THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY &ZZ.09 M 763u rjo. I ~ (o Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016 https://archive.org/details/montanastatebure16mont UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA BULLETIN BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY SERIES NO. 1 The Montana State Bureau OF Mines and Metallurgy frit UiihWr OF THE FE3 2 6 1925 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS STATE SCHOOL OF MINES BUTTE, MONTANA MAY, 1919 Entered at Butte, Montana, as second-class matter under Act of Congress, August 24, 1912 ■ (oX 2, <5 ? M 763 ll. - _ ■ 1 STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY STAFF ; ^ ! \ l >; Vm | Vo [ / VI r“ CLAPP, CHARLES H. ----- - Director and Geology PhD., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1910 ADAMI, ARTHUR E. - -- -- -- Mining Engineer E. M., Montana State School of Mines, 1907 PULSIFER, H. B. ------ - Metallurgy and Safety B. S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1903; Ch.E., Armour Institute of Technology, 1915; M. S., University of Chicago, 1918. 873305 FOREWORD The purpose of this Bulletin is to call attention to the fact that the Legislative Assembly of the State of Montana, for the year 1919, estab- lished in the State School of Mines of the University of Montana a State Bureau of Mines and Metallurgy. The Bureau was established to aid in the development of the mineral resources of Montana. In much the same way that the Agricultural Experiment Station at Bozeman has furthered the agricultural industry of the State, the Bureau of Mines and Metallurgy will stand ready to assist and pro- mote the mineral industry. The Bureau has been established primariU for service, and, as far as is reasonable, those interested may avail themselves of its services free of charge. — 4 — CREATION OF BUREAU AND APPROPRIATION The bill creating the Montana State Bureau of Mines and Metal- lurgy, enacted by the Legislative Assembly of Montana for 1919 (Chapter 161, page 311), was introduced by Representative Arthur V. Corry, a Mining Engineer of Butte. The Bureau was established as a department of the State School of Mines of the University of Montana, and is under the direction of the State Board of Education, which appoints the director. The regular and special reports of the Bureau are to be printed and distributed as the State Board of Education may direct, and as the interests of the State and of science and industry may demand. All materials collected, after having served the purposes of the Bureau, are to be deposited either in State museums or in the collections of the State School of Mines, and duplicates of represen- tative material are to be distributed to the various educational insti- tutions of the State, so as to be of the greatest educational advantage. A fund of $20,000.00, necessary for the maintenance of the Bureau, was appropriated for the biennium ending February 28, 1921. OBJECT AND DUTIES The Bureau was established primarily for the purpose of promoting the development of the mineral resources of the State, and of increas- ing the safety and efficiency of mining and its allied operations. A bureau is the best medium for collecting information concerning the mineral resources and industry, and of disseminating such information by answering inquiries and by the publication of bulletins. It is also an efficient agent in the practical solution of the problems of con- servation. Conservation is now taken by most practical men to mean: “Utili- zation, with a maximum efficiency and a minimum waste.” This defi- nition applies particularly to conservation in the mining industry, for, unlike agricultural products, which are annually replenished, the product of the mines consists of only one crop, which must meet the future, as well as the present needs. To conserve their mineral reserves, large organizations are forced by the stress of circumstances to mine, mill, and smelt their ores efficiently, and to conserve the services and lives of their employees they are forced to mine, mill, and smelt their ores safely. Individuals and companies operating small mines and prospects, of which there are several hundred within the State, do not fail to appreciate the need for efficient and safe operation, but can rarely give to these matters the attention and money necessary to achieve the best results. To assist these men by. helping them mine more profitably, under — 5 — safer and more healthful conditions, will be a great factor in conser- vation. The object and duties of the Bureau, as specified by law, are as follows: 1. To collect, to compile, and to publish statistics, relative to Montana geology, mining, milling, and metallurgy. 2. To collect typical geological and mineral specimens and samples of products; to collect photographs, models, and drawings of appli- ances used in the mines, mills, and smelters of Montana. 3. To collect a library and a bibliography of literature pertaining to or useful for the progress of geology, mining, milling, and smelting- in Montana. 4. To study the geological formations of the State with special reference to their economic mineral resources, both metallic and non- metallic. 5. To examine the topography and physical features of the State with reference to their practical bearing upon the occupation of the people. 6. To study the mining, milling, and smelting operations carried on in the State, with special reference to their improvement. 7. To prepare and to publish bulletins and reports, with necessary illustrations and maps, which shall embrace both a general and a detailed description of the natural resources and geology, mines, mills, and reduction plants of the State. 8. To make qualitative examinations of rocks and mineral samples. 9. To consider such other scientific and economic problems as in the judgment of the State Board of Education are of value to the people of the State. 10. • To communicate special information on Montana geology, mining, and metallurgy. 11. To co-operate with the other departments of the University of Montana, with the State Mine Inspector, and with other depart- ments of the State Government as may be mutually beneficial; and to co-operate with the United States Geological Survey and with the United States Bureau of Mines, in accordance with the regulations of those institutions. It might be wondered by some, why the Bureau should not under- take to make assays and chemical quantitative analyses free of charge. These matters, however, naturally fall to the private assayer and chemist, for the State should not enter into competition with the legitimate private business of its citizens. However, qualitative tests of samples can be made and many questions concerning the com- mercial value of the samples may be answered. Samples, ores, and other consignments should be shipped to the State Bureau of Mines and Metallurgy, Butte, Montana, preferably by parcel post, except in the case of large consignments. — 6 — ORGANIZATION The Bureau is organized into four major departments — Adminis- trative, Geology, Mining, and Metallurgy and Safety. The Adminis- trative Department directs the work of the Bureau, sees that requests for information are referred to the proper departments for answer, supervises the co-operative work, oversees the printing, publication, and distribution of the reports of the Bureau, and prepares for the State Board of Education the biennial report to the Legislative Assembly. The Geological Department undertakes the study of the geological formations and mineral resources of the State, -collects geological and mineral specimens, makes qualitative examinations of rocks and mineral samples, and prepares geological reports. The Mining Department makes the necessary surveys and prepares topographic and other base maps, studies the mining operations of the State, and prepares reports on mining operations. The Metallurgical and Safety Department collects statistics with regard to the mineral industry of the State, studies the milling and smelting