Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-09-11
GREAT PROSPERITY IS DUE FOR BUTTE

~ohs sgain then when It has been recircuiatet
several times, the water Is drawn through the
/ rdmping station At the bottom Of the West
coiusa shaft and flows 70 the tanks
Renewed in Tanks
The tanks are large watts filled with SCRAP
iron. The water charged with copper is an
/ electroiite and when It comes into contact
with the iron It forms an electric circuit
] much like the ordinary automobile battery
The reaction that takes place Is physical and
chemical st the same time. The copper from
/ the solution or liquor IS precipitated as a
/ copper cement and the iron is dissolved and
enters the solution. The water goes from one
tank TO another, until when 1t leaves the
tanks, It contains only iron and trace Of
copper. The scrap iron Is swept every SO
often In order TO do that the copper waters
are allowed 20 flow through q series Of tsnAB
Just so long, then shut off, the iron swept
clean then the solution turned on again.
When a series Of tanks gets so the copper
cement at the bottom has accumulated suf-
fIciently. the waters are turned off, the scrap
iron swept clean, the iron removed and the
copper cement shoveled out Then the tanks
are recharged and the process goes on again.
Some thousands Of pounds Of copper are re-
covered every day in this way. The tanks
produce around 100000 per day of copper
based on price OF about 10 cents pound,
and more when the price of copper is higher.
The A. O. M. also smelts and reflnes custom
gold, silver, copper and zinc ores. The COM
pany is one Of the three largest producers
OF base metals in the world It employs in
Montana, in its mines and plants over 10000
men. and brings a large income to the state.
Besides the large mines and plants all over
the town Of Butte and on the Hill" the
A. c. M. has in the lower part of the town,
a manganese oxide plant where pink oxide
Of manganese is produced.
The A. G. M also has a large custom
sampler in the lower part Of Butte, known
the Washoe sampler plant Here all the custom
ore shipped to the Anaconda Copper Mining
Co., is run through and sampled and
saved before settlement is made and before
the ore is shipped to the Anaconda plant
The concentrates usually are sampled at the
smelters but some go to the washoe sampler
plant.
Butte Highland
In the vicinity of Butte are many mines,
just a few miles from Butte. Acorss the
valley from Butte are the Highland noun
tains wen known mineralized range. In
these mountains are located many interesting
mining properties. The most developed at this
time and well equipped Is the Butte Highland
mine. This mine has had long history and
has been q good producer in the past. The
mine was idle for years. It has produced high
grade gold ore which was shipped to Butte.
In 1884 large mill was erected and after
several improvements, fiotation installed. Re-
Gently the mine changed hands and is now
operated by very able MANAGEMENT with
ample capital.
The ore is a pyrite ore containg gold, and
silver, in quartz gangue. The formation is
chiefly granite and grano-porphyry Of the
Boulder Butte batholite series. There are
several tunnels on the ore showing large
veins, also some shafts, and numerous slopes. |
Gold silver concentrate is produced and
shipped to the Washoe sampler in Butte.
Placer Properties
There are many interesting prospects in |
the vicinity Of the Butte Highland mine !
There are some very good placer mines in |
these mountain and some are in operation. /
The Montana Highland has some very fine 1
placer ground the gravel showing an average /
Of 80 cents per yard and all water necessary |
for hydraulic work. Some of the gravel is /
worked above by Mr.. Straton and he has /
produced some very rich gravel from his shaft /
on bedrock. Some Of the nuggets are very /
large. There was found the famous Venus
Of Milo, q gold nugget in the shape Of the /
famous Greek statue. AS a gold nugget It's |
value is estimated at over one hundred dollars, /
and more as q rare specimen.
East of Butte, going over the Little Pipe
STONE PISS and following the Vigilante trail.