The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1916-12-14
Wealth Of
Mofltafla'S
Minerals
As Yet Untouched by Man; In
teresting Survey of Mineral
Possibilities Made Sixteen Years
Ago.

i tefesJ1ng survey OF mineral |
Possibilities Made Sixteen Years
Ago. ...
Sixteen years is a short period, YET
MOntana's tremendous advance in
that time is amazing and it is no bet
ter indicated than by survey OF
mining development in the state in
the year 1900.
In the summer of that year, The
Rocky Mountain Magazine, one OF
the most useful and creditahle pub
locations in the history Of the state,
which failed solely because it was
ahead Of the time and too big for
the field, employed Mr.. s. P. Pan
ton, a mining expert, to put the min
ing outlook of the state in nut
shell. Read in the light of current
conditions, his conclusions are most
interesting. What is more, they in
dictate that despite the millions
poured into the state and the billions
may almost be written-mineu in
it, Montana's mining resources arc
only scratched.
Mr.. Panton remarks that Gin
1900 mining for iron was for flux
only, but, he wrote, "there are abun-
dant deposits of hematite magnetic,
and other valuable iron ores, con-
venient to coal, lime, fireclay, timber
and water-power, only awaiting CAPT.
tai for the establishment of iron
works on magnitude" After 16
years, these tremendous iron beds
still lie practically untouched. What
Montana city will become the Pitts
burg of the west, what the Cleveland,
what the Duluth?
Immense Placer Deposits.
| Discussing placer-mining, Mr.. Pan
ton said: Upon the Upper Yellow
stone there is one tract of 1,100
acres that, under careful examina-
ton by well-known experts, has been
computed to contain from $150,00O.-
900 to $250,000,000 in pay dirt
gravel containing a minimum of so
cents to 81 the cubic yard. The area
is most advantageously located for
economical working, with every IA
cility in the way of dump, water,
timber, etc." How did Charlie KAN
,merer come to overlook this; where
is it and why doesn't somebody grab
it?
Nay, Mr.. Panton said the en-
tire basin of the Upper Yellowstone
from the second canyon to the yell
lowstone national park line is auri-
ferrous, capable of being worked at a
large profit by dredges. From the
Clark's Fork on the Yellowstone to
the Idaho line, he declared, placer
miners paradise exists-provided
the placer miner has a dredge; and
at the mouth of Alder Gulch and on
Grasshopper creek, tremendous beds
await the scientific placer worker.
Since Mr.. Panton made his survey,
dredges have been installed at the
mouth of Alder, and are being
worked very successfully.
He thought that quartz min
ing was in it's infancy-and if his
conclusions are correct. it is still in
it's infancy, for he says the entire
northwestern part of the state, all
that region north of the Big Black
foot river and west of the main di-
vide, is rich in gold and perhaps in
copper. The entire Bitter Root
range, from the Occur d'Alene to
Ato JuACI1OA Viii Iu0 AOChy
tains on the southern boundary of
Montana, Mr.. Panton concluded, was
rich in quartz, awaiting skill and
capital. This country today is still
only scratched, although increasing
attention is being paid to it. Of
Flathead county, he said that every
part penetrated by the prospector
gave promise and that Libby Creek,
Fisher river and nearby sectors were
immensely rich in deposits, but little
known. How much are they known
now?
Copper and Gold.
"About st. Mary's lake." he wrote,
"there are enormous bodies of high
grade copper, carrying enough gold
to pay cost of production and reduc-
ton" 1t is probable that the next
decade may see development in this
section on a large scale.
Mr.. Panton also believed valuable
copper deposits to lie on the Big
Blackfoot River, on the Lou Lou
fork of the Bitter Root. at Copper
opolis on the north fork of the Mus
selshell, near Clough Junction and
up Greenhorn Gulch and in Colorado
Gulch near Helena; in the hills north
of Three Forks and near Canyon
Ferry. Was he ahead of his time in
these predictions or do the prospec-
tors of today lack enterprise?
Like an Ancient Mariner
And coal! Panton thought there
was no limit to it! Not only was the
soft" variety plentiful, but he pre-
dicted good use of the incalculable
quantities of Ignite. Today, after 16