operations, engages in metallurgical research, and prepares reports on metallurgy and safety. PLAN OF WORK Work for which there is special and immediate demand will receive first attention, and that which is planned for the biennium 1919-1921 consists of the preparation of a report on the Mining Districts of Montana, giving location of districts, accessibility, valuable products, statistics of production, summary of geological features, and a bibli- ography of available maps and literature; and the preparation of reports on the various mineral products of current interest, such as oil and gas, gypsum, and road-building material. The Mining Department is undertaking the preparation of a report on mining methods and timbering for prospects and small mines. Besides collecting statistics on the mineral resources of the State, the Metallurgical and Safety Department will study conditions of safety, welfare, and hygiene in the appropriate industries and will prepare circulars on the advance of this phase of industry in other communities. It will also undertake to standardize small shipments of mineral products and ores; engage in research in the structure of copper and other metals, with a view of determining the relation of the structure of metals to the physical properties; and will prepare bulletins on the theory and application of flotation and the ball mill to small mining properties, and on the cyanide process as used in Montana. Application has been made to the United States Geological Survey and United States Bureau of Mines to engage in co-operative work with the State Bureau. Much good should result from the proposed co-operation, for similar co-operation has been proved, in certain parts — 7 — . of the United States, to be very successful and beneficial. Attention will also be drawn to* the desirability of securing a United States Bureau of Mines Experiment Station in Butte. PUBLICATIONS The results of the work of the bureau will be made accessible to the public by the publication of bulletins and circulars. These will be sent free of charge to those requesting them. The publication of pertinent material through local co-operation with mining companies, chambers of commerce, and newspapers should be of direct and imme- diate benefit to the people of the State. The demand for individual correspondence, such as heretofore has been carried on by the School of Mines, and which grew to such volume as to interfere with the regular work of the school, was one important factor leading to the establishment of the Bureau, and a large part of the work of the Bureau will consist in carrying on such correspondence in a more satisfactory way than has heretofore been possible. HOW TO USE THE BUREAU The Montana State Bureau of Mines and Metallurgy has been established for the use of anyone interested in the mining industry of Montana. Its success will depend largely upon how much service it is asked to give. The Bureau is accessible to all, and is located at the State School of Mines, in Butte. If possible, bring your problems to the Bureau in person; if not, send in your samples and questions by mail or express. All samples and letters should be addressed to the State Bureau of Mines and Metallurgy, Butte, Montana. The Bureau is reliable and is well equipped to carry on many different kinds of investigations. So far as is reasonable, consistent with reputable practice, and within the limits of the available funds, all problems and questions will receive careful consideration. Ask for the reports and maps of the Bureau, and use them. Do not go ahead without obtaining the available information concerning the mineral resources of Montana. Let the Bureau help you develop the mineral resources and increase the safety and surety of the mining industry. • — 8 — OWVEfisrr* of * tiDW'v AUG 25 1922 UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA BULLETIN BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY SERIES NO. 2 The Montana State Bureau OF Mines and Metallurgy Directory Montana Metal and Coal Mines * rir UijiMT (|F THE FEB- 2 6 1925 DIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS STATE SCHOOL OF MINES BUTTE, MONTANA DECEMBER, 1919 6>x x . a ? M7(s>3u^ e . * 2 - J - i r r» 4 3 O r{ STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY STAFF CLAPP, CHARLES H. - - - - - Director and Geology PhD., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1910 ADAMI, ARTHUR E. - -- -- -- Mining Engineer E. M., Montana State School of Mines, 1907 v ' PULSIFER. H. B, - - - - - - - Metallurgy and Safety B. S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1903; C. E., Armour Institute of Technology, 1915; M. S., University of. Chicago, 1918. K fv. * FOREWORD The purpose of this bulletin is to serve as a directory of all the metal and coal mining companies in the State of Montana. Although every effort possible by correspondence was made in the attempt to get information on every mining company in Montana, it is possible that some companies have been overlooked. However, it is believed that this bulletin contains the names of most of the operating com- panies of the State, together with some general information on each company, and that the bulletin will sefve as a valuable reference book for those interested in the mining industry. This bulletin is supple- mentary to a report on the various mining districts of Montana which is now being prepared by the Geological Department of the State Bureau of Mines and Metallurgy. DIRECTORY OF MONTANA OPERATING METAL MINES ALICE GOLD AND SILVER MINING CO. Butte. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. Officers: Pres., John D. Ryan; Secy-Treas., D. B. Hennessy, 42 Broadway, New York, N. Y. Operating Dept.: Gen. Mgr., John Gillie, Butte; Asst. Mgr., W. B. Daly, Butte; Genl. Supt., C. L. Berrien, Butte. 250 H. P. Steam and 150 H. P. Electric. No. of men employed: 125. Ores: Complex sulphides of silver, zinc, lead. Daily output: 250 tons. Output for 1918: 32,600 tons. Miscellaneous Information: Property has been closed down most of the year 1919 on account of poor zinc market. ALTA MONTANA MINING CO. Corbin. Location: Colorado Mining District, Jefferson County. Officers: Mgr., Raymond Guyer, 218 Symons Bldg., Spokane, Wash. Operating Dept.: Supt., R. E. Snow, Corbin, Mont. 150 H. P. Electric. No. of men employed: 12. Ores: Lead-Silver. Miscellaneous Information: Past two years has been spent in opening up and dewatering old works, which work is now about complete. A small amount of ore was taken out in the year 1918 by leasers. AMERICAN GEM MINING SYNDICATE. Philipsburg. Location: Flint Creek Mining District, Granite County. Officers: Pres., L. M. Rumsey; Vice-Pres., C. G. Ewing; Treas., L. S. Mitchell; all 408 Olive St., St. Louis, Mo. Operating Dept.: Gen’l Mgr., C. G. Ewing, Philipsburg. Water power. No. of men employed: 30. Ores: Sapphire placer. ANACONDA COPPER MINING CO. Butte. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. Officers: Pres., C. F. Kelley; Vice-Pres., B. B. Thayer; Secy, and Treas., A. H. Melin; Gen. Auditor, J. T. Roberts; Asst. Treas., D. B. Hennessy; all 42 Broadway, New York; Asst. Secy., R. D. Cole, Butte. Operating Dept.; Mgr. of Mines, John Gillie; Asst. Mgr. of Mines, W. B. Daly; Gen. Supt. of Mines, C. L. Berrien; Asst. Gen. Supt. of Mines, E. M. Noriss, J. J. Carrigan, and J. P. O’Neil; Chief Geologist, Reno H. Sales. Electric, Steam, and Compressed Air. No. men employed: 9,000 to 11,000 (normally). Principal ores: Copper, silver, gold, zinc, and manganese. Daily output: 15,000 tons. 1918 output: 4,925,022 tons. Miscellaneous Information: This company owns 1,168 acres of mineral claims at Butte, including all the property formerly held by the following companies: Boston & Mont., Cons. C. & S. Mng. Co.; Butte & Boston Cons. Mng. Co.; Red Metal Mng. Co.; Washoe Copper Co.; Parrot Silver and Copper Co.; Trenton (formerly Colorado) Mng. & Dev. Co.; Big Blackfoot Lumber Co.; Diamond Coal & Coke Co.; Original Cons. Mng. Co.; Colusa Parrot Mng. & Sm. Co. This property includes the following mines and departments: Badger State High Ore Never Sweat St. Lawrence Mountain View Tramway Silver Bow Anaconda Group. Moonlight Mountajn Con Original Gray Rock Bell-Diamond Anaconda Steward Belmont Boston & Montana Group. Pennsylvania West Colusa Leonard Berkeley Tropic Zinc Group of Mines Poulin Nettie Bonanza Emma Alice Lexington This Company also operates a gold property at Southern Cross,, fifteen miles west of Anaconda. Reduction Departments. Washoe Reduction Works, Anaconda. Frederick Laist, Manager. L. V. Bender, Gen. Supt. Boston & Montana Reduction Works, Great Falls. James O’Grady, Manager. A. E. Wiggin, Supt. Coal Department. F. W. C. Whyte, Manager, Anaconda. Thos. Snedden, Supt., Diamond Coal & Coke Co., Diamondville,. Wyoming. Thos. Good, Supt., A. C. M. Co., Coal Dept., Washoe. C. A. Sederholm, Supt., A. C. M. Co., Coal Dept., Sand Coulee. Lumber Department. Kenneth Ross, Manager, Missoula. M. M. Ross, Supt., St. Regis. ALLIANCE COPPER COMPANY. Butte. