The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1923-08-02
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.

The mining industry of Montana
showed a decided improvement the
first six months Of 1923, according
to a 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
troiytic 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
$1,656,757 in 1922, an increase from
$~1,480,763 in 1921. In 1923 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
III OPOlo tlOIO Ill 1ho0lOOh SOohtJ
has ceased. The Barnes-King Devel-
opment company decided to abandon
the Shannon mine, near Marysville,
which has been a 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 vas valued at
more than $5,000,000.
Silver
The output of silver from Montana
in 1922 was 12,468,151 ounces, val
ued at 81 an ounce, al increase from
6,558,713 ounces in 1921. In the
early part of 1928 a substantial in
crease was shown in the production
of both zinc ore and copper ore, which
will doubtless have a 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
act, The production of silver
during the last half of the year may
somewhat curtailed, but the
change in price will not prevent the
operation of the large producers. In
the value of the silver was more
than 27 per cent of the total value
of the mine output, but increases in
the price and output of copper, lead
and zinc in 1928 will be much great
than the decrease in the value of
silver.
Copper
The output of copper in Montana
1922 was 165,754, 442 pounds,
at $~22,376,850, as compared
48,098,73O pounds, valued at
s6,2O4,736 in 1921. Since the cop
Der producers of Butte resumed OPP
in 1922, the rate of produc-
ion has been steadily increased. The
Anaconda, East Butte, North Butte,
1avis-Daly and smaller properties
we're producing at the rate of about !
g, 100000 pounds of copper a month :
'arly in 1928, as compared with an $
-verage of nearly 100000 pounds !
1922. During the last 10 years, |
account of the greatly decreased =
of the last four years, the 1
.verage yearly production of copper I
q Montana was only about 100000 q
90 pounds. The Butte & Superior z
nine is now shipping considerably '
Upper ore to Anaconda, as we'll as I
maintaining a high rate of produc- a
Of zinc. 1
Lead +
Montana produced 29,767,479 lbs. v
f lead in 1922, an increase from 20,- a
36,917 pounds in 1921. AS the pro- C.
uction of zinc ore and lead-zinc ore T
as been decidedly increased, the out s
ut of lead will be correspondingly G
Much of this class of ore is a
eing mined from the Butte & Su- +
Elm Orlu and Anaconda s.
and a large production of sill I,
ore is being produced from .
lie Elm Orlu and other Clark prop u
rites. A large increase was noted in II
lie shipments of bullion from the &c
,ad smelling plant at East Helena,
and several companies in Cas-
ade and Judith Basin counties were Il
at a better rate. Sc
Zinc 81
The output of recoverable zinc in til
ontana in 1922 was 119, 069,8 18 &C
an increase from 1925, 966
)unds in 1921. Late in 1922 the to
ice of zinc increased to such an ex- et
mt that the companies at Butte re- W
med operations. Early in 1928 the az
%ectrolytic zinc plant near Great ia
alls was operating at capacity, and m
e Butte & Superior, Elm Orlu, An tn
Emma, Hibernia and Moulton re
ere actively supplying the plants at tn
naconda and Great Falls with zinc gi
e and concentrates. The milling ce
zinc ore and lead-zinc ore is done to
rgely at Anaconda, but some of the
is treated at the Timber pc
lite plant at Butte, which is used pc
a custom mill. sa
In April the Anaconda Copper Min tn
g company paid a dividend of 3d. be
$1,000, and in March the Butte Cop an
r and Zinc company paid $780, tn
O.
o tn,
ID AT 80, DRUG ADDICT ASKS of
FOR TERM IN PENITENTIARY in