USA > Montana > Silver Bow County > Butte > A brief history of Butte, Montana, the world's greatest mining camp; including a story of the extraction and treatment of ores from its gigantic copper properties > Part 6
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The completed structure, both exterior and in- terior, is a most beautiful adornment to the city and a lasting monument to Mr. Clark's public- spiritedness. As it shall become better known, its usefulness will impress more deeply the citi- zens of Butte and a still keener appreciation of it is in store. That it will immeasurably facilitate the work of the Associated Charities is palpable, and it is predicted that untold suffering and dis- tress will be relieved by its agency.
The building is constructed of rustic brick with granite facings and arched entrance, and fin- ished inside with highly polished oak and ar-
into two large wards. Connecting the main building and the hospital is a large sun parlor, the sides of which are composed almost wholly of glass. The illustration but faintly shows what a great boon this feature will prove to the con- valescing patient.
The first floor of the main building is com- prised of office, reception, writing, reading and dining rooms, day nursery, wardrobe, soup-room. pantries and kitchen. On the second floor are the sleeping-room for the day nursery, seven single and three double bedrooms, matron's room, two large linen-closets and bath and toilet rooms, fitted up with every convenience. The third floor has six single and two double bedrooms and a trunk-room. Each room has its convenient closets. The basement contains a large laun-
READING-ROOM.
tistic red brick fireplaces, and all the latest de- vices for perfect ventilation. Its furnishings are in perfect accord with the purposes for which they are to be used, and, as shown by accompany- ing illustrations, are simple but elegant.
The main building is three stories in height. with a large, well-lighted basement. In the rear is a hospital building one story high and divided
dry, drying-room, four large rooms for indus- trial purposes, bath, toilet-rooms, wash-rooms. fumigating closets. store-rooms. furnace-room and large fuel compartments.
While the Paul Clark Home was originally built for the purpose of serving as an auxiliary to the Associated Charities in the prosecution of a larger work, the idea has more recently been ad-
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BUTTE, MONTANA.
vanced with considerable reason that it presented untold opportunities complete in themselves. Many of those most actively interested in its future feel that a great economic benefit may be worked by converting the institution into an in- dustrial home. In so doing opportunity will be given many worthy persons for fitting themselves to become independent, thereby carrying out on a larger scale the idea of " helping the worthy poor to help themselves." Even this course, how- ever, would not deprive the Associated Charities of the benefits originally sought in the erection of the Home, the only result gained being a broadening of the institution's possibilities.
A feature which will be adopted in any case will serve as a great blessing to many dependent women of large families, who at present are re- strained from earning the means necessary for
their support. A nursery has been provided for the care of the children of these women who are of too tender an age to be left at their homes, and by this means their mothers will be enabled to seek employment otherwise denied them, thereby being relieved of " next week's misery." Even within the institution, if present plans are carried out, opportunity will be granted a limited number of these mothers to gain a livelihood by performing work from which the institution may derive a revenue, and, so far as possible, the children will be given an opportunity to learn vocations whereby they may make themselves self-supporting. It is a grand work and both the donors of the institution and those most closely interested in its direction may be sure of a full measure of reward for their liberality and Christian charity.
MINING.
The widespread growth encountered through- out every other portion of Butte is multiplied by a much larger number with respect to the mines. True, the old Travona district, the first active scene of quartz-mining, to the southwest of the
same uncouth desolation in which the last pick left it - eloquently pleads for reverence.
Walkerville, to the extreme north, too, has its mournful tale. There, gaunt in their deserted grandeur. stand the gigantic mine and smelter
"Star West."
" Travona," the first paying silver mine.
Stack of Centennial Smelter.