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. Officers: Pres., Donald Campbell, Butte; Vice-Pres. and Treas., J. D. Slemons, Butte; Sec’y., A. T. Morgan, Butte. Mine not operating. — 6 — East Helena. AMERICAN SMELTING AND REFINING CO. Location: Lewis and Clark County. Officers: Pres., S. Guggenheim; Sec’y, W. E. Merriss; both at 120 Broadway, New York, N. Y. Operating Dept.: Mgr., C. W. Adams, East Helena; Supt., R. L. Strobel, East Helena. 780 H. P. Electric. No. of men employed: 300 to 400. Ores smelted: Gold, silver, and lead. Daily output: 75 tons lead. 1918 output: 27,564 tons lead. ANGELICA MINING & DEVELOPMENT CO. Wickes. Location: Colorado Mining District, Jefferson County. Officers: Pres., C M. d’Autremont, Wickes; Vice-Pres., Chas. D. Horton, Wickes; Sec’y-Treas., C. K. Tibbetts, Helena. Operating Dept.: Mgr., C. M. d’Autremont, Wickes; Supt., Chas. D. Horton, Wickes. 60 H. P. Electric. No. men employed: 50 to 55. Ores: Gold, silver, lead, copper, and zinc sulphides. Daily output: 50 tons. 1918 output: 12,583 tons. Miscellaneous Information: Developed by shaft 800 feet deep and adit tunnel 4,500 feet in length connecting with shaft. Lead carbonate ore to 400 feet, sulphide zinc-lead ore, with some copper, to 800 feet. Ore shoots 100 to 300 feet in length, 3 to 20 feet wide. Six patented claims, 109 acres. Both shipping and concentrating ore being developed. BALD BUTTE MINING & MILLING CO. Marysville. Location: Bald Butte Mining District, Lewis and Clark County. Officers: Pres., W. A. Stone, Boston, Mass.; Sec’y-Treas., Wm. M. Belcher, Boston, Mass. Operating Dept.: Supt., Geo. W. Padbury, Marysville. 35 H. P. Electric. No. men employed: None at present. Daily output: None. 1918 output: 760 tons from lessees. BALKAN BUTTE COPPER MINING CO. Elk Park. Location: Elk Park Mining District, Jefferson County. Officers: Pres., Chas. Steele, Butte; Sec’y and Treas., T. Tomich, Butte. Operating Dept.: Gen. Mgr., Chas. Steele, Butte; Mgr., T. To- mich, Butte. Not operating at present. BARNES-KING DEVELOPMENT CO. Kendall. Location: North Moccasin Mining District, Fergus County. Officers: Pres., C. W. Goodale, Butte; Vice-Pres., A. J. Davis, — 7 — Butte; Sec’y., John E. Corette, Butte; Treas., C. C. Swin- borne, Butte. Operating Dept.: Gen. Mgr., Geo. T. McGee, Helena. Electric power. No. of men employed: 90. Ores: Gold and silver. Daily output: 100 tons. Miscellaneous Information: Also owns and operates the Shannon Mine and the Piegan-Gloster Mine and Mill, both at Marys- ville, Montana. BASIN MINING CO, Philipsburg Location: Flint Creek Mining District, Granite County. Officers: Pres., L. W. Rumsey, Jr., 408 Olive St., St. Louis, Mo.; Vice-Pres., C. G. Ewing, Philipsburg; Treas., L. S. Mitchell. 408 Olive St., St. Louis, Mo. Operating Dept.: Gen’l Mgr., C. G. Ewing, Philipsburg. Water power. No. men employed: 15. Ores: Gold placer. BEAVER CREEK MINING CO. Zortman Location: Little Rockies Mining District, Philips County. Officers: Pres., Chas. Whitcomb, Helena; Sec’y, Notley Thomp- son, Helena. Ores: Gold. Miscellaneous Information: 150,000 tons of ore blocked out, but present conditions are unfavorable to operation. BEN HUR MINING CO., LTD. Saltese. Location: Denemora Mining District, Mineral County. Officers: Pres., D. S. Dickson, Quartz; Vice-Pres., Frank Bell, Saltese; Sec’y-, Chas. J. Luedke, Saltese; Treas., Chas. A. Keating, Wallace, Idaho. Not operating at present. BLUE BIRD MINING CO. Butte. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. Officers: Treas., Clarence W. McGuire, 89 State St., Boston, Massachusetts. Not operating at present. BLUE VEIN COPPER MINING CO. Butte. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. Officers: Pres., F. L. Melcher, Butte; Vice-Pres., J. F. Charles, Butte; Sec’y., Lewis A. Smith, Butte. Has not been operating for ten years. Owns following claims: Blue Vein, Blue Vein No. 2, Ozone, Myrahl, North Star, Little Boulder, Bunker Hill, Valentine, and Columbia. — 8 — BONANZA BUTTE MINING CO. Butte. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. Officers: Pres., John Kenoffel, 17 S. Main St., Butte; Sec’y-Treas., W. R. Youlden, N. Main St., Butte. Ores: Silver, lead, copper. BOSTON-BUTTE COPPER & ZINC CO. Butte. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. Officers: Pres,, W. W. McDowell, 46 E. Broadway, Butte; Sec’y- Treas., W. E. Reynolds, 46 E. Broadway, Butte; Vice-Pres., F. J. Dorhofer, Butte. Property has never been developed and is not operating. BROADWATER COUNTY MINING CO. Townsend. Location: Park Mining District, Broadwater County. Officers: Pres., James J. Fisher, Townsend. Miscellaneous Information: Short of funds and, therefore, not doing any mining at present. BUTTE BACORN COPPER CO. Butte Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. This company was absorbed by the Great Butte Copper Co., which see. BUTTE COPPER CO. Butte. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. Officers: Pres., James H. Rowe, Butte; Vice-Pres., E. F. Lawlor, Boston, Mass.; Sec’y, W. M. Hanson, Butte. Operating Dept.: Supt., E. L. Ralston, Butte. 275 H. -P. Electric. No. men employed: 40. Ores: Silver, gold, zinc, and lead. Daily output: None. 1918 output: 1,760 tons. Miscellaneous Information: Development work only being done in 1919. Mine being operated by Anselmo Mining Co. BUTTE COPPER CZAR MINING CO. Butte. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. Officers: Pres., C. F. Murphy, Anaconda; Treas., John K. Clax- ton, Butte; Sec’y, L. P. Sanders, Butte. Operating Dept.; Gen. Mgr., E. C. Meiklejohn, Butte. Electric power. No. men employed: 20. Ores: Copper. Miscellaneous Information: This mine has not been operated since July, 1918, but plans are being made to reopen work and operations within the next ninety days. — 9 — BUTTE COPPER KING MINING CO. Butte. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. Officers: Pres., Chas E. Beebe, Butte; Sec’y-Treas., A. P. Hen- ningsen, Portland, Ore. This company owns property consisting of three undeveloped claims located north of the Butte Water Company’s Reser- voir in Butte. BUTTE COPPER & ZINC CO. Polaris. Location: Polaris Mining District, Beaverhead County. Officers: Pres., A. J. Seligman, 61 Broadway, New York; Sec’y- Treas., D. J. Fagensen, 61 Broadway, New York. Operating Dept.: Gen. Mgr., Glenn Anderson, 46 E. Broadway, Butte. 200 H. P. Steam. Ores: Silver and copper. BUTTE & GREAT FALLS MINING CO. Butte. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. Officers: Pres., E. Bryant Crump, Lexington, Ky.; Sec’y-Treas., Allen Pierse, Great Falls. Operating Dept.: Gen. Mgr., R. M. Green, Butte. Electric Power. No. men employed: 20. Ores: Copper and silver. Miscellaneous Information: This mine has not operated in the past two years, but a plan for refinancing same is now under way. Efforts are being made to induce Eastern capital to finance further development work at the mine. The pros- pects are good for an early reopening of development work. Mr. R. M. Green, the General Manager, above mentioned, died some time ago and his place remains vacant. It will be filled at an early date, as soon as financial arrangements are com- pleted. BUTTE HILL COPPER MINING CO. Walkerville. