The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-08-03
MONTANA MINING;
FEDERAL FIGURES
PRODUCTION OF THE TREASURE
STATE AS COMPILED BY
FEDERAL OFFICIALS
Gold Output Decreasing but Silver
Increasing; Dredging In Madison
County About at an End; Copper,
Lead and Zinc.

showed u6clQeQ Improvement the
first six months of 1928, according
to statement issued by the depart
ment of the interior, based on stats
tics compiled by c. N. Gerry of the
of the geological survey. The cleo
trolytic zinc plant near Great Falls
was being operated at capacity, and
the copper plant at Anaconda was
treating ore and concentrate at a
rate far in excess of that in 1922.
The increase in the prices of copper,
lead and zinc has stimulated mining
at Butte and other districts of the
state, and labor conditions are better
than in recent years, though more
men are needed at Butte.
Gold
Montana produced gold valued at
s1,656,757 in 1922, an increase from
S1,480,763 in 1921. In 1928 the out
put of gold is increasing from copper
ore and silver ore, but gold from gold
ore has decreased, especially in Lewis
and Clark county, and gold from
dredge operations in Madison county
has ceased. The Barnes-King Devel-
opment company decided to abandon
the Shannon mine, near Marysville,
which has been large producer of
gold for several years. The activity
at the Jardine mine, in Park county,
the resumption of gold production in
Phillips county, and additional ship
ments of gold-bearing iron ore from
Deer Lodge county may offset de-
creases from other mines. Gold in
Montana has decreased steadily since
1915, when the output was valued at
more than 100000.
Silver
The output of silver from Montana
in 1922 was 12,468,151 ounces, val
ued at 81 an ounce, an increase from
6,558,713 ounces in 1921. In the
early part of 1923 substantial in
crease was shown in the production
of both zinc ore and copper ore, which
will doubtless have beneficial effect
on the production of silver. Opera
tors at Butte, Philipsburg, Neihart
and other camps were speeding up
operations so as to market their ores
before the termination of the Pitt
man act, The production of silver
during the last half of the year may
be somewhat curtailed, but the
change in price will not prevent the
operation of the large producers. In
1922 the value of the silver was more |
than 81 per cent of the total value
of the mine output, but increases in
the price and output of copper, lead |
and zinc in 1923 will be much great |
er than the decrease in the value of |
silver.
Conner
The output of copper in Montana
in 1922 was 165,754, 442 pounds,
valued at s22,376,850, as compared
with 48,098,730 pounds, valued at
S6,204,736 in 1921. Since the cop
per producers of Butte resumed OPP
erations in 1922, the rate of produc-
ton has been steadily increased. The
East Butte, North Butte,
and smaller properties
we're producing at the rate of about
L. 100000 pounds of copper month
early in 1923, as compared with an
n 1922. During the last 10 years,
production of the last four years, the
average yearly production of copper
n Montana was only about 100000 q
100 pounds. The Butte & Superior
nine is now shipping considerably
copper ore to Anaconda, as we'll as
high rate of produc- I.
ion of zinc.
Montana produced 29,767,479 lbs. '
# lead in 1922, an increase from co. q
'36,917 pounds in 1921. AS the pro- I
Iuetion of zinc ore and lead-zinc ore I
las been decidedly increased, the out
tut of lead will be correspondingly G
reater. Much of this class of ore is
feing mined from the Butte & SUI
erior, Elm Orlu and Anaconda 8
mines land large production of sill 2
er-lead ore is being produced from I.
he Elm Orlu and other Clark prop u
rites. A large increase was noted in II
he shipments of bullion from the Il
ead smelling plant at East Helena,
Iont., and several companies in Cas-
ade and Judith Basin counties were Il
nipping at better rate. 81
Zinc 81
The output of recoverable zinc in IL
[ontana in 1922 was 119, 069,818 ct
ounds, an increase from 23,275,966
ounds in 1921. Late in 1922 the re
rice of zinc increased to such an ex- et
mt that the companies at Butte re- W
lined operations. Early in 1928 the az
ectrolytic zinc plant near Great ia
alls was operating at capacity, and m
lie Butte & Superior, Elm Orlu, An th
,onda, Emma, Hibernia and Moulton re
ere actively supplying the plants at tn
naconda and Great Falls with zinc ri
e and concentrates. The milling ce
zinc ore and lead-zinc ore is done to
rgely at Anaconda, but some of the
aterial is treated at the Timber De
ute plant at Butte, Wnlcn is used pc
custom MILL sa
In April the Anaconda Copper Min tn
G company paid dividend of $2,- be
$1,000, and in March the Butte Cop an
It and Zinc company paid $780, tn
10.
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I'D AT 30, DRUG ADDICT ASKS of