CRUMBLING RELICS OF THE TRAVONA DISTRICT.
city, is deserted. An occasional weed-grown shack sheds the elements for some wayfarer, but mining is dead, and the old surface structures, fast crumbling to decay, are uncanny in the mem- ories they conjure in the mind. Missoula Gulch, though fast losing its identity northward under the hand of new improvements, here - in the
structures of the Lexington, Moulton and Alice, the two former never to resume their lives of use- fulness, and the latter probably doomed to the same destiny. The Magna Charta, Valdemere, and other once important, though less noted, mines, also, in their crumbling state, but add to the truth that mining in this section is fast
Lexington Mine. Alice Mine. Valdemere.
Moulton Mine and Smelter.
Lexington Smelter. Alice Smelter. Magna Charta.
ABANDONED SILVER PROPERTIES AT WALKERVILLE.
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BUTTE, MONTANA.
becoming a lost industry. Some three miles west from the city's limits, the Blue Bird and other noted silver properties, contemporaries and lusty rivals of the larger ones in Walkerville, have yielded up the ghost and are being demolished.
But here ends the list of decline and decay. Overwhelmingly outbalancing it, is the list of in- crease and growth in mining activity elsewhere. " The hill " is the old hill still, but a greater mys-
into the respective valleys. So well grounded is this idea that there are many who hold that, as the many leads are extended under the hill, they will take their owners completely under the city to the south or across the valley to the east and into the main range of the Rockies. Color is given this theory by discoveries, while excavating, of several most important leads in the very heart of the business and residence sections of the city, as well
RICHEST MINING SPOT ON EARTH. Famous " Anaconda Hill," showing different mines of the Parrot lode, the scene of early-day mining.
tery. Hundreds of claims, under the control of a few owners, cover every available inch of this wonderful spot from a point immediately south- east of Walkerville to Meaderville. But the list does not stop here. Not a square inch of ground is there within the city's limits and running be- yond, to east, south and west, but what is a pros- pective mining claim, titles to which are almost universally exempted in all deeds of conveyance transferring surface rights. In other words, the instance is rare indeed where a transfer of surface rights by sale does not exclude the mineral de- posits beneath such surface, so impressed is the whole community with the idea that copper de- posits on " the hill " do not end at its borders, but extend downward on either side of the same, and
as in the lowest levels of the valley to the east. Even beyond and along the opposite side thereof and up the main pass through the divide, some five miles east, important operations are being prosecuted. The Homestake property is an im- portant member of this group and promises new and important fields in entirely new quarters.
Not one of the dozens of mines which honey- comb "the hill " from either side has failed to retain its " lead " at whatever depth it has sunk its shaft and the general tendency of such lead is to widen as greater depth is reached. As previ- ously stated, copper is the ore primarily sought in the whole Butte district, and the precious metals are but by-products. In some cases these latter furnish sufficient revenue to maintain the opera-
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GREATER BUTTE.
tions of the entire property and the copper becomes a net profit to its owners.
In all there are some 225 mines in the immedi- ate environments of the city, though many, it is true, are but infantile in their proportions and their owners are only performing their legal " rep- resentation " work. In the neighborhood of 13,- 000 men are employed in these mines and smelters of this city. It may be added, in this connection, that two other cities - Anaconda and Great Falls - owe their existence to the smelters, which are owned and operated at those points by the mine owners of Butte. The largest institutions of
district today is the most important, from a min- ing view, of any district on earth. For Mon- tana's reputation as a great mining State, Butte is almost wholly responsible. In fact, the state- ment is often made that "Butte is Montana." Though increased mining activity is beginning to develop throughout other portions of the State and many old sections are holding their own, the gross output therefrom at present is insignificant compared with the Butte section.
The relation of this section to outside sections is shown in the following table of outputs for 1899:
COPPER.
SILVER.
GOLD.
LEAD.
TOTAL.
Silver Bow
$40,882,492
$12,742,893
$1,292,447
$54,917,833
Outside
59,414
9,043,942
3,526,710
$909,410
13,539,476
Totals
$40,941,906
$21,786,835
$4,819,157
$909,410
$68,457,309
which this country at least can boast of that char- acter are situated in these three cities and give employment to thousands of men.