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. Officers: Pres., Maurice Essenberg, New York, N. Y.; Sec’y- Treas., H. A. Frank, Butte. Not operating at present. BUTTE & LONDON COPPER DEVELOPMENT CO. Butte. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. Officers: Pres., W. W. McDowell, Butte; Vice-Pres., John D. Plaines, Butte; Sec’y., W. E. Reynolds, Butte; Treas., E. S. Passmore, Butte. Property has been closed down for three years. BUTTE MAIN RANGE COPPER MINING CO. Butte. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. This property, consisting of 38 acres, was sold to the Tuolumne Copper Mining Company in 1918. - 10 - BUTTE-MILWAUKEE MINING CO. Butte. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. This property, which is under control of the Butte & Superior Mining Company, was never a producer, and has been closed down for several years. BUTTE-NEW YORK COPPER CO. Butte. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. This property is controlled by the Butte & Superior Mining Com- pany, but no operations have been conducted for several years. BUTTE & SUPERIOR MINING CO. Butte. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. Officers: Pres., D. C. Jackling; Sec’y, A. J. Ronazhan; Treas., C. W. Peters; all 25 Broad St., New York. Operating Dept.: Gen. Mgr., J. L. Bruce, Butte; Asst. Mgr., Chas. Bocking, Butte; Mine Supt., A. B. McLeod, Butte; Mill Supt., E. V. Daveler, Butte. 7,500 H. P. steam, electric, and compressed air. No. men employed: 1,200 daily. Ores: Zinc, lead, silver. Daily Output: 1,400 tons'. 1918 output: 469,079 tons. BUTTE & VIPOND GOLD MINING & MILLING CO. Melrose. Location: Vipond Mining District, 16 miles northwest of Melrose, in Beaverhead County. Officers: Pres., James M. Hinkle, Butte; Vice-Pres., Thos P. Manley, Butte; Treas., William Worth, Butte; Sec’y, W. E. Carroll, Butte. Miscellaneous Information: This property, which is a gold, silver, lead property, is developed by a 740-foot tunnel tapping a vertical shaft at 200 feet. Work of draining was finished in 1919. The property consists of five claims, formerly known as “Queen of the Hills,” but now known as “Martin,” “Jenkins,” “Shady,” “Little Victor,” and “Vipond Park” Lodes. Not operating at present. BUTTE & WILLOW CREEK MINING CO. Pony. Location: Mineral Hill Mining District, 4 miles from Pony, in Madison County. Officers: Pres., P. T. McDermott, Helena; Vice-Pres., James E. Redmond, Butte; Sec’y., James Naughten, Butte. 50 H. P. water and steam. Ores: Iron pyrites, gold and silver. Not operating since 1914. CAPE NOME COPPER MINING CO. Clinton. Location: Wallace Mining District, Missoula County. — 11 — Officers: Pres., E. Donlan, Missoula; Sec’y-Treas., H. T. Wil- kinson, Missoula. 120 H. P. Steam — two 60 H. P. boilers. Ores: Copper and silver. Miscellaneous Information: This property has 4,600 feet of de- velopment work, including a double compartment shaft 500 feet deep, with drifts on the 100, 300 and 500-foot levels. Property not operating at present. CASCADE SILVER MINES AND MILLS. Neihart. Location: Montana Mining District, Cascade County. Officers: Pres., Geo. H. Brabrook, Neihart; Vice-Pres., Lowndes Maury, Butte; Sec’y., Wm. R. McLure, Philipsburg; Treas., W. P. Wren, Great Falls. Operating Dept.: Gen Mgr., Geo. Hale Brabrook, Neihart; Supt., Thos. Westgard, Neihart. Electric power. No', men employed: 200. Ores: Silver. Daily output: 200 tons. 1918 output: 2,500 tons. COLUSA LEONARD EXTENSION COPPER CO. Butte. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. This property, consisting of 42 acres, was sold to the Tuolumne Copper Mining Company in 1918. COLUSA-PARROT MINING & SMELTING CO. Butte. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. Officers: Pres., W. A. Clark, Butte; Vice-Pres., W; C. Siderfin, Butte; Sec’y, W. C. M.essias, Butte. 25 H. P. Electric. No. men employed: 20. Daily output: 1,300 tons. 1918 output: 387,073 dry tons. Ores: Working copper tailings at Butte Reduction Works, Butte. Miscellaneous Information: Tailings are shipped to Timber Butte Milling Co. for concentrating, and concentrates shipped to Anaconda Copper Mining Company’s Smelter, Anaconda. COMBINATION OPERATING COMPANY. Philipsburg. •Location: Flint Creek Mining District, Granite County. Officers: Company not organized at this date and officers not officially appointed. However, Geo. C. Crangle, Ray E. Tower, Edward Roach, Harry T. Lewis, Marcus L. Hurley are the owners and operators. 60 H. P. Steam. No. men employed: At present, about ten engaged in remodeling mill. Operating force will be about 25. Ores: Silver and copper (subordinate: lead and gold). Daily output: 100 tons. 1918 output: None. Miscellaneous Information: Remodeling chloridizing and leaching plant to treat old mill tailings. — 12 — CONREY PLACER MINING CO. Ruby. Location: Pres., Chas. F. Adams, Boston, Mass.; Vice-Pres. and Consulting Engineer, Hennen Jennings, Washington, D. C.; Sec’y and Treas., F. F. Stanley, Boston, Mass. Operating Dept.: Business Mgr., G. H. Edmunds*, Ruby; Dredge Supt., O. O. Sweeny, Ruby. 1,475 H. P. Electric. No. men employed: 55 (average). Ores: Placer gold and silver. Daily output: 15,000 cu. yds. 1918 output: 3,350,000 cu. yds. Miscellaneous Information: No. 1 dredge operated full year with 7y 2 cu. ft. buckets; No. 2 dredge operated 4 months with iy 2 cu. ft. buckets, and No. 4 dredge operated full year with 17 cu. ft. buckets. CRYSTAL COPPER COMPANY. Butte and Basin. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County; Cataract Mining District, Jefferson County. Officers: Pres., B. S. Parker, 31 Milk St., Boston, Mass.; Sec’y, Eugene H. Walker, 31 Milk St., Boston, Mass. Operating Dept.: Gen. Mgr., Goldsmith Mine, Butte, W. D. Gib- son, Butte; Mgr. and Lessee, Crystal Mine, Basin, A. C. Ray, Basin. 100 H. P. Electric. Ores: Crystal Mine, Basin, copper and silver; Goldsmith Mine, Butte, silver and gold. Miscellaneous Information: Both these mines are in the develop- ment stage. The Crystal Mine is operated through two tun- nels, each over 1,200 feet long. The Goldsmith Mine is being operated from the 500 and 600-foot levels by a main shaft. Ore is shipped to the Washoe Smelter at Anaconda, and to the American Smelting & Refining Company at East Helena. DAVIS-DALY COPPER CO. Butte. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. Officers: Pres.. H. M. Burton; Sec’y-Treas., C. G. Schirmer; both Boston, Mass. Operating Dept.: Mgr., C. L. Bruce, Butte; Supt., D. J. McGrath, Butte; Foreman, James White, Butte. 1300 H. P. Electric. No. men employed: 400. Ores: Copper and silver. Daily output: 300 tons. 1918 output: 66,158 tons. EAST BUTTE COPPER MINING CO. Butte. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. Officers: Pres., Robt. H. Gross; Sec’y, Wm. P. Everts; Treas., Frank P. Son; all of Boston, Mass. Operating Dept.: Gen. Mgr., Oscar Rohn, Butte. Electric power. No. men employed: 800. Ores: Copper, silver, gold. - 13 — Miscellaneous Information: This company operates the proper- ties of the Pittsmont Copper Company under an agreement entered into on April 8, 1909. EAST BUTTE EXTENSION COPPER MINING CO. Butte. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. Officers: Pres., Chas. J. Schatzlein, Butte; Vice-Pres., Philip A. Breen, Butte. Operating Dept.: Gen. Mgr., Frank H. Cooney, Butte. Ores: Copper and Silver. Not operating at present. ECONOMY MINES CO. Helena. Location: Lewis and Clark County. Officers: Pres., J. Kessner, Chicago, 111.; Vice-Pres., S. Rosen- field, Helena; Sec’y, J. Rosenfield, Helena. Operating Dept.: Mgrs., Rosenfield Brothers, Helena. 200 H. P. Electric. No. men employed: 30. Ores: Gold and silver. Miscellaneous Information: Although development work is being done on the property, during the last year a 100-ton concen- trating plant has been erected. ELK GOLD MINING COMPANY. Deer Lodge. Location: Racetrack Creek Mining District, 10 miles S. E. of Deer Lodge, Powell County. Officers: Pres., C. E. Aspling, Deer Lodge; Trustees, I. S. Eldred and J. E. Nevill, Deer Lodge. 