Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-05-31
Wbaux Conquered Bad Lands Win Tremendous Fortune
Luck Was Always on Pioneers Side i'm His Numerous Ventures

States bureau Of mines has done sub
stantial amount Of trenching and dia-
mond drilling on these deposits. A
geological survey Of the district was
carried on by Paul A. Schafer, MEM
Der Of the staff Of the Montana School
Of Mines and the Montana bureau Of
mines and geology, and his findings
were published IN 1897 In Memoir NO.
Is Of the Montana bureau Of mines
and geology, Of which DR.. Francis A.
Thomson is director According 70
Professor Schafer, the Saltwater
Boulder river deposits contain about
10 million tons Of possible ore and 20
million tons Of speculative ore, averag-
ing about 25go cromium oxide which
could be concentrated TO 40So to 45S6
chromium oxide. AS a result Of the dia-
mond drilling and trenching program
Of the United States bureau Of mines
on the Benbow property east OF the
Saltwater river, there has been de-
veloped an ore body 81 feet wide con-
tanning over l,250,000 tons aSsaying IS
percent chromium oxide. 1t Is reliably
reported that other properties on the
Saltwater river can probably furnish
over 2 million tons. The United States
bureau of mines did not do any work
In Carbon county private interests
state that these deposits can furnish
several million tons There are also
number of chromite prospects In Madi-
son county which have been examined
by the Montana bureau Of mines and
the Montana mineral resources survey.
The latter organization has carried on
some trenching operations on these
smaller deposits and viii continue this
work In the next few weeks. Certain Of
these deposits might possibly be able
to furnish an appreciable tonnage. In
the aggregate, especially If a custom
mill were erected at some central |
point.
According TO semi-official reports the /
of the Benbow property /
will be undertaken IN the very near
future and a mill of some 400 to 600 /
tons daily capacity win be erected near
the property to handle the output. A /
contract has been executed providing |
for RFC to take title to the property, /
and negotiations are under way for the
Copper Mining Co. to oper-
ate the property on non-profit basis.
In peace times so percent of the
United States consumption Of chrom-
Ium was for metallurgical uses, about
10 percent for refractory purposes and
10 percent for the manufacture Of
chemicals. Today the amount used in
he steel industry Is a far greater per-
,entage than indicated above, as
chromium is used to harden steel for
he manufacture of arnor plate, pro-
ectiles, gun and cannon barrels and
many other uses in the defense pro-
ram A large amount Of stainless steel,
containing from Is to 20 percent
chromium, is also being manufactured
20 be used in the manufacture Of nom
corrosive sheet and structural steel and
Machine parts. In making hard and !
stainless steel, nickel usually is added I
IS an alloy. Chromium also has been
lsed in late years in place Of nickel in
,lating of ornamental hardware for use {
n automobiles, plumbing, house fur {
Iishings, ETC.
For metallurgical use chromite is
inverted into ferrochrome in the cleo
ric furnace before it is added to steel,
some domestic concerns make
hromium alloy steel in the electric {
urnace directly from alloy steel scrap
nd chromite ore. Ferrochrome consists
mainly of iron and So to 70 percent
hromium with small amounts Of car /
on. For refractory purposes chromite !
; used mainly in brick and cement to I
tand up under high heat. Drugs and
eavy chemicals are made from chrom- a
I'm. Chromium salts are extensively !
sed in leather tanning and In the
manufacture Of paint.
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