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Show UTAH MEN STRIKE ORE IN H Secure Control of Merritt Property Near the Old Easton Mine. Special to The Tribune. BUTTE. Sept. 8. A party of Utah capitalists has secured control of the Merritt property, near the Easton mine, In the old Virginia City properties. The Utah men are said to be opening up ore bodies that rival in extent and richness those which made the Easton an Important Import-ant producer for twenty years. The development of the Easton property prop-erty came simultaneously with the activity activ-ity of the Anaconda Copper Mining company, com-pany, which has Installed a diamond drill outfit in the Camp Creek district In the same county to test the vein for 1000 feet. Miners in the Butte district, now numbering num-bering about 35,000, will be paid for the month of August on a basis of 58.75 a day. Although there are now no miners' unions in Butte, the operating companies abide by the scale which was effective when the company was dealing with the unions. When copper is less than 15 cents for the month, wages are $3.50 a day; when 1 5 cents to IT cents, $8.75, and when 17 cents or over, $4 a day- The average price for August was 16.90 cents. The pay roll of the mlnos for the month will approximate $1,225,000. During the month of August the Anaconda company produced US.SOO, 000 pounds of copper, the largest output since January, 1914. The troubles of the Butte-Duluth Mining Min-ing company, which was formed by Captain Cap-tain Wolvln, who developed the Butte & Superior property, are being aired in the federal court, where creditors filed a petition peti-tion to declare the company a bankrupt. Petitioners stated that the bonded indebtedness in-debtedness of the company is $500,000, $60,000 being In back wages due. Mining engineers testified that they believed the property could be made to pay If taken hold of by competent men, vlth copper at the prevailing prices. There is considerable activity being shown in the Elkhorn district, where the Boston & Montana Development company has several mines. Another cross vein has been cut In the Elkhorn properties. The ten-foot vein is a cross or side vein, which does not appear on the surface. Walter Harvey Weed, engineer and geologist, ge-ologist, has reported favorably on the property. At the Black Rock shaft of the Butte & Superior company sinking, which was resumed re-sumed on the 1600-foot lovel. has reached a depth of 1800 feet, and zinc ore assaying assay-ing IS per cent zinc, with accompanying silver values, has been encountered all the way. The ore body Is standing fairly straight. On the levels above the 1600-foot, 1600-foot, two additional .shoots, both as large or larger than the deposit in which the shaft has hen sunk, have been discovered. discov-ered. The lUOO-foot level will be reached, com pi -Mine the sump, early In October. Davis Daly lessees liare cut three feet of high-grade ore at a depth of 120 feet in the LirJtie claim. In the eastern part of the company's holdings, in virgin territory dtre. tlv south and adjoining the mines of the Anaconda rompany. |