30 H. P. Steam. No. men employed: 4. Ores: Gold, silver, and copper. Miscellaneous Information: Recently began sinking shaft. ELM ORLU MINING CO. Butte. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. Officers: Pres., W. A. Clark, Jr., Butte; Sec’y-Treas., W. D. Mangam, Butte. Operating Dept.: Gen. Mgr., W. N. Rossberg, Butte. 3,000 H. P. Electric. No. men employed: 500. Ores: Copper, zinc, and silver. Daily output: 600 tons. 1918 output: 208,651 dry tons combined zinc and copper ores. GRANITE-BIMETALLIC CONSOLIDATED MINING CO. Philipsburg. Location: Flint Creek Mining District, Granite County. Officers: Pres., John P. Meyer; 1st Vice-Pres., Edward S. Orr; 2nd Vice-Pres., L. M. Rumsey; all of St. Louis, Mo. Operating Dept.: Acting Supt., R. S. Blitz, Philipsburg. No. men employed: 18; 96 leasers. Ores: Silver. Daily output: 30 tons. 1918 output: 27,429 tons. Miscellaneous Information: 3,000 acres of ground. In early days this property was a large producer, but is now being entirely worked by leasers. GLENGARRY MINING CO. Cooke City. Location: New World Mining District, Park County. Officers: Pres., J. T. Hamilton, Miles City; Vice-Pres., Charles Daly, Cooke City; Secy and Treas., C. H. Loud, Miles City. Operating Dept.: Mgr., Charles Daly, Cooke City. Hand Power. No. men employed: 8. Ores: Gold, silver, and copper. Miscellaneous Information: Have just started to operate these mines, which have been idle for a number of years. Expect to get 10 cars marketed this season. This company is suc- cessor to the Montana Scotch Bonnet Copper and Gold Mining Co. GOLDEN CURRY LEASING CO. Elkhorn. Location: Elkhorn Mining District, Beaverhead County. Officers: Mgr., M. I. Lydig, Elkhorn. 30 H. P. Electric. No. men employed: 16. Ores: Iron, gold. Daily output: 30 tons. Miscellaneous Information: Iron is mined for flux. Shipping to American Smelting & Refining Company. GREAT BUTTE COPPER CO. Butte. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. Officers: Pres., F. W. Bacorn, Butte; Treas., Charles Hyde, 331 Fourth Ave., Pittsburg, Pa. Steam and electric power. No. men employed: Average 25. Ores: Copper and zinc. Miscellaneous Information: Doing extension work only. HUGO GOLD AND COPPER MINING CO. Saltese. Location: Denemora Mining District, Mineral County. Officers: Pres., R. W. Seideman, Saltese; Vice-Pres., W. W. Woods, Wallace, Idaho. Water power. Ores: Gold and copper. INGERSOLL MINING COMPANY. Neihart. Location: Montana Mining District, Cascade County. Officers: Pres., Allen Pierse, Great Falls; Sec’y-Treas., E. A. Shaw, Great Falls. — 15 — Ores: Silver and lead. Miscellaneous Information: Property has been idle for several years, but arrangements are now being made to resume operations. INTER MOUNTAIN MINING CO. Iron Mountain. Location: Iron Mountain Mining District, Mineral County. Officers: Pres., E. Evans, Post St., Spokane, Wash.; Vice-Pres., R. G. McIntosh, Spokane, Wash.; Sec’y-Treas., E. C. Danfer, Spokane, Wash. Operating Dept.: Supt., P. L. Hoffman, Iron Mountain. 450 H. P. Electric, and 250 H. P. Water. No. men employed: 75 (normally). Ores: Copper, carrying some gold and silver. Daily output: 150 tons. Miscellaneous Information: At present only prospecting and de- veloping, using 18 men. JARDINE GOLD MINING & MILLING CO. Jardine. Location: Sheepeater Mining District, Park County. Officers: Pres, and Treas., W. S. Hunnewell, Drummond; Vice- Pres. and Gen. Mgr., H. C. Bacorn, Jardine. 300 H. P. Electric. No. men employed: 50. Ores: Gold and tungsten. Daily output: 30 tons at present. Miscellaneous Information: 40-stamp mill put in operation in 1919, handling about 150 tons of ore per day. JIB MINING CO. Basin. Location: Cataract Mining District, Jefferson County. Officers: Pres., A. E. Spriggs, Helena; Vice-Pres., M. L. Hewett, Basin; Sec’y*> Sol Genzberger, Butte. Operating Dept.: Mgr., M. L. Hewett, Basin; Supt., R. Brinlori, Basin; Asst. Supt., Arthur Louiselle, Basin. KENDALL LEASING CO. Kendall. Location: North Moccasin Mining District, Fergus County. Operating Dept.: Mgr., A. B. Fox, Kendall; Foreman, Frank Bryant, Kendall. 175 H. P. Electric. No. men employed: 15. Ores: Gold. Daily output: Not regular. 1918 output: 7,152 tons. Miscellaneous Information: The Kendall Mine is owned by the Barnes-King Development Co., successors to the Kendall Gold Mining Co., and is under lease to A. B. Fox and S. D. Whipple, working under the above name. — 16 — Saltese. LAST CHANCE MINING CO. Location: Denemora Mining District, Mineral County. Officers: Pres, and Mgr., Geo. Champagne, Saltese. No. men employed: 2. Ores: Silver, lead and copper. Miscellaneous Information: Doing development work only. LEGAL TENDER CONSOLIDATED MINES CO. Clancy. Location: Lump Gulch Mining Dist., Jefferson County. Officers: Pres., H. A. Gallwey, Butte; Sec’y. J- H. Heilbronner, Butte; Treas., Wm. Stussy, Butte. Operating Dept.: Supt., D. J. Courtney, Clancy; Foreman, Wm. Murrey, Clancy. 75 H. P. Electric. No. men employed: 25. Ores: Silver. Output: Irregular. Miscellaneous Information: Mine producing an average of two cars a month, and extensive development work being done. LEVIATHAN GOLD MINING CO. Pony. Location: Mammoth Mining District, Madison County. Officers: Pres., Chas. E. Morris, Pony; Vice-Pres., J. L. Temple- man, Butte; Treas., Wm. C. Morris, Pony; Sec’y, James A. Flint, Pony. Operating Dept.: Lessee, Ben W. Wilson, Jefferson Island. Ores: Copper, gold, and silver. Miscellaneous Information: For past two years this property has been under contract for sale and lease to B. W. Wilson. Ma- tured payments have been made, with the probability of com- pletion, which will put the above company out of business. LITTLE NELL MINE. Clancy. Location: Lump Gulch Mining District, Jefferson Count. Officers (Operating Dept.) : Gen. Mgr., Stanly A. Easton, Kel- logg, Idaho; Mgr., H. H. Mayer, East Helena; Foreman, T. Brownlow, Clancy. 70 H. P. Steam. No. men employed: 10. Ores: Silver, lead, zinc. Miscellaneous Information: At present doing development work only. LIVERPOOL SILVER MINES CO. Helena. Location: Spring Hill Mining District, Lewis and Clark County. Officers: Pres., John W. Brien, Essex, Ontario; Sec’y., W. G. Burns, 27 State St., Boston, Mass.; Treas., James E. Simpson, 27 State St., Boston, Mass. Operating Dept.: Mgrs., Frank Eichelberger and Chas E. Fry- berger, Helena. 250 H. P. Electric. 17 — No. men employed: 21. Ores: Silver-lead sulphides. Miscellaneous Information: Opened old levels and installed new headframe and hoist in 1919; hoisting steadily Dec. 1, 1919. LUKENS HAZEL MINING CO. Libby. Location: Snow Shoe Mining District, Lincoln County. Officers: Pres, and Gen. Mgr., C. Ed. Lukins, Libby; Sec’y and Treas., Wm. Jennison, Libby. Miscellaneous Information: At present this company is not work- ing its mine, but is engaged in building a concentrator and power plant, which will use 600 H. P. electric power. MAGINNIS MINE. Maiden. Location: Giltedge Mining District, Fergus County. Lessee: W. A. Young, Maiden. 60 H. P. Steam and gasoline power. No. men employed: 10. Ores: Gold and silves, with more or less lead and copper. 1918 output: About 150 tons. Miscellaneous Information: What is known as the Maginnis Mine is owned by A. M. Holter, Helena, one-fourth interest, and Dartmouth Land Company, Great Falls, three-fourths interest. W. D. MARLOW. Livingston. Location: Park County. Officers (Operating Dept.): Gen. Mgr., W. E. Renshaw, Idaho Springs, Colo.; Supt., O. V. Miller, Cooke City, Mont. 25 H. P. Gasoline. No. men employed: 7. Ores: Gold, silver, lead. 1918 output: 200 tons. Miscellaneous Information: Just beginning daily production; mine has been idle for several years. MONTANA CONSOLIDATED COPPER CO. Comet. Location: Cataract Mining District, Jefferson County. Officers: Pres, J. V. Allen; Treas, T. F. Lee; both 51 Wall St, New York. Operating Dept.: Gen. Mgr, H. J. McKenzie, Basin. 