Year: 1867

Weld has been well tested, Whlch are waiting LOT
wisely directed capital to make them produce most
satisfactory results l have explained, in former
letter. how many Of the best leads are owned in
small claims and fractions of claims, as to eiiectu-
aDy preclude successful development. But 1t is now
understood by owners here that the time is past when
Eastern capitalists will risk their money in fractions
of leads scattered so that of them can be worked
proftably notice that in the recent discoveries,
some of which are of marvellous richness, care Is
taken in most instances to have a sufficient amount
owned or controlled by one man, or one interest TO
Justify thorough developments; and this important
fact will give tho new leads a decided advantage
over many OF the older when companies seek 1or
mines Hitherto there has been such thing as eco
nomical delivery Of ores from the mines in Montana
and mills as rule have been OF an indifferent quail
ity They have been erected and started as II they
were TO be run but a season or two at most ana the
proper development of mines was not warranted
Thisyear some of the very best milsare arriving Ooth
from the East and California and III many instances
the mines are being handled in the most methodlcal
manner Although the location OF most rch leads III
this mountain region gives the very best opportunl-
ties for delivering by tunnels, at half the cost Oh
shaEting do not know of company that has at
tempted 10 tunnel until this season, and doubt
whether any mill in the Territory is as yet supplied
in that manner In very many cases, companies own
but fractions of leads, and cannot tunnel without
doing az much for the benefit of others as for them
selves They are therefore compelled to SINK shalts
to work 100 or 200 feet, and thus the cost OF
mining the is enormous with wages from - 10 -
per day I am glad TO observe however, that most
of the deyelopments started this have been by
tunnels and generally degree of system and far
reaching direction is taking the place of the efforts
to produce gold by mere temporary and most imper-
feet working of leads No company or association
sbo,hd undertake the mining and reduction of Mon
tana ores without being fully assured that they are
prepared to do the best work at the minimum cost
Science and skill must as far as it is possible econo
mze labor or profits viii be speedily wasted. Some
companies have failed in this region because tney
bad no earthly chance to succeed and some nave sue
ceedea in spite of the mbecility of their direction
Mills have Seen erected here in Colorado, without
testing leads; and when the leads intended to supply
the mills failed the almost bOundess wealth around
tbem has saved them from disastrous failure. No
good quartz mil should fail in Montana, even If the
owners have been utterly defTauded on their mines


believe that there is not mill in any part OF the
Territory where custom work (crushing for other par
ties) could not be had at fair price to employ It, and
it must beeb for several years to come Some mills
are failures because the machinery is imperfect and
will not crush the ores or the gold successfully
Indifferent machinery may be used for many pur-
poses In the States where the business to which it is
applied is well understood, and repairs cheap and
easily prOcured but imperfect quartz mill in Mon
tana is not worth erecting. noticed one MILL owned
in Pennsylvania that has a good building, plenty of
ore about it, largo lot of wood ranked up worth s.
per cord in gOld and the machinery gave out hope
lessly in working less than Eve tuns of ore.


OF the mills now in course Of erection in Montana,


believe that nine out of ten will be positively sue
cessful The machinery is generally of the most
improved order, and as a rule they are under the
supervision of experienced and practical men. The
sad fate of so many mining companies in Colorado,
most of which the offspring of feyerish specu-
laton, has been of most essential service tn this
Territory and look for but few failures OF the mills
hereafter erected. or now being erected The mines
are so numerous and so generally rich. that good
machinery and good management can'searcely fall'
have paid much attention to thu mineral wealth of
Montana during the month have been here and
must to-day repeat, with increased confidence the


nvitatiOS made in recent letter. for $20OOOO50 Of
capital TO develop the vast wealth of these mountains
True there must be occasional dsappOintments by
unexpected and unaccOuntable failure of leads which
promised WELL and now and then elimination Of
misfortune that human foresight and energy cannot
control but the proper outlay, under judiciOus drec-
ton, oannot as rule fadl to return immense profits
to the owners Of mines and mills in this sectio


The mines have not been as fully tested as in Cali
fsrHia but all scientific and practical experience
must be a. fault, II tie Montana mines do not
Increase in richness they are developed In no
sther country in the world the leads better
defined or less capTioious than here, AID thus far
there has been ns trouble in tho complete mastery of
the ores by ordinary machinery. Some of the richest
ores contain suphurcts but far the Montana miner
welcomes them as evidence Of increased richness,
instead of accepting them as an impedimeat to
reduction as in Colorado. But whatever may be the
character Of the ores here when the leads have been
tested 10 the depth attained i'll California, there is
enough, and more than enough, of easily mastered
ores ia this Territory 10 serve the purposes OF the
present generation. Those who are not especially
interested in tse mining operations Of posterty need
not borrow any trouble about the abundance and
simplicity OF the gold ores Of Montana. The reduc-
ton ID the rich silver ores here has been attended
with some difficulty certain localities and has been
most easy and successful in others. Quito number
of silver leads contain the necessary amount of
eSena 10 smelt them economically and the litharge
is worth from $3.50 to $500 per un, OF IL to Is cents
per pound The ltharge froM silver ores adapted to
smelling, contains about 75 to S. per cent of pure
lead. In the entire absence of soIena in the silver
ores they are crushed and amagamated successfully
by the same process employed Cor the reduction of
gold 0ros.


Let me here throw out a timely caution TO all
Eastern capitalists who have invested, or may con-
template investing in distant mining companies. 1t
is yerous 20 place money at the disposal Of corpora
tions without beng fully assured of the integrity q
the controlling parties. The 'freeze OUT game is
common and luXuTiant growth in successful mining
sections. have seen several establishments arbi-
trarly closed by few in immediate control, to de-
press the shares and force other owners to sell at
sacrifice. could now chalk the hats of managers in
Montana who after using the capital of all the