To enumerate in detail all of the numberless phases of the mining conditions existing through- out the district would be in turn an endless task and a tiresome repetition. Suffice to say that the
Too much importance can not be attached to the fact that in this year the output of the State increased just thirty-three per cent over the previous year.
With Butte's mineral preeminence in Montana established, its relation to the entire country and to the world as a copper-producer is worthy of
"THE HILL" FROM SOUTH SIDE.
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BUTTE, MONTANA.
consideration. Perhaps nothing that could be said upon the subject would speak more elo- quently than a short excerpt from the annual report of Hon. E. B. Braden, United States As- sayer in Charge for Montana, which reads as fol- lows :
" Previous to 1882, 80 per cent of all the cop- per of the United States came from the mines bordering on Lake Superior. In the following year the Lake Superior region produced 51.6 per cent, Arizona 27 per cent, and Butte 21.4 per cent of the domestic copper. The percentage of the Butte output continued to increase stead- ily, and in 1887 it became greater than the yield from the Lake Superior district. This lead has ever since been advanced until, in 1898, when 60 per cent of all the world's copper was supplied by the United States, Butte furnished 41 per cent, Lake Superior 30 per cent, and Arizona 21 per cent of all the domestic production. Butte thus practically furnishes a quarter of the copper prod- uct of the world."
The ratio of growth in mineral output in Sil- ver Bow district during the period of 1882-1899 is shown in the subjoined table from Mr. Braden's report :
Year.
Gold, Fine Ounces.
Silver, Fine Ounces.
Copper, Fine Pounds. 9,058,284
ISS2.
12,093,750
2,699,296
1883.
14,560,875
3,480,468
24,664,346
1884.
21,776,006
4,481,180
43,093,054
1885
13,838,297
4, 126,677
67,797,864
1886
31,223,450
5,924, 180
57,611,485
1887.
48,175,743
6,958,822
78,700,000
1888.
44,320,062
8,275,768
98,504,000
1889.
31,652,325
6,560,038
104,589,000
1890.
25,704,730
7,500,000
112,700,000
IS91.
29,395,356
7,985,089
112,383,420
1892.
36,222,560
8,311,130
158,413, 284
1893.
33,807,877
6,668,730
159,875,490
189
36,768,015
7,561,124
185, 194,385
1895.
41,493.363
10,051,760
197, 190,650
1896.
59,815,755
11,120,731
228,886,962
1897.
54,198,037
10,710,815
236,826,597
1898
55,038,589
8,996,555
216,648,077
1899
62,038,377
9,855,831
245,245,908
Total.
652,368, 167
131,268,203
2.337,382,824
To the above may be added the fact that the world's output for the following year, or 1899, showed a slight increase over the preceding one, so divided as to maintain the percentage deduced by Mr. Braden.
Figuring copper at the price prevailing during the year of its production, the revenue from this commodity represents a gross sum of $284,531 .-
746. If the same price had been enjoyed during these years, as will doubtless maintain, if not in- crease, in the future, the copper output to date would have represented a gross revenue of about $400,000,000.
It is doubtful if the people of this, or any other, section fully comprehend the importance of Montana as a mining State. It has been more generally classed as one of the States of the "mining West," many other States enjoying the same general reputation that should specifically apply to Montana first - placing even the much boasted Colorado mineral wealth weil into second position. From the table shown on page 6 it is
THE "SMOKEHOUSE."
Discovered within the year in heart of city, while excavating, and sold for half a million.
believed that the true relation of Montana to the mining industry, not only of the West, but to the whole country, will be universally recognized for the first time. In this table it is impossible to show the precise value of iron production. This
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GREATER BUTTE.
kind of ore is treated or reduced to pig iron at points foreign to the mine, and no credits are given to the producing section, values being placed upon the pig iron after treatment of the ore. Of the three sections producing iron ore, the Lake Superior region produces approximately three-fourths, the Southern States two-thirds of the remainder, and all other States but one-third. As the Lake Superior region undoubtedly is syn- onymous with Upper Michigan as regards the iron industry, for purposes of calculation, Michi-
only leads the entire West, but will be a competi- tor for first place as the greatest mining State of the Union.
