Show MINING IN MONTANA written for the mining review V t montana contains a great variety and an untold quantity of mineral wealth although mining has been carried on there for the last thirty years it is one of the least developed of the western states its mining except in butte and a few other places resembles a prairie dog town the surface of its mountains has only just been scratched persistent and scientific mining has in the majority of cases proved satisfactory and 1 ii in many cases highly profitable butte is the index finger of the state speaking of the anaconda mine marcus daly said the commencement of work on the mine was attended with some discouragement from the fact that geologists declared the hill on which the mine is located was vas entirely barren of ore but with falt faith ai born of hone hoie work was prosecuted with vigor the development exceeded all expectations tat ions and this magnificent property was exposed to view an experience in mining not without precedent in which the pick and shovel geologist put the theories of the schools at fault the copper output of this barren butte hill up to 1905 aggregates over to which must be added the gold and silver production which is proportionately considerable and the end is not yet as is shown by persistent prospecting and development work buttes abandonment is still a distant day abandoned camps around helena and between that city and butte which for years were abandoned as worthless by the seekers for free gold and shunned as church yards by the gay and frivolous are now being sought out and opportunity found awaiting the new generation there in the spring hill property three and a half miles south of helena has recently been found a large and rich lead of free milling gold ore which suggests that it or a similar one was the mother lode of the last chance and other placers in the vicinity the north moccasin mountains were thought to be no good but a harry kendall and joe have proved by the dividends of the kendall and barns king properties aided by the gold reef mine a little ways off in the judith mountains that the grazing county of fergus produced nearly one half the gold of Mo montana titana in 1905 and is still holding its own the little rocky mountains down in the cattle county of chateau at one time located from end to end but abandoned because thip the gold contained did not respond to the stamp mill treatment by the determination of a zortman and the get there spirit of a whitcomb have shown these island mountains to be an Archa ean treasure and there at the head of ruby and lodgepole gulches is one of the richest cyaniding cyan iding gold properties in the world cascade county noted for the mighty water power of the missouri river has within its borders the little belt mountains with the almost lifeless camps of neihart and barker once extensive silver lead producers and the a almost for forgotten otten gold camp of yogo are again waking from their rip van winkle slumber TT neihart elhart and barker will in the near future become more active than ever before by the application of modern mining and milling methods which makes what was a few years ago prohibitive now inviting what was lost is saved and a penalty becomes a profit the free gold of yogo is found to run into a most desirable ore carrying good values in copper silver and gold and does not have to take off its hat to the mine run of even nevada the day is not far distant when the name cascade will not only be b synonymous of vast water power but the slogan of a great mineral industry within this month of march mr james breen the well known mining man and financier has secured by purchase a large section of land on each side of the missouri river near the great falls mr breen is also interested in developing copper properties in the little belt mountains and it is fairno predict that the great boston and montana smelter will not be the only smelter on the banks of the misouri the boston montana smelter by the prophetic wisdom of a parsons the versatility sati lity and executive ability of a klepetko has been a mighty power in developing smelting smelling sm elting in the west and has proved great falls to be an ideal place for the smelting smelling sm elting of ores because of the abundance of water for power and concentration the close proximity of coal and fluxes and the adaptability of the strong prevailing western wind to dissipate the smelter smoke the city of great falls is destined to become the great industrial and commercial center of the north central west and will be to montana what salt lake city is to utah both are cities of great opportunities surrounded by natural resources equalled equal led by few and excelled by none HENRY PRENTISS PRENTIS S |