The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1924-10-15
GALLATIN HEAVY
COAL PRODUCER
IN PAST YEARS
County Had Only Real Coal Mine
in Montana Prior
to 1888
6O.OOO,OOO TONS REMAIN
AVAILABLE FOR MINING
Industry Expected to Resume
Place as One OF Important
Industries

Gallatin county has been one %
the large coal producing c0un-
ties Of the state.
Prior &c 1S>S. Callatiu COuntJ
was the onI, county in the >tate
Of Montana producing any coal
with the exception Of single lig
mite mine at Miles City.
As long ago as 1879 coal was
hauled from the Chesnut mine by
team to Helena.
EARLY MINING OPERATIONS
The Chestnut coal mine, located al
Chestnut about 10 miles east OF Boze-
man, was first opened by Colonel
Chestnut This mine was operated for
over II years by Johnson and No
Carthy. Over 100000 tons of Goa;
were produced during such operations
Located at Timberline was the
Northern Pacific mine and the Hoff-
man mine, the latter being operated
by the late Senator c. w. Hoffman
On Meadow creek and Trail creek
were situated the Washoe Coal Com
pany mine, the Mountain House mine,
/ the Enoch Hodson mine, the Kovnt,
mine and the Maxey mine, the latter
two being in Park county.
In past years ali of these mines
have produced over three million tons
of coal. Some Of these properties
have been temporarily abandoned.
The Meadow Creek Mine
The largest producing coal mine II
the county is now operated by the
Meadow Greek Coal company and is
situated about 215 miles from Ches-
nut and 1872 miles from Bozeman
This mine was opened by the Maker
brothers about the year 1916 and op-
Grated by them until 1921, when j.
was sold to the Meadow Creek Goa,
company. It has an entry tunne,
eighteen hundred feet in length ana
a vein Of soft bituminous coal about
four and one-half to five feet II
width. The entry tunnel is practi.
cally level and has over 500 feet OF
coal above the tunnel. There are
three distinct veins of coal upon IT,.
property of this company, all Of whici
can be traced on the surface for more
than two miles. But cne Of the vein,
IS being worked at present and all
other entry tunnel below the mai,
entry tunnel is now under construc
ton. Experts say that this mine ha
100000 tons Of coal. The produc
from this mine is primarily market
ed in Galiatin valley, Livingston
Butte, and Helena. The possible out
put with the present equipment is Z
tons a day. This can be enlarge,
by further development work.
The payroll Of this mine for eigh
I months Of the year amounts to SIS.
goo, and when the mine is runninI
tuII blast the payroll is betwec
$4,000 and $4,000 per month
Practically all of the miners c.,
= ployed in this mine are residents .
n Gallatin county and most Of the NOR
ey earned by them is spent in Roz,
man. Between 10000 and $4,000 ton
OF coal have been produced from tbi
particular mine.
n A railroad spur from the Nortbey
! Pacific at Chestnut furnishes transpo,
tation facilities for the mine tn
= plant OF the company consists in pal
OF balance tramway which convey
= the coal from the mine to the railroa,
. In Its course the coal is taken Owe
: shaker screens and placed in t,v
3 OlnS OF two hundred tons capaci.
The company operates q stAan
heated boarding and rooming hon,
1ully equipped with shower and -,
baths and other modern apnlianc,
capable of accommodating 40 me,
At present, this mine is under Iss,
7 to Z. J. Volland, an officer of r
company.
About two miles east of the mi,
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