As for Butte's part in the State's great future, precise prediction would appear presumptive. That it will continue its present tremendous lead no competent authority doubts. That it will en- joy the steady growth of the past, trebled and quadrupled by virtue of increased mining activ- ity, aided no little by a logical growth along com- mercial and manufacturing lines, seems modest
LOOKING EAST FROM MEADERVILLE. Showing extension of operations across valley toward Rockies.
gan is credited with three-fourths of the total value of pig iron production in the table. This, no doubt, is greatly in excess of the true value of the crude ore, but hardly sufficient to change the relative positions of the States as named.
It will be seen that Montana is easily the third wealthiest in point of production of all the min- ing States of the country, Michigan leading, with Pennsylvania second. In copper production Montana leads all other States, approximately 40 per cent of the nation's output coming from Butte. First place in silver production also be- longs to Montana, the greater percentage of which comes from Butte as a by-product in cop- per mining. Gold, coal and lead make a most creditable showing, especially in the two latter, considering the brevity of operations in those fields.
With the prestige thus enjoyed and with the prosecution of extensive development work all along the line throughout the whole State, the prediction seems quite permissible that Montana will not only continue to hold her own, but will forge ahead each succeeding year, until she not
enough to predict; but, without infallibility, a prediction less optimistic would seem absurd, and every sign but reinforces its truth.
A more detailed reference to the principal mines of the city, located, without exception, upon or contiguous to "the hill," together with smelters operated in connection therewith, lying along the valley to the south, follows, and verifies elo- quently many statements preceding, which, but for such corroboration, may have been open to the charge of too much zeal.
It has been shown elsewhere that the large ma- jority of the mines and smelters of the Butte district are controlled by a few large mining corporations. These companies control in over- whelming proportions all of the mineral rights underlying " the hill " on either side from Walk- erville to Meaderville and, in most cases, the sur- face rights as well.
The corporations thus referred to are the Ana- conda Copper Mining Company, Colusa Parrot Mining Company (Clark interests), Boston and Montana Mining Company, Butte and Boston Mining Company, Montana Ore Purchasing
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BUTTE, MONTANA.
Company, Colorado Mining and Smelting Com- pany, Parrot Mining Company and the Largey estate interests.
Smelters are operated in Butte in connection with the Colusa Parrot, Butte and Boston, Mon- tana Ore Purchasing, Colorado Mining and Smelting and Parrot Mining Companies' prop- erties, while the Anaconda mines send their ores to their smelters at Anaconda over their own railroad - the Butte, Anaconda & Pacific - and those of the Boston and Montana are sent to their Great Falls works over the Montana Cen- tral Railroad for reduction.
In addition to these corporations there are any number of smaller ones and, in many cases, of individual owners whose properties are scat-
finality a work of twice the thickness would be required.
All through the area most generously endowed are hundreds of shafts, marked by gallows frames and dumps of various sizes, which mark the varying progress of different claims, all of such an identical appearance that no distinctive fea- ture could be shown, save in the name. This is true of many sections of the city itself, and the instance is not rare of mining operations on a lim- ited scale being conducted in vacant lots lying between two dwellings, stores, etc.
The order observed in the following illustra- tions, it is thought, will give a clearer idea of the general mining situation in connection with the distribution of the mines according to district
MOOSE. B. & M. Co's property. Crest of Hill, east of Walkerville. Depth, 300 feet. Employs 30 men.
tered throughout the same area covered by the larger corporations and which are developing into first-class propositions. The ores from these mines are sent to the various smelters above enumerated for reduction.