300 H. P. Electric. No. men employed: 10 (at present). Ores: Silver, gold, copper, zinc, lead. Daily output: 40 tons. Miscellaneous Information: Mine closed down in August, 1919, to allow for reorganization preparatory to starting large scale mining and milling. Crew of 10 men keeping mine unwatered and in good shape. — 18 — Garnet. MITCHELL & MUSSIGBROD, INC. Location: First Chance Mining District, Granite County. Officers: Pres., Louis Mussigbrod, Garnet; Vice-Pres., J. Moken- land, Warm Springs; Sec’y, Albert Galen, Helena. Leaser: Louis Mussigbrod. 60 H. P. Steam. No. men employed: 18. Ores: Sulphide ores, gold, and silver. Miscellaneous Information: Installed K. & K. flotation plant in 1913, and started operation in February, 1919. MONTANA OREWAY MINING DISTRICT. Jackson. Location: Big Hole Mining District, Beaverhead County. Officers: Pres, and Mgr., Wm. P. Jahnke, Wisdom; Sec’y., F. W. Scott, Chicago, 111.; Treas., John D. Rankin, Chicago, 111. 35 H. P. Steam and compressed air. No. men employed: 15. Ores: Copper, silver, lead, gold. Miscellaneous Information: Two carloads shipped for demon- stration purposes. Company expects to erect concentrator. MONTANA RADERSBURG MINING CO. Radersburg. Location: Cedar Plain Mining District, Broadwater County. Officers: Pres., A. E. Spriggs, Helena; Sec’y, B. E. Matthews, Helena; Treas., C. A. Whipple, Helena. Operating Dept.: Mgr., A. E. Spriggs, Helena. 25 H. P. Gasoline. No. men employed: 4. Ores: Lead, silver. 1918 output: 200 tons. MOULTON MINING COMPANY. Walkerville. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. Officers: Pres., W. A. Clark, Butte; Vice-Pres., W. C. Siderfin, Butte; Sec’y, J. C. Phillips, Butte. 219 H. P. Electric. No. men employed: 20. Ores: Copper and silver, zinc and lead. Daily output: 40 tons. 1918 output: 3,000 tons. Miscellaneous Information: Principally development work being done. NORTH BUTTE MINING COMPANY. Butte. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. Officers: Pres., Robert Linton, New York; Vice-Pres., Joseph B. Cotton, New York; Sec’y-Treas., F. R. Kennedv, New York, N. Y. Operating Dept.: Gen. Mgr., N. B. Braly, Butte; Supt., L. D. Frink, Butte. 3,600 H. P. Electric and steam. — 19 — No. men employed: 850. Ores: Copper and silver. Daily output: 880 tons. 1918 output: 465,389 tons. Miscellaneous Information: At present operating at about 60 per cent, of full capacity. PATTEN MINING CO. Philipsburg. Location: Flint Creek Mining District, Granite County. Officers: Pres., A. J. Johnston, Butte; Vice-Pres., Earle B. Pat- ten, Philipsburg; Sec’y-Treas., J. K. Heslet, Butte. Miscellaneous Information: Not operating at present. PHILIPSBURG MINING COMPANY. Philipsburg. Location: Flint Creek Mining District, Granite County. Officers: Pres., John P. Meyer, St. Louis, Mo.; Vice-Pres., John H. Dieckman, St. Louis, Mo.; Treas., Firmin D. Fusz, St. Louis, Mo. Operating Dept.: Supt., R. S. Blitz, Philipsburg; Asst. Supt., A. E. Fritzberg, Philipsburg. 700 H. P. Electric. No. men employed: 225. Ores: Manganese dioxide, silver, and copper. Daily output: 75 tons. 1918 output: 42,480 tons. Miscellaneous Information: Operating Algonquin, Bryant, True Fissure, Horton, and Hope Mines, and 300-ton concentrating mill. PIEGAN-GLOSTER MINE (See Barnes-King Development Co.). PITT COPPER MINING CO. Keystone. Location: Mineral County. Officers: Pres., John A. Lathwood, Pittsburg, Pa.; Vice-Pres., W. S. M'arkley, Pittsburg; Sec’y, W. D. Brewer, Pittsburg; Treas., J. II. B. Phillips, Pittsburg. Operating Dept.: Supt., L. C. McHeffey, Keystone, Mont. 80 H. P. Gasoline. Ores: Copper, lead, silver, gold, zinc. Daily output: Mill capacity, 100 tons. 1918 output: 150 tons concentrates; 450 tons crude ore. Miscellaneous Information: Not operating at present. PITTSMONT COPPER COMPANY. Butte. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. Officers: Pres., Robt. H. Gross, Boston, Mass; Vice-Pres., James H. Reed, Pittsburg, Pa.; Sec’y-Treas., F. Ward Paine, Hough- ton, Mich. Operating Dept.: Gen. Mgr., Oscar Rohn, Butte. — 20 — 2000 H. P. Electric; 2000 H. P. Steam. No. men employed: 500. Daily output: 500 tons. 1918 output: 185,000 tons. Miscellaneous Information: Properties of this company are oper- ated by the East Butte Copper Mining Company under an agreement entered into April 8th, 1909. POTOMAC COPPER COMPANY. Potomac. Location: Missoula County. Officers: Pres., W. P. Jahn, Milwaukee, Wis.; Vice-Pres., Paul A. Gow, Butte; Treas., Geo. E. Palmer, Butte; Sec’y, J- J. Harrington, Butte. Operating Dept.: Supt., W. I. Higgins, Potomac. 85 H. P. Steam. No. men employed: 30. Ores: Copper and gold. Miscellaneous Information: Development work only. REVENUE MINES. Norris. Location: Lower Hot Spring Mining District, Madison County. Officers: De West Candee and Howard S. Candee; both 43 Ex- change Place, New York. Trustee: G. D. B. Turner, Norris, Mont. Steam Power (installing 250 H. P. Electric). No. men employed: 18. Ores: Gold. SCRATCH AWL MINING & DEVELOPMENT CO. Philipsburg. Location: Flint Creek Mining District, Granite County. Officers: Pres., J. R. Moyle, Butte; Vice-Pres., T. Tomich, Butte; Sec’y-Treas., W. N. Waugh, Butte. Operating Dept.: Gen. Mgr., E. F. Shields, Philipsburg. 125 H. P. Electric. No. men employed: 16. Ores: Silver, lead, copper, zinc, and manganese. Daily output: 5 tons. SHANNON MINE (See Barnes-King Development Company). SILVER CABLE MINING COMPANY. Missoula. Location: Coeur d’Alene Mining District, Missoula County. Officers: Pres, and Gen. Mgr., Jas. D. Corbett, Missoula; Vice- Pres., J. W. Kennedy, Missoula; Sec’y-Treas., Carl C. Mott, Missoula. Hand power. No men employed: 7. Ores: Lead-zinc, with silver. Miscellaneous Information: Development work only. — 21 — SILVER TIP MINING CO. Troy. Location: Lincoln County. Officers: Pres., J. P. Schmuck; Vice-Pres., Harry Rosenkop; Sec’y, R. H. Hutchin; all 310 Hyde Blk., Spokane, Wash. Ores: Zinc, lead, silver. Miscellaneous Information: Not operating. SNOW STORM MINES CONSOLIDATED. Troy. Location: Lincoln County. Officers: Pres, and Gen. Mgr., Leo Greenough, Spokane, Wash.; Sec’y-Treas., W. J. Beaton, Spokane, Wash. Operating Dept.: Asst, Mgr., R. E. Walters, Troy; Mill Supt., L. E. Warner, Troy; Mine Supt., Jack Grills, Troy. 1200 H. P. Electric. No. men employed: 150 to 200. Ores: Silver, lead, zinc, gold. Daily output: 200 tons. Miscellaneous Information: 1200 H. P. hydro-electric power plant; 5 y 2 miles 36-inch gauge railroad; 300-ton daily mill capacity. SOUTHERN CROSS MINE (A. C. M. Co.). Southern Cross. Location: Deer Lodge County. Officers: Supt., J. C. O’Brien, Southern Cross. Electric power. No. men employed: 85. Ores: Gold in iron and lime. Daily output: 90 tons. 1918 output: 45,000 tons. STERLING MINING & MILLING CO. Silver Camp. Location: Heddlestone Mining District, Lewis and Clark County. Officers: Pres., F. W. Rader, Pullman, Wash.; Vice-Pres., W. H. Rader, Ellensburg, Wash.; Sec’y-Treas., L. O. Howard, Pull- man, Wash. Operating Dept.: Gen. Mgr., L. O. Howard, Pullman, Wash.; Resident Mgr., Archie McDonald, Flesher, Mont.; Supt., U. J. lones, Flesher, Mont. 125 H. P. Steam. No. men employed: 25. Ores: Silver, lead, zinc. Miscellaneous Information: Mine ready to produce 100 tons daily; mill running one shift. ST. PAUL-MONTANA MINING CO. Maiden. Location: Gilt Edge Mining District, Fergus County. Officers: Pres., C. W. Amos, St. Paul, Minn.; Sec’y-Treas., Wm. Biadin, St. Paul, Minn. Operating Dept.: Mgr., W. B. Coolidge, Maiden. 160 H. P. Steam. No. men employed: 4. Ores: Gold. — 22 — SYNDICATE COPPER MINING CO. Butte. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. Officers: Pres., W. W. McDowell, Butte; Sec’y, W. E. Reynolds, Butte. Miscellaneous Information: This company was a holding com- pany for the Tuolumne Copper Mining Company and the Colusa Leonard Mining Company. TARBOX MINING COMPANY. Saltese. Location: Denemora Mining District, Mineral County. Officers: Pres., Richard Daxon, Wallace, Idaho; Sec’y-Treas., John T. Rerguson, Wallace, Idaho. Operating Dept.; Mgr., Richard Daxon, Wallace, Idaho. 