The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-12-10
FAIRLY DEVELOPMENT
GREAT COPPER CAMP
oot D AND SILVER PROSECUTORS
FIRST LOCATED ON SITE
OF BUTTE.

The worlds greatest deposit Of cop
,a. was first brought into prominence
in 1864 by the rirst prospectors who
,4,lad in Butte AS these prospect
as were in search Of gold, the pres
once of copper was deplored. Free
Milling ores, carrying gold and silver,
were The only ones desired, as reduc-
ZION facilities were confined to the ar
astra, 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
roeffler and 1t, STOOD close to the Mon
,tor tunnel. Another was built on
Yankee Doodle creek about one mile
north Of Meaderyille by Egbert Smith,
who was appointed postmaster Of
Butte in the latter '70s. Joseph Su-
nrenault built another on Blacktail
creek and this was used in reducing
the ores from the High Ore mine, Of
which Mr.. Suprenault was the owner
The owners of the Gagnon mine built
an arastra at Rookie on the strength
Of high grade gold discovery on the
south side of Silver Bow creek, about
half mile from the present site Of
Rocker. The ore was high in gold
and silver and carried a good per CEN
tage Of copper This arastra recover
ed about half the silver values,
First Bar Of Silver.
In 1876 the Dexter null 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 a roasting plant was
added to recover the values from the
semi-free 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 bro
theirs of Salt Lake. Then followed the
building of several other mills, includ-
l. & the clipper INN cADONC 4hCttNAS4 i'tNi
the Silver Bow mill. southwest Of the
Rarus mine, the old Lexington mill at
the corner of Broadway and Arizona
street the Gagnon mill at the Gagnon
mine the Rowderbush & Young mill
west of Big Butte and the Gassett d
Redding mill at Silver Bow.
In quick succession followed the
building of the new Alice mill. the
Frank Moulton mill and the new Lex
ington mill.
First Concentrator.
The first concentTator in the Butte
district for the treatment Of copper
ores was built during the early '7Os al
Meaderyille ana was commonly known
as the Liqudator concentration The
process of smelling was introduced III
the Butte camp in 1879.
Butte is situated on the Pacific slope
of the main range of the Rocky noun
tains. 1t is built on the western por-
ton of granite uplift which extends
20 miles in a northeasterly direction
and which has width of about 40 miles
Throughout this massive wall OF gran
ite, which by volcanic action has peer
forced upward from great depli
through the sedimentary formation
which formerly covered the surface
can now be seen the outcrop OF IN
Vulnerable VEINS indicating the exist
ence of untold mineral values TO D.
utilized for ages t. come adding I
the wealth of the nation.
Vein System Uniform.
The vein system is uniform IN 1t
strike and dip, the main fracturih
having northeasterly and soulh
westerly course, with dip to III
south. The main fractures are apou
mile apart and are interspaced D
easterly and westerly fractures, all
them bearing mineral values OF create
or less degree.
The Interpreting fractures or VEN
vary in width from a few inches UP
several hundred feet
The Anaconda hill has produce
about $8,000,00O,OO0 in gold, silver an
conner during the past 80 years an
about $250,OOO,OOO has been palu
stockholders in various operating col
porations during that time. The VI
derground wealth of the camp III
scarcely been touched and the recol
Of the past may be taken as an mus
Of what the future has in store.
The recovery OF zinc from the OF
in the Butte district viii in a compa
atively short time riva! the enoriho'
recovery IN copper and 1t is no ia
statement to say that with aggressi
and proper development of the yet u
covered bodies that abound throug
out the district inside of 10 years p"
more than double the present pop
lation Of the city Of Butte.