities we're confined to the
arastra which was easily constructed
and cheaply operated Several OF
these arastras were built during the
infancy OF the camp. One was built on
the north side OF Park canyon by
George Loeffler and It stood close to
the Monitor tunnel Another was
built ON Yankee Doodle creek about
one mile north OF Meaderville by Eg-
bert Smith, who was appointed post.
master Of Butte in the latter seven
ties Joseph Suprenault built another
on Blacktail creek and this was used
in reducing the ores from the High
Ore mine. Of which Mr.. Supreuault
was the owner The owners Of the
Gaenon mine built as arastra at Rookie
on the strength OF a high grade gold
discovery on the south side Of Silver
Bow creek about bali a mile from the
present site OF Rocker. The ore Was
high in gold and silver and carried a
good percentage OF copper This aras
ira recovered abont half the, silver
values
In 1875 tire Dexter mill was com
pleted by, w A. Clark The first bar
OF silver from the Butte mines was
produced in this mill In the Dexter
mill the wet crushing process was
used in treating the free silver ores,
and some time later roasting plant
was added 10 recover the values from
the semifree ores
During the year 1876 the Centennial
mill WAS built and in the following
year Marcus DAILY built the first Alice
mill OF 20 stamps for the Walker
Brothers o. Salt Lake Then followed
the building OF several other mills, In.
cluding the Clipper mill above Mead.
cryille the Silver Bow mill. southwest
OF the Rarus mine, the old Lexington
mill. at the corner Of Broadway and
Arizona street the Agnon mill az the
Agnon mine the Bowderbush 4 Young
mill. west OF Big Butte and the Gas.
sett & Redding mill at Silver Bow.
In quick succession followed the
D. q
Frank Moulton mill and the new Lex.
ington mill
First coneentrator
The first concentrator in the Butte
district for the treatment OF copper
ores, was built during the early sey.
enties at MeaderTilla and commonly
was known as the Liquidstor concen-
traitor The process OF smelling was
I introduced iu the Butte camp in 1873.
Butte is situated on the Pacific
slope of the main range OF the Rocky
mountains II IS built on the western
portion Of a granite uplift which ex-
tends 20 miles 10 a northeasterly d.
/ rection and which has width of about
40 miles. Throughout this massive
wall OF granite. which by volcanic ac.
ton has been forced upward from
great depth through the sendimentary
formation which formerly covered the
surface, can now be seen the outcrop
fuf mnumberable veins. indicating the
existence OF untold mineral values to
be utilized for ages TO come adding
TO the wealth OF the nation
Vein system Uniform
The vein system is uniform iD its
strike and dip the main fracturing
l having northeasterly and southwest
erly course, with q dir 10 The south.
The main fractures sre about nile
apart and are lnterpacsd by easterly
and westerly fractures, all OF them