Montana labor news., 1936-04-09
ROADS TO SMALL
MINING PROPERTIES
BEING PUSHED

01AH $500 q pushing TINS RAlIkkAf
according to Carl J. Trauerman, presi-
dent Of the Association and father OF
the plan. Results so far may be lken-
ed to a baseball game.
Pitchers in this lineup were DR..
Francis A. Thomson, president OF the
Montana School OF Mines and direc-
tor OF the Montana Bureau OF Mines
and Geology; also Frederick c. Gil
bert, consulting mining engineer and
secretary OF the Mining Association OF
Montana. These gentlemen prepared
an elaborate set Of plans calling for
the building OF some 100000 OF mine
to-market roads in Montana and they
put their plans over the plate, as
they were accepted and approved by
the 'batter,' the head Administrator
OF the WPA in Montana. Reversing
the generally accepted baseball prac-
tice, it takes a triple play in Wash
ington, d. c, to put these plans in"
instead OF out but, so far, only a
double play has been recorded. We
understand the project to build these
roads has been approved by both Ad-
ministrator Hopkins and the White
House. The man who put a short
stop" to further progress is Secre-
tary Ickes. While his objections are
sincere and frankly expressed, he does
not seem to realize that roads to min
ing camps, built with government
money, give private employment to the
very men who build these roads, as
mines will open and produce monetary
gold and silver. While gold is worth
S35 per ounce to the producer it is |
worth ten times that much in the
credit structure of this country. Men
now employed on the WPA projects
building structures, sewers, toboggan
slides and ski tracks will not be put
into private industry as a result of
such employment, but must be again
put on the government payroll after
the skl-toboggan-sewer projects are
finished. In short the men who are
put into private industry, as a result Of
the governments initial printing of
the pump with mining roads, will con-
tinue to hit the ball" for prosperity
and these who are not directly put
back into private industry will con-
tinue to "strikeout' or continually
keep on printing the pump"
In the meanwhile western congress
men, headed by Compton I. White. of
Idaho, have introduced a bill in the
House Of Representatives calling for
funds for the building of such roads.
As a result of these activities, it IS be
lieved such roads ultimately will be
built, IN the western mining states,
along plans outlined by the Mining
Association of Montana.
Basin Montana Tunnel Company. of
which Allan A Ryan, Jr., of New
York City, recently was elected presi-
dent, had its record month for profits
in February, 1886. This in spite OF
the fact that February is a short
month, the weather was very cold and
time was lost in refining a ball mill.
The company is drawing ore from its
Comet and Grey Eagle mines, about
five miles northeast of Basin, Jeffer-
son County. The mill heads are the
richest so far mined by the company.
assaying from Il to % ounces of sill !
and from $3.50 to 5000 gold per {
ton, as we'll as from 3 to S per cent
lead IRON five to seven per cent zinc. J
two hundred tons per day are
being milled, under the supervision of
Mcpherson, Butte mining en-
who is general superintendent.
G. Griswold, Jr., Butte, inter t
nationally known metallurgist, is con
sulting metallurgist and Gerald Sher-
man Of New York, for many wears J
associated with the Phelps-D Dodge in a
t%erests, is general consulting engineer.
Mr.. Ryan, who is the grandson of the +
late, great Thomas Fortune Ryan, has !
associated with him in this venture
some OF the most powerful financial a
interests in the East. (
Ruby Gulch Mining Company. op-
Grating near Zortman, Phillips Coun- il
by, Montana, continues to ship high
grade gold ore to the East Helena i
of the American Smelling & p
Refining Company. About 1900 tons |
containing about $135,00O in gross c
values have been shipped by the COM Ii
oany and ~leasers during the past thir- r
zen months, according to a statement r
made by Carl ]. Trauerman, president.
1t was expected that the company's
h~ree-hundred ton coarse-crushing, h
yanid~e-leaching plant would be in OPP a
grafton in March. However, the Sc Il
5ere winter weather impeded construc-
ion and the plant probably will not be c
completed until some time in April. Il
Leydig, Helena mining engi- f
leer, who was in charge of the success
.ul operation of the property a num-
Der of years ago, is in charge Of op- g
~,rations under Charles Whitcomb, vice E
PRESIDENT, managing director and prin- h
;ipal stakeholder of the company. Mr., p
Nhitcomb has been spending the b
winter at Tucson, Arizona, and Holly a
wood, California, and is now inspecting
mining property at Marysville and
Grass Valley, California. 81
Butte Copper & Zinc Company, of p
which Anaconda Copper Mining Com 5
'any is the largest stakeholder and h
lessee, is said to be shipping lead fl
ore to capacity, the grade m
# the ore being unusually high, es- a
in silver content. The COM a
amy is operating the Emma mine il 81
he heart of the city Of Butte and ii
hortly expects to sink a Wine from ia
IS sixteen hundred, or deepest level,