Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1929-10-03

A-)6>A District is separated from the
Troy, Montana, mining district by the big Koo-
tenai Fault or Anticline sometimes called the
Snowshoe Fault or the Cabinet Fault and which
fault crosses the Kootena River at Kootenai
Falls between Troy and Libby. In addition to the
Troy and Libby Mining Districts there is con-
siderable and extensive mineralized area in the
eastern part of the county, around Eureka Wolf
Creek, and Stone Hill.
Libby is the county seat of Lincoln County
population about three thousand fine schools pure
water and peaceable law-abiding inhabitants, and
is the natural center of the Libby District The
district is all timbered rugged, and mountainous
with peaks rising to an elevation of eight to ten
thousand feet and the back bone of the district is
the Cabinet Range. The big Cabinet or Snowshoe
Fault extends southeasterly and northwesterly
throughout the length of the Cabinet Range, but
east Of the top of the main range. The country is
cut by numerous igneous dixie intrusions. The
sedimentary formations are folded and faulted in
numerous places. Eminent biologists have pro-
nounced the formations in the Libby District
correlated and similar to the Occur dAlene Dis
trict in Idaho, only thirty-five forty miles
away To the northwest of the Libby District are
the mighty and wonderfully productive mines of
British Columbia and to the south the fabulous
Occur d'Alenes that have produced hundreds of
millions in metals, and the Libby District lies
approximately between the two. The territory
each side of the big Snowshoe Cabinet Fault
is highly mineralized for miles each side and
within this district are located some of the most
promising claims, prospects, and mines in the
northwest. The metals found consist chiefly of
lead silver, zinc, copper and gold, but other met
ais, such tungsten have been found in consd
cradle quantities. Most of the magmatic
sulphides. There actually hundreds Of prom
Using quartz lodes carrying high values awaiting
the advent Of capital for their development
There large number Of prospectors who have
held their claims for twenty-five or thirty years
patiently waiting for someone to develop their
properties.
In addition to the metals the non-metallic
minerals of Lincoln County of great import
ance and among the non-metallics might men
ton vast deposits Of vermiculite (Zonolite)
BILE, clay etc. few Of the outstanding proper
ties and their achievements are:
The Zonolite Company which incorpor-
ated to commerciaze large deposit Of vermicu-
lite, under the copyrighted trade name Of "Zono-
Lite" located on what is known "Zonolite Noun
tain" While there several other companies
owning promising claims on this mountain, in the
vicinity of the Zonolte Company's holdings, up to
date the Zonolte Company is the one outstanding
producer Of commercial quantities Of this unique
mineral.
During the year 1928 the Zonote Company
processed and treated about fifty loads of the
material in its plant at Libby. Much Of this was
roasted milled and screened to standard textures.
The product shipped to manufacturers and
users throughout the United States and Canada.
Tonnage shipments have also been made to va
rious European countries. The management Of
the Zonolite Company has just announced that
contract has been entered into with Canadian or
ganizaton for considerable tonnage of crude Zon-
olite, which will be processed and distributed in
western Canada.
The executive officers of the Zonolite Com
pany are now in the east signing contracts with
several manufacturers. One contract specifies
two carloads of crude Zonolite per day.
This industry is rapidly developing into world
wide proportions and is Of especial interest to the
mining world in view Of the fact that the Libby
deposit is the only known commercial occurrence.
The Vermiculite and Asbestos Company of
Libby is engaged in development of its vermicu-
lite and asbestos property adjoining the Zonolite
Company holdings. This Company has mill and
treating plant in process Of construction at Libby,
where the vermculite and asbestos will be treated.
This Company has also made extensive tests, and
it is expected that it will soon be actively engaged
in the mining and manufacturing Of vermculite
into the finished product.
The Micalite Company Of Libby also has i'm
portant holdings in that vicinity and there
is little doubt that it will develop it's property to
the point of commercial production in the near
future.
The quantity of ore on Zonoite Hill has been
estimated at hundreds of thousands of tons and
the supply is undoubtedly immense and practically
nexhaustihe.
There actually hundreds of quartz veins
in the Libby District carrying good values in sill
YER lead, zinc, copper and gold. Some of the
more active Of the metal mines are
The Glacier Silver Lead Mining Company,
located about nine miles southwest Of Libby. This
Company has recent1v installed modern rn-to-