The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1921-05-05
A BILLION DOLLARS
WORTH OF COPPER
THAT is VALUE OF PRODUCTION
SINCE MINING BEGAN
IN MONTANA
State Has Produced Half Billion
Worth of Gold and $4,000 0 in
Silver; So Known Oil Structures
in 27 Counties; More ~Sapphires
Than All Other States Combined.

In an address before the geOlo-
gical department of the University
Of Montana, of which he Is the
head, j. p. Rowe, ~geologist, made
the following estimate Of mineral
wealth produced since mining be-
gan in the state:
Copper, $1,000 900, 600.
Gold, $500, OOO, 900.
Silver, $500, OOO, 900.
Mr.. Rowe also stated that the
largest chromatic deposit in the
United States was located near Big
Timber.
A rich deposit of platinum, the
market for which has heretofore
been controlled by Russian depOs-
its, has been found in Park county.
The sapphire mines on the Yogo
river + the largest producers of
this class of gems in the world.
There are So known oil struct-
ures in ~ counties of the state.
"Oil is found in organic remains
but before there is enough for com
mercial value it must have a place
to collect" said Mr.. Rowe. with
out a mixture of water in the oil, ii
travels down the pull of gravity, that
is, if the rocks are not saturated. But
with the aid of water and gas it col
lects in the anticlines and domes.
There r many ways in which oil
and gas can collect.
you hear many men say, I am
on the structure but that makes
little difference; the structure may
cover a large territory. You must
drill to find out and then you only
know about that particular spot.
Carbon County First
"There are about 500 oil compan-
les operating in the state. The first
well of commercial value was
brought in at Elk Basin in Carbon
county. At the present time there
are about So we'll known structures
scattered throughout 81 counties
5000 barrels of oil is shipped from
the Cat Creek field every day.
"There are no wells in Montana
that are gushers, that is for any
length of time. Eventually they
must resort to pumping.
'In drilling, when they find water
on the edge of the anticline, they
move over toward the apex of the
structure and drill, because water is
found on the outside and oil on the
inside.
tThere is absolutely no way to tell
whether there is oil in a structure
until the drill has gone down"
The speaker asserted that Montana
has produced over $500, 100000 in
gold and s400,0O0,0 600 worth of sill
yer. In 1919 gold to the extent of
$2,272,000< was mined and $4,000
900 worth of silver.
Mr.. Rowe explained that many
gold dredging operations hat had
been started, but also told that but
very few of them were o in opera
ton.
"Gold largely comes as a by-pro-
duct of the mines at Butte. There
are a few places in the state where
it is being mined In the quartz.
Lead, Zinc and Copper
There has been about Sail
1877 worth of lead mined in this state.
The early lead mines were in Cas-
QUO 1hOa6AOl dAQ VnAAOA Ill NOuhtACC.
about $12,915,00O worth of zinc
has been mined in this state, most of
this metal m from the mines at
Butte.
There has been about s1,OO0,-
100000 worth of copper mined in
the state. In 1919 s33,940,OO worth
was taken out.
1.-THE Anaconda Copper Mining
company paid out In wages about
s4o,000,000 in 1918, which was esti-
mated to be about 500 for every
person in Montana.
1.-THE Butte hill copper vein is
to be the largest in the
Philipsburg Producer
zone of the largest chromite de-
,osits in the United States was found
lear Big Timber.
Montana furnished more high
grade manganese during the war
han any other state and Philipsburg
vas the largest producer.
1.-THE platinum market has been
controlled for a long time by Russia.
deposit was found in Park county
which is thought to be very rich"
Rowe explained that about 81 of
he mines in Silver Bow county are
'wned by the Anaconda Copper Min
ng company and that there are IA
mines owned by other corporations.
here are about 100 mineral mines
utside of Silver Bow county.
Sapphires
Montana produces more sapphires
han all other states combined. Be-
ore the war about a quarter OF a
lillion dollars worth of these stones
yere mined, but last year this figure
ropped to less than 100000.
"Yogo gulch in the Judith Basin
!, where the most valuable stones are
ound.
at is claimed that Rock Creek in
county has the largest placer
eposit of sapphires in the world"
Bond Issue Sold !
The Billings school bond issue of
r. n n N