The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-05-13

dredge on Gold Creek, Winston Broth
ers' placer near Clancy, Eldorado placer
in Powell county, and the Ruby Gulch,
Gould, Spring Hill, Little Ben, Golden
Messenger, and Comet lode mines.
Butte mines produce relatively small
amounts of gold as by-product.
Silver is largely a by-product of
copper, lead, and zinc mining in Mon
tana, and in 1886, SIS percent of the
| output was produced from copper and
iead-1nc ores in the Butte district.
Other producers were the Trout, Comet,
Flathead. Granite Bimetallis, Lone
Pine, and Argyle Silver mines. The
average sales price for the year was II
cents per ounce.
Lead is the least important of the
major metals produced in Montana.
came from but five mines, the Orphan
Girl, Emma. Jack Waite, Comet, and
Trout mines.
Copper accounted for about 81 per
cent of the total value of the mineral
production for 1886. Nearly all the
states copper was produced from the
mines. at Butte. The average sales price
increased from 83 cents in 1886 to go
cents in 1886.
Zinc was the. only major metal to
show decrease in the quality pro-
duced, dropping 10 per cent, however,
the value of the output showed slight
gain due to the increase in average
sales value from IA cents in 1885 to 49,
cents in 1886. The principal producers
of lead-zinc ore, which accounted for IS
per cent of the output, were in Orphan
Girl, Emma, Trout, Comet, and jose
phine mines. Considerable zinc is pro-
duced at the slag-fuming plant at East
Helena.
In addition to the major metals
listed above. Montana also produces
most of the United States output of
manganese ore Butte and Philipsburg
are the only districts exploited for man.
ganese, Philipsburg producing prac-
tically all of the high-grade battery
ore manganese dioxide) mined in the
United States. Montana also produces
cadium and small amounts of plati-
mum, and tungsten, but figures on 1886
pioAGIAAOii dAG ltuA dVdIidIiS
Nonmetallics
Montanas list of nonmetallic mineral
products is gradually becoming longer
and production is yearly becoming more
and more important Reserves of GER
tain raw materials are enormous, and
development is retarded only by lack
of suitable markets.
/ Arsenious oxide is produced as by
product of copper smelling at Anaconda
and of gold mining at Jardine. Its uses
as insectcide and wood preservative
are well known.
Asbestos mining is perhaps Montana's
newest mineral industry. 1t is being
mined south of Gallatin Gateway, and
is manufactured into wall and ceiling
insulator under the trade name Karsto-
lite.
Cement production Of course is de-
pendent on building construction Mon
tana's needs are supplied by the plant
at Trident, using natural cement rock
as raw product.
Clay production in Montana is small,
due to lack of sufficient markets for
brick and tile Plants are located at
Lewistown, Helena, Butte and Kalispell.
Coal resources of Montana are
enormous and are said to represent
seven percent of the total coal reserves
Of the world Coal is mined both by
open-pjt and under ground methods.
In 1881, due to economic conditions and
to the increasing domestic, commercial
and industrial use of natural gas, coal
mining suffered serious setback and
has not yet recovered its former i'm
portance. Production in 1886 was
only SIS per cent of that in 1880.
Precious Stones
Gems and precious stones have long
been known in Montana, and the quail
ity of Montana sapphires is unsur-
passed, even by oriental gems. Gem
sapphire production has been at low
ebb for many years, but each year an
4 appreciate quantity of small sapphires
is recovered from placer operations in
southwestern Montana. These are used
as jewell bearings in scientific instru-
ments. Moss agates found along yell
lowstone river are cut and polished,
mainly for tourist trade.
Graphite occurs in several localities,
but only one deposit in the Ruby
Mountains west of Dillon, has been de-
veloped. The graphite is produced &C
cording to the demand.
| Gypsum deposits of high-grade are
widespread in central Montana. Much
of it is utilized in the manufacture of
gypsum plasters. Active plants are To-
Gated at Hanover and at Heath.
Lime, another building material, is
derived from pure limestones with
which Montana is well supplied
| Production depends on local demand