Show BIG BLACKFOOT DISTRICT record helena mont S A balliet of this city has just returned from a trip to silver camp on the big blackfoot where he had gone with a party of mining men to examine some mining properties in that district mr balliet is well pleased with the mineral conditions of the district and predicts a bright future for it but says that it is somewhat handicapped at the present time by the fact that it has no railroad all of the property holders in that district are now cheered by the prospects of a railroad soon coming up th the e blackfoot stream and there is more activity ta among the prospectors and companies developing properties than usual heretofore on account of the long haul they have been able to ship only their high grade ore this means the loss of all of their second and third grade ore which under other conditions would pay handsomely A large part of the values of the high grade ore shipped in the past have been swallowed up in the expense of getting it to the place of treatment this will all be changed in the near future it will be impossible to keep a railroad out of a place containing so much mineral and so many other natural advantages in fact the erection of a concentrator smelter or reduction works to treat the high and low grade ore right on the ground would be a good inte interest iest paying investment there i plenty of wood and water in the district and heavy timber up and down the blackfoot he visited a number of properties in the district and found man many y of the veins large strong and deep rooted A goodly part of the ore ran high in gold copper and silver on account of ane expense of shipping most of the operators are engaged in developing their mines and blo blocking cRing out their ore preparing for fer a large and profitable shipments when cheaper transportation reaches them the camp will be a winner but it takes time to develop a district under these circumstances it appears however that conditions are rapidly changing in favor of ais this isolated district |