150 H. P. Steam. No. men employed: 10. Ores: Lead, silver, zinc. TENDERFOOT COPPER MINING CO. Monarch. Location: Cascade County. Officers: Pres., John Whitted; Vice-Pres., Dougold McCallum; Second Vice-Pres., Thomas Ashton; Treas., R. B. Noble; Sec’y, R. W. Berry; all Great Falls. Hand Power. Ores: Copper, gold, silver. Miscellaneous Information: Developing ten mining claims, four of which are patented. TIMBER BUTTE MILLING CO. Butte. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. Officers: Mgr., W. A. Rossberg; Efficiency Eng., D. W. Buckby; Mill Foreman, R. McGillivray; Asst. Mill Foreman, T. C. Nilson; Research Eng., G. E. Sheridan; Concentration Eng., I. O. Proctor; all of Butte, Montana. 2300 H. P. Electric. No. men employed: 200. Ores: Concentrator treats Elm Orlu crude zinc ore, and retreats Colusa Parrot Copper Mining Company copper tailings. Daily output: 700 tons zinc ore; 1,300' tons copper tails. 1918 output: 190,000 tons crude zinc ore; 387,000 tons copper tails. TRIUMPH GOLD MINING CO. Princeton. Location: South Boulder Mining District, Granite County. Officers: Pres, and Treas., L. U. Loomis, Philipsburg; Sec’y, G. D. Loomis, Philipsburg. 40 H. P. Steam. Ores: Silver, gold, copper, lead. No. men employed: 20 (building road). Miscellaneous Information: Installing an air compressor to sink main shaft; in development stage. TUOLUMNE COPPER MINING COMPANY. Butte. Location: Summit Valley Mining District, Silver Bow County. Officers: Pres., Ed. Hickey, Butte; Vice-Pres., Wm. P. Jahn, — 23 — Milwaukee, Wis.; Sec’y, J- J Harrington, Butte; Treas., Frank K. Nilson, Butte. Operating Dept.: Gen. Mgr., Paul A. Gow, Butte; Asst. Gen. Mgr., Herbert M. Fay, Butte. 600 H. P. Electric. No. men employed: 100. Ores: Copper and silver. Daily output: 100 tons. 1918 output: 25,000 tons. Miscellaneous Information: Company owns Tuolumne, Main Range, and Colusa Leonard Extension Mines. WAR EAGLE MINING CO. • Harlem. Location: Little Rockies Mining District, Chouteau County. Officers: Pres., J. C. Arbogast, Harlem; Vice-Pres., Ike Duncan, Chinook; Sec’y-Treas., G. M. Everett, Harlem. 20 H. P. Gasoline. Miscellaneous Information: Development work only. WESTERN SMELTING & POWER CO. Cooke. Location: New World Mining District, Park County. Officers: Pres, and Gen. Mgr., G. L. Tanzer; Sec’y. J- J- Black; Treas., Geo. B. Baker; all Seattle, Wash. Operating Dept.: Mgr., Wm. M. Tanzer; Mine Supt., F. A. Han- cock; Elec. Eng., Ingvald Gronvold; all Cooke, Mont. 1000 H. P. Hydro-Electric, No. men employed: 75. Ores: Copper (Chalcopyrite), galena; all ores containing values in gold and silver. Miscellaneous Information: Development work only. WHITLATCH MINE. Union ville. Location: Unionville Mining District, Lewis and Clark County. Lessee and Operator: A. R. Shennan, Box 351, Helena, Mont. 80 H. P. Electric and Compressed Air. No. men employed: 4. Ores: Silicious gold and silver. 1918 output: 300 tons. Miscellaneous Information: Development work only. WICKES-CORBIN COPPER MINING CO. Wickes. Location: Colorado Mining District, Jefferson County. Officers: Pres., S. A. Balliet, Helena; Sec’y-Treas., L. C. Henry, Helena. Ores: Silver, lead, and copper. Miscellaneous Information: Development work only. YELLOWSTONE MINING CORPORATION. Cooke. Location: New World Mining District, Park County. Officers: Pres., W. E. Wolfenden, Roanoke, Va.; Sec’y, Samuel T. Rhodes, Roanoke, Va. Operating Dept.: Mgr., J. E. Wholey, Cooke, Mont. Ores: Lead, silver, gold, and copper. Miscellaneous Information: Shipped five cars from Stump Mine last year; surveying 15 claims for patent at present. — 24 — DIRECTORY OF MONTANA OPERATING COAL MINES ANACONDA COPPER MINING CO., Coal Dept. Washoe. Location: Deer Lodge County. Officers: Gen. Mgr. Coal Dept., F. W. C. Whyte, Anaconda; Supt., Thomas Good, Washoe. 500 H. P. Steam and Electric. No men employed: 200. Daily output: 900 tons. 1918 output: 147,774 tons. ARMINGTON COAL CO. Armington. Location: Cascade County. Operator: J. O. Rundall. Mule Power. No. men employed: 2. Daily output: 15 tons. Miscellaneous Information: Property just opened. BAYES COAL MINE. Bayes. Owner: Victor Stoban, Bayes. No. men employed: 2. Daily output: 6. 1918 output: 300 tons. BEAR CREEK COAL CO. Bearcreek. Location: Carbon County. Officers: Pres., Peter Yegen, Billings; Vice-Pres., J. Harry Wright, Bearcreek; Sec’y-Treas., C. P. Hamriet, Bearcreek. Operating Dept.: Supt., C. P. Hamriet, Bearcreek. 250 H. P. Electric. No. men employed: 185. Daily output: 800 tons. 1918 output: 135,000 tons. BIG SANDY COAL MINE. Big Sandy. Location: Chouteau County. Proprietor: C. C. Mack, Big Sandy. Foreman: Chas. Tivoni, Big Sandy. Hand power. No. men employed: 3 to 8. Daily output: 10 tons. 1918 output: 2,700 tons. — 25 — BROWN COAL COMPANY. Sand Coulee. Location: Cascade County. Officers: Pres., J. W. Freeman, Great Falls; Vice-Pres., John L. Ross, Great Falls; Sec’y-Treas., Ernest Downing, Great Falls. Operating Dept.: Mgr., Ernest Downing, Great Falls; Supt., John Latham, Sand Coulee; Outside Foreman, Carl Schmidt, Sand Coulee. Electric power. No. men employed: 98 to 105. Daily output: 525 tons. 1918 output: 109,295 tons. BRIDGER COAL MINING CO. Bridger. Location: Carbon County. Officers: Gen. Mgr., W. E. Pinkney, Bridger; Cashier, J. S. Em-- mett, Bridger. 500 H, P. Electric. No. men employed: 20. Daily output: 40 tons. 1918 output: 9,088 tons. CARBON COAL & COKE CO. Sand Coulee. Location: Cascade County. Officers: Pres, and Mgr., Geo. Wilson, Sand Coulee; Vice-Pres. and Treas., H. E. Dawson, Sand Coulee; Sec’y, Anthony Morton, Sand Coulee; Supt., Wm. Navin, Sand Coulee. 350 H. P. Steam and Electric. No. men employed: 80. Daily output: 400 tons. 19t8 output: 102,248 tons. CHESTNUT HILL COAL CO. Storrs. Location: Gallatin County. Officers: Pres., John Aakjer, Bozeman; Treas. and Supt., William Maxev. Miscellaneous Information: Development work only. EAGLE COAL COMPANY. Bearcreek. Location: Carbon County. Officers: Pres., J. T. Flaherty, Red Lodge; Vice-Pres., H. A. Simmons, Red Lodge; Sec’y. and Treas., J. V. Flaherty, Red Lodge; Mgr., J. T. Flaherty, Bearcreek; Foreman, J. F. Lob- dell, Bearcreek. 60 H. P. Electric. No. men employed: 30. Daily output: 150 tons. 1918 output: None. GASS COAL MINE. Location: Wibaux County. Yates. - 26 — Operator: A. R. McCloskey, Yates. 80 H. P. Steam. 1918 output: 1,200 tons. Miscellaneous Information: Closed on account of litigation. HELL GATE COAL CO. Missoula. Location: Missoula County. Officers: Pres., S. H. Draper, Missoula; Vice-Pres., E. S. Hath- away, Missoula; Treas., H. L. Shapard. 60 H. P. Electric. Miscellaneous Information: Not operating. INDEPENDENT MINING CO. Roundup. Location: Musselshell County. Owner: G. J. Jeffries, Roundup. 75 H. P. Electric. No. men employed: 30. Daily output: 150 tons. 1918 output: 50,000 tons. INTERNATIONAL COAL CO. Bearcreek. Location: Carbon County. Officers: Pres., W. A. Talmage, Joliet; Sec’y-Treas., J. Harry Wright, Bearcreek; Gen. Mgr., W. H. Franklin, Bearcreek. 300 H. P. Electric and Steam. No. men employed: 75. Daily output: 300 tons. 1918 output: 53,620 tons. JACKMAN COAL MINING CO. Near Forest Grove at Jackman Spur. Location: Fergus County. Officers: Vice-Pres., John B. Ritch, Lewistown; Sec’y-Treas., E. W. Mettles, Lewistown. Hand power. No. men employed: 10. Daily output: 25 to 30 tons. MACKTON COAL CO. Big Sandy. Location: Chouteau County. Officers: Pres, and Mgr., W. R. Hensen, Chinook; Sec’y-Treas., Hans H. Lehfeldt, Big Sandy; Supt., L. S. Proctor, Big Sandy. 500 H. P. Electric. No. men employed: 5 to 50. Daily output: 25 tons. 1918 output: 8,300 tons.- — 27 — Chinook. MILK RIVER COAL CO. Location: Blaine County. Officers: Pres., Jurgen Ku'hr, Chinook; Vice-Pres., William Duke, Chinook; Treas., Thomas O’Hanlon, Chinook; Foreman, Clar- ence Sargent, Chinook. No. men employed: 10. Daily output: 35 tons. 1918 output: 7,765 tons. MILLARD COAL COMPANY. Belt. Location: Cascade County. Officers: Mgr., H. W. Millard, Belt. 28 H. P. -Electric. No. men employed: 7 Daily output: 40-50 tons. 1918 output: 3,292 tons. MONTANA COAL & IRON CO. Washoe. Location: Deer Lodge County. Officers: Pres., Thos, M. Kearney, Racine, Wis.; Vice-Pres. and Mgr., J. M. Freeman, Washoe; Asst. Treas., George McMillan, Washoe. Operating Dept.: Gen. Mgr., J. M. Freeman, Washoe; Supt., W. R. Freeman, Washoe; Sales Mgr., George McMillan, Washoe. 300 H. P. Steam and Electric. No. men employed: 564. Daily output: 1,500 tons. 1918 output: 307,606 tons. Miscellaneous Information: Operating two mines in Bearcreek field. NATIONAL COAL MINING CO. Sand Coulee. Location: Cascade County. Officers: Pres, and Mgr., Jas. R. Brown, Sand Coulee 150 H. P. Electric. No. men employed: 52. Daily output: 210 tons. NELSON COAL COMPANY. Sand Coulee. Location: Cascade County. Officers: Pres, and Treas., J. W. McClure, Great Falls; Vice- Pres., Geo. E. McClure, Great Falls; Scc’y, M. W. Hanks, Stillwater, Minn. Operating Dept.: Mgr., J. W. McClure, Great Falls; Foreman, Geo. Cooley, Sand Coulee; Mine Mgr., Harry Thomas, Sand Coulee. 200 H. P. Electric. No. men employed: 100. Daily output: 500 tons. 1918 output: 161,348 tons. — 28 — Sand Coulee. PEARCE COAL COMPANY. Location: Cascade County. Officers: Pres., Dan Tracy, Great Falls; Vice-Pres., H. P. Brown, Great Falls; Sec’y-Treas., Wm. Thornton, Great Falls; Supt., Robert Lindsay, Sand Coulee. 45 H. P. Electric. No. men employed: 22. Daily output: 94 tons. 1918 output: 37,332 tons. PEERLESS COAL MINE. Plentywood. Location: Sheridan County. Operators and Owners: Pierce & Wheeler, Plentywood. 12 H. P. Electric. No. men employed: 3. Daily output: 20 tons. 1918 output: 6,838 tons. PINE CREEK COAL COMPANY. Pray. Location: Park County. Officers: Gen. Mgr., George H. Bottamy, Livingston; Mine Supt., Harry Bottamy, Pray; Sales Agt., George H. Brown, Wilsall. Operating Dept.: Operator and P. A., George H. Bottamy, Liv- ingston; Sec’y-Treas., G. Henry Bottamy, Livingston. 100 H. P. Steam, and Mule. No. men employed: 10. Daily output: 10 to 20 tons. 1918 output: 1,200 tons. PUTNAM COAL CO. Culbertson. Owner: Mrs. E. Putnam, Culbertson. Hand Power. No. men employed: 3. REPUBLIC COAL CO. Roudup. Location: Musselshell County. Officers: Pres., E. D. Sewall, Chicago, 111.; . Vice-Pres., James Needham, Chicago, 111.; Chief Eng., C. F. Brenn, Chicago, 111. Operating Dept.: Supt., Wm. Redshaw, Roundup; Master Me- chanic, Albert Gately, Roundup. 1250 H. P. Steam and Electric. No. men employed: 525. Daily output: 3,000 tons. 1918 output: 663,267 tons. ROUNDUP COAL MINING CO. Roundup. Location: Musselshell County. Officers: Pres., G. W. Megeath, Omaha, Neb.; Vice-Pres., W. F. Megeath, Omaha, Neb.; Treas., G. A. Rehm, Omaha, Neb. — 29 — Operating Dept.: Gen. Mgr., H. S. Hopka, Roundup; Chief Eng., L. J. Cake, Roundup; Supt., John Sanderson, Carpenter Creek. 800 H. P. Electric. No. men employed: 600. Daily output: 3,600 tons. 1918 output: 530,000 tons. SMOKELESS AND SOOTLESS COAL CO. Washoe. Location: Deer Lodge County. Officers: Pres., J. F. Brophy, Red Lodge; Vice-Pres., J. S. Brophy, Frostburg, Md.; Sec’y, K. C. Brophy, Red Lodge; Gen. Mgr., J. F. Brophy, Red Lodge. Electric Power. No. men employed: 85. Daily output: 200 tons. 1918 output: 48,385 tons. STULLER & TRIPLETT. Froid. Location: Sheridan County. Owners: J. C. Stuller and Ira Triplett. Horse Power. No. men employed: 4. Daily output: 12 tons. 1918 output: 2,500 tons. THOMSEN MINE. Plentywood. Location: Sheridan County. Owner: Hans Thomsen, Plentywood. Horse Power. No. men employed: 3. Daily output: 18 tons. WEST BUTTE COAL CO. Location: Toole County. Owner: P. J. McDermott, Westbutte. No. men employed: 4. Daily output: 6 tons. 1918 output: 981 tons. Westbutte. — 30 — Pic;. 1. — THE WASHOE SAMPLER OP THE ANACONDA MINING COMPANY, AT BUTTE, MONTANA. UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA BULLETIN BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY SERIES NO. 3 MECHANICAL ORE SAMPLING IN MONTANA By H. B. PULSIFER \ H t li oK&KT Of ' FE3 % 6 1925 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS STATE SCHOOL OF MINES BUTTE, MONTANA March, 1920 4 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METAL- LURGY STAFF CLAPP, CHARLES H. - - - - - Director and Geology PhD., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1910. ADAMI, ARTHUR E. ------- - Mining Engineer E. M., Montana State School of Mines, 1907. PUESIFER, H. B. ------- Metallurgy and Safety B. S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1903; Ch. E., Armour Institute of Technology, 1915; M. S., University of Chicago, 1918. V/3 (SUM^ A4 9^3 'Tvc • 3 CONTENTS Page Introduction 7 Authorization 7 Object : ; 7 Acknowledgments 7 Purpose of sampling .. 8 Principles of sampling 9 Necessary operations 10 Crushing and grinding 11 Dividing or selecting 12 Mixing the sample 12 Drying the sample l..~ 17 Cone and quarter sampling 17 Probability sampling 19 The largest pieces 21 High value minerals 23 Equipment for sampling 24 Crushing and grinding machines 24 Dividing instruments - 26 The hand shovel 26 The split shovel : 26 Riffle cutters 26 Pipe samplers 29 The Brunton vibratory sampler 31 The Brunton oscillatory sampler 34 The East Butte sampler ’ 34 The Vezin sampler 34 The Snyder sampler 36 Mixing machines 38 Drying machines 40 Sampling of test lot by State Bureau 40 Mill flow sheets.. 42 Sampling mills in Montana 46 The Washoe Sampler 46 East Helena sampling mills r 49 The East Butte sampling mill 57 Anaconda sampling mills 60 Sampling in Montana concentrating and cyaniding mills 67 Summary and conclusions 68 Important publications on sampling 69 Index 71 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY ILLUSTRATIONS Page Figure 1. The Washoe Sampler Frontispiece 2. Stand riffle cutter .-. 14 3. Cone and quarter sampling — spreading 16 4. Cone and quarter sampling — mixing 18 5. Probability curve for sampling results 20 6. Split shovel sampling 25 7. Inclined table riffle 27 8. Corner of East Helena bucking room 28 9. Pipe sampling of flotation concentrates 30 10. Blades of Brunton vibratory sampler 32 11. Mechanism of Brunton oscillatory sampler 32 12. First sampler and first rolls at Washoe Sampler 33 13. East Butte type of sampler _ :.... 35 u 14. Vezin sampler . ........ 36 15. Snyder sampler 37 16. Drum mixer, sampler, and rolls in East Butte mill 39 17. Taylor and Brunton sampling system 47 18. View of Washoe Sampler from the east 48 19. Third cutter and third rolls in Washoe Sampler 50 “ 20. Unloading ore at East Helena No. 1 mill 52 “ 21. Sampling mill No. 1 at East Helena 53 “ 22. First floor equipment at East Helena No. 1 mill 54 “ 23. Vezin sampler wings at East Helena sampling mills 55 “ 24. Steel sampling floor at East Helena 56 “ 25. East Butte sampling mill... 58 “ 26. Third sampler and third rolls in East Butte mill 59 “ 27. Anaconda sampling mill 61 “ 28. Diagram of Anaconda sampling mill 62 “ 29. First sampler and second crusher in Anaconda mill 63 “ 30. Bucking room at Anaconda sampling mill 65 OBJKCT 7 INTRODUCTION AUTHORIZATION The bill creating the Montana State Bureau of Mines and Metal- lurgy, enacted by the Legislative Assembly of Montana for 1919 (Chapter 161, Page 311), states that it is one of the objects and duties of the new bureau, “To study the mining, milling, and smelting operations carried on in the State, with special reference to their improvement”, also, “To prepare and to publish bulletins and reports, with necessary illustrations and maps, which shall embrace both a general and detailed description of the natural resources and geology, mines, mills, ^ and reduction plants of the State.” OBJECT A study of sampling and the sampling facilities of Montana is presented, in accordance with the above authorization, to widen and deepen the general knowledge relating to the common and necessary, yet rather technical work of sampling. It is hoped that prospectors and miners will benefit from the study, for their interests have been kept prominently in view. The sampling mills in which ore sellers will find personal interest have been thoroughly studied and their reliability tested by an expensive series of samplings to demonstrate their precision on