In making specific reference to the mines of Butte by means of illustration, the method thus employed of reinforcing Butte's claims to first position among the mining districts of the world presented such an endless task, so characterized by a seemingly tireless repetition, that the neces- sity of confining the list to the larger interests appeared mandatory. If taken through to a
than if classification were made under heads of the various corporations. The idea has been to pick up the thread of the earlier portion of this chapter, and by illustration show where active mining operations begin as compared to the de- cay in other sections. It will thus be seen what is meant by the overwhelming increase of the new over the old. The list begins at Walkerville, proceeds thence to Centerville along the south- ern and western slopes of "the hill " as it zig- zags in its southeasterly direction until Meader- ville is reached, and thence north along the eastern slope until operations practically cease.
65
GREATER BUTTE.
2
PAULIN.
Washoe property. Extreme southwestern slope of Hill. Centerville district. Operations suspended pending completion of Washoe smelters at Anaconda. Employed 100 men. Depth, 1,200 feet.
BUFFALO.
Anaconda property. Southwest slope of Hill. Centerville district. Depth, 1,600 feet. Employs 100 men. Weekly output, 500 tons. 5
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BUTTE, MONTANA.
LITTLE MINAH. Parrot property. South slope of Hill. Centerville district. Depth, 700 feet. Employs 35 men.
MOUNTAIN CONSOLIDATED. No. 2.
Anaconda property. South slope of Hill. Centerville district. Depth, 1,800 feet. Employs 300 men. Weekly output, 2,500 tons.
67
GREATER BUTTE.
MOUNTAIN CONSOLIDATED, NO. 1.
Anaconda property. South slope of Hill. Centerville district. Depth, 2,000 feet. Employs 550 men. Weekly output, 4,000 tons. Has 17 exits.
WEST GRAY ROCK. B. & B. property. South side of Hill. Centerville district. Depth, 700 feet. Employs 50 men.
68
BUTTE, MONTANA.
CORA. Under lease to M. O. P. Co. Centerville district. Depth, 400 feet. Employs 50 men.
EAST GRAY ROCK. B. & B. property. Crest of Hill. Centerville district. Depth, 1,800 feet. Employs 150 men.
69
GREATER BUTTE.
+
1.
GREEN MOUNTAIN. Anaconda property. Southwest slope of Hill. Centerville district. Depth, 2,200 feet. Employs 360 men. Weekly output, 2,900 tons.
DIAMOND.
Anaconda property. Crest of Hill. Centerville district. Depth, 2,200 feet. Employs 550 men. Weekly output. 6,000 tons.
70
BUTTE, MONTANA.
BER
INCH
-
BELL. Anaconda property. Crest of Hill. Centerville district. Depth, 1,800 feet. Employs 275 men. Weekly output, 4,000 tons.
PARNELL. M. O. P. Co's property. Northwest slope of Anaconda Hill. Depth, 700 feet. Employs 35 men.
71
GREATER BUTTE.
ANACONDA.
On "Anaconda Hill." Largest mine in city. Scene of Mr. Daly's early activities and nucleus of all Anaconda properties. Depth, 1,800 feet. Employs 1,400 men. Weekly output, 9,000 tons.
NEVERSWEAT.
So named because men do not sweat below ground. Southwest of Anaconda mine. A. C. M. Co. property. Depth, 2,000 feet. Employs 600 men. Weekly output, 4,500 tons.
72
BUTTE, MONTANA.
RAMSDELL'S PARROT.
South of Neversweat. Named for Joe Ramsdell. A. C. M. Co. property. Depth, 600 feet. Employs 200 men. Weekly output, 1,600 tons.
.
COLUSA PARROT. West of Ramsdell Parrot. Clark's property. Depth, 1,600 feet. Employs 350 men.
73
GREATER BUTTE.
PARROT.
Before destruction by fire the past year. Depth, 1,300 feet. Employed 350 men. West of Colusa Parrot.
AFTER FIRE.
Ruins were immediately re- moved and new works in course of erection.
1
STEWART. North of Parrot mine. Clark property. Depth, 1,100 feet. Employs 200 men.
74
BUTTE, MONTANA.
NIPPER.
Northeast of Stewart. M. O. P. Co. property. A new shaft being sunk. Depth, 800 feet. Employs 150 men.
ORIGINAL
On lode where was found a hole dug presumably by Indians. South and west of Hill. Clark property. Depth, 1,300 feet. Employs 200 men.
75
GREATER BUTTE.
GAGNON. Adjoining Original on west. Col. M. & S. Co. property. Depth, 1,800 feet. Employs 300 men. Anaconda Hill in background to the east.
BLUE JAY. B. & B. property. South side Anaconda Hill. Depth, 1,250 feet. Employs 300 men.
76
BUTTE, MONTANA.
MOONLIGHT. Washoe property. South side Anaconda Hill. Depth, 1,500 feet. Employs 350 men.
ST. LAWRENCE. Immediately south of Anaconda mine. First acquisition of Anaconda Company after purchase of Anaconda. Been on fire for ten years. Depth, 1,600 feet. Employs 1,100 men. Weekly output, 2.500 tons.
77
GREATER BUTTE.
-
-
PENNSYLVANIA. B. & M. property. South side Anaconda Hill. Depth, 1,430 feet. Employs 300 men.
SILVER BOW, NO. 1.
B. & B. property. Southeast slope of Hill. East Butte district. Depth, 1,000 feet. Employs 185 men. Horses are stabled on 400 level and never come to surface.
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BUTTE, MONTANA.
SILVER BOW, NO. 3.
B. & B. property. South of Hill. East portion of city. Depth, 500 feet. Employs 50 men.
MOUNTAIN VIEW. B. & M. property. Highest point on Anaconda Hill, facing Meaderville. Depth, 1,750 feet. Employs 125 men. Has 14 exits.
79
GREATER BUTTE.
RARUS.
M. O. P. Co's property. First mine acquired by F. Aug. Heinze. East slope of Hill. Meaderville district. Employs 250 men. Depth, 1,100 feet.
BERKELEY.
B. & B. property. East slope of Hill. Meaderville district. Depth, 700 feet. Employs 70 men.
80
BUTTE, MONTANA.
MINNIE HEALEY.
Title in litigation. Base of east slope of Hill. Meaderville district. Depth, 1,800 feet. Employs 150 men.
LEONARD.
B. & M. property. Base of east slope of Hill. Meaderville district. Depth, 1,130 feet. Employs 180 men.
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GREATER BUTTE.
WEST COLUSA. B. & M. property. East side of Hill. Meaderville District. Depth, 1,370 feet. Employs 175 men.
EAST COLUSA.
B. & M. property. Base eastern slope of Hill. Meaderville district. Depth, Soo feet. Employs 65 men.
6
82
BUTTE, MONTANA.
HIGH ORE.
Anaconda property. East slope of Hill. Meaderville district. Depth, 2,200 feet. Employs 300 men. Weekly output, 2,300 tons.
MODOC.
Anaconda property. East slope of Hill. Meaderville district. Depth, 1,000 feet. Employs 100 men. Weekly output, 1,200 tons.
83
GREATER BUTTE.
SPECULATOR. Largey estate property. East slope of Hill. Farthest north in Meaderville district. One of the best equipped mines in city. Depth, 1,200 feet. Employs 70 men.
MONTANA ORE PURCHASING COMPANY'S SMELTER. East slope of Hill. Meaderville district. Scene of Heinze's initial operations. Employs 350 men.
[ 84
BUTTE, MONTANA.
PARROT SMELTER. Closed at present, due to fire in mine. Extreme southeastern portion of city. Employed 250 men.
BUTTE AND BOSTON SMELTER. Southeast slope of Hill. Meaderville district. Employs 350 men.
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GREATER BUTTE.
COLORADO SMELTER.
Col. M. & S. Co. property Extreme southwestern limits of city. Employs 300 men.
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