The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1920-06-11
REVIVAL OF SILVER k1lNlMG;
WHAT lT MEANS TO MONTANA

rcame a mere commodity like lead o
: copper or Boston baked beans. i
s 1873 the price of the metal started t
: decline from its price of $1.298 pc
z ounce. In 1874 the price had drop
t ped two cents, in 1875 it went lowe
: and year after year the price wen
( down until five years ago silver wa
5 selling for about At cents an ounce
r Making silver a mere commodit.
was a body blow to western silve
+ miners. At some mines it was ne
l cessary to close at once; others wer,
, operated for time, but finally shu
: down because the margin of profit
: was so small and the game was no
) considered worth the candle.
; War Brings Demand
| Then came along the great war IL
) 1914. Europe piled up a vast wal
debt, many times greater than the
visible supply of gold. The demand
for silver in the arts and manufac
lures has also increased in recent
years. Silver prices with the wal
began to advance. In 1919 the price
of silver climbed higher and higher
and finally went to $1.37 1-2 pei
ounce, record price.
FIuSn silver I1meS
Silver mine owners and investors
today confront flush times. China,
India and Europe are demanding sill
yer, which has been called in recent
months 1.-The metal of the hour"
With oils and motors, silver has oc-
cupied the front of the stage during
the past two years in the financial
and investment worlds.
From far-off India, which annual
ly consumes many thousands . and
thousands of dollars worth of silver,
the call for silver, more silver, has
gone around the world. 1t has reach
ed Montana and there is not a silver
district that does not today reflect
the silver prosperity.
Modern Stampede at Hand
The modern silver stampede is
here-stripped to a certain extent of
its color and romance, as we'll as the
privations and hardships that mark
ed the white products rush of from
tier days. Covered by the gloss of
modernity, the new silver stampede
has reached the west before many of
its residents are cognizant of the
fact.
Silver mining today with railway
transportation, smelters and modern
mining equipment at hand will, in
the opinion of many mine operators,
be more profitable than it has in the
past, and where one person reaped
profits in the olden days, hundreds
will share in the stampede of today.
Lump GuIch Active
Pioneer in the silver mining dis
tricts of the state that are active to-
day is Lump gulch district, II miles
south of Helena. Liverpool, Free
Coinage, Vera Cruz, Dan Tucker,
King Solomon, Little Nell, Baby
Helen, Mammoth and Muskegon are
among the leading producers in this
district
Liverpool is shipping from five to
six carloads of silver ore weekly.
Free Coinage, which is operated by
the Amalgamated Silver Mines COM
pany of Helena, is carrying out a big |
development and sinking program
and at the same time is keeping up |
steady ore shipments.
All of the properties in Lump dis
trict were producers a quarter of a |
century ago and from many mines in
the district ore was at one time act
ually hauled overland to San Fran
cisco and shipped across the waters
to Wales for smelling. The silver
ore in the district is high grade and |
in some mines the rare ruby silver 4
ore is found.
Anaconda residents, headed by T.
P. Stewart, have brought the old
Vera Cruz mine to the production
stage again and are shipping some
high grade silver ore. The Vera
Cruz was O. famous producer of sill
yer before the great slump, more
than 25 years ago.
In Neihart Country
At Neihart, near Great Falls, evil
dences of the silver revival in Mon
tana may be seen on all sides. Among
The larger properties at Neihart are
he Neihart Consolidated Silver Min
ng company, of which Dan Tracy of
Great Falls is president; Neihart Sill
yer Mines company, headed by
lowndes Maury of Butte; Cascade
Silver Mines and Mills, managed by
Mr.. Maury, and the Flohart Silver
Mining company, in which eastern
capitalists are interested.
In addition to the above companies
here are large number of smaller
mining concerns and many individ-
ldis WIZ are MOfhluS Sudl pIOpSA-
les and claims.
Since the silver revival the town
# Neihart has staged wonderful
comeback" From a population of
little more than 100 persons the
own has jumped to a total of more
han 1000 souls. All houses and
buildings in the town are in use and
his summer tents will be employed
o care for the overflow.
Wickes Adds Quota
Wickes mining district, between
lutte and Helena, adds its quota to
he number of mines in the state
ow turning out silver ores. Note
yorthy in this territory are famous
Id producers of years ago, such as
he Alta, Minah, Gregory, Bluebird
nd Comet, whose combined produc-
ion is close to 100000.
The Bertha, Blizzard, Minah and a
lumber of smaller mines in this dis
riot are now active and producing
IL {s hat Or