Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-11-14

the Montana School of Mines, in the
foremost address delivered before the
recent annual convention Of the Min
ing Association of Montana, held IN
Butte showed the present trend IN gold
mining in a striking exhibit, supported
by figures that actually talked. Based
on study of present world conditions
and past performance, together with
a study based on operating figures OF
one of the worlds leading gold mines,
DR.. Thomson's conclusion was that the
price of gold would remain where 1t
is for some time, but that rising taxes
and other costs would make the pro-
duction of gold gradually more eXpen-
sive.
ing costs, probably new mining and
metallurgical methods Will be eVolVeo
especially to handle large low grade
the larger and lower grade deposits OF
lead, copper. zinc silver, iron and
aluminium.
Low Grade UndevelOped
In any event the Montana miner and
operator is convinced that his best
bet" is to produce gold and he is doing
lust that in increasing volume from
wear to year, although little has been
done to develop and bring into produc-
ton some Of the lage low gade deposits
of gold in this state.
Right now the tendency seems to be
to explore lode veins and deposits. OF
gold with the attempt to find ores tnaJ
assay from $40 ton IN gold, and up
wards and to mill such ore on the
ground. Several mines have developed
fonnages of 10000 tons and more
of that class of ore, have their own
mills and are producing regularly.
Among such properties may be men
toned the Jardine Mining Co., near
Gardiner. The Standard Silver & Lead
co. near WilbOrn, the Morning Glory
near Basin, the Boss Tweed & Clipper
near Pony, the Marietta Mining & Mill
ing Co.. near Virginia City, Montana
silver Queen, near Neihart. Thompson
Gold Milling Co. at Bannack, the Cal
laghan near jefferson City, the NAM
moth near Jefferson Island, the Voss
burg and the Montana Consolidated
near Winston and a few others. OF
these Jardine, Standard Silver q Lead
and Marietta are in the dividend class.
Then there are properties which are
milling larger tonnageS Of lower grade
ores. such as the Ruby Gulch and the
Little Ben in Phillips county and the
Montana Consolidated and Golden
Messenger near Helena. In this cate
CORY also may be placed the BASIN hou-
tana Tunnel Co., near Basin, although
that property is milling ores containing
silver, lead and zinc besides gold. The
Golden Messenger and Little Ben are
dividend payers.
State Has 500 Shippers
In the mining districts Of this state
there also are more than 500 separate
operations from which shipments OF
higher grade gold-silver ores are being
made to the smelters direct without
milling, although these properties are
trying to finance the building OF mills.
Such shipping ores usually assay better
than 500 gold per ton and when they
are silicious receive 3 special low
smelling rate at the WaShoe Smelter
of the Anaconda Copper Mining co.
Also, through the good offices OF that
company, a great number OF sucn
Shippers receive a low hauling rate
from their mines to the rail points or
directly to the Washoe sampler IN
Butte.
The smelters are not particularly
anxious for large amounts OF gold
Shipping ores and prefer that the COM
NAMES ship them concentrates, although
the smelters, especially the Washoei
desire some quantities OF sihcious ores
for flux.
Loss in shipping
When shipping to the Smelters' tne