Show phosphates PHOSPHATE SIN IN MONTANA leader great falls montana phosphate in commercial quantities has been discovered in montana the leader is s in receipt of a bulletin no A just issued by the united states geological survey which tells of the discovery of these deposits the bulletin was prepared by hoyt S gale who made investigations in montana last summer he found large deposits of phosphate near melrose a town near the corner of silver dow bow madison and beaverhead counties a place easy of access and advantageously situated with reference to the railroads the bulletin tells of the discovery and character of the phosphate the type of deposit the location and structure of deposits and the thickness and strait graph of the beds in conclusion mr gale gives the following interesting information regarding the known extent of the western phosphate fields and the accessibility and utilization of the particular deposits covered in his bulletin the finding of phosphate rock of this particular type in western montana is significant ant as to the probable extent of these western phosphate deposits there can be little doubt as to the identity or correlation of that part of the section in which the deposits occur in montana and southern idaho western wyoming and utah the area of extensive withdrawals made in the phosphate reserve of december 1908 reached from a point near the yellowstone national park on the north to the vicinity of morgan utah a total length from north to south of about miles the melrose phosphate deposits are about miles northwest of the northernmost of these former withdrawals it is thought that these phosphate d deposits e are the first that have been recognized in wat may he be considered commercial quantity in this general region or in the state of montana and it is believed that they aeve not yet been prospected this field in montana is readily accessible and is advantageously situated for shipment by rail to agricultural centers in the northern middle west the beds outcrop within about a mile of the railroad and perhaps considerably nearer the main right of way of the oregon short line in the canyon canyo n of the big hole river about 30 miles southwest of butte the deposits are therefore readily available from butte or anaconda and within easy shipping distance of the smelters shelters sm elters at helena and great falls the discovery of rock phosphate near these large smelters shelters sm elters it if the deposits prove sufficiently extensive may render possible the establishment there of fertilizer plants and afford in part at least a market for the large quantities of acid now being wasted the deposits therefore appear to be of considerable potential value and certainly warrant further and careful investigation these deposits of rock phosphate are situated on public lands that have been withdrawn from entry the withdrawals are intended to withhold the lands only so long as is necessary to insure by proper legislation adequate provision for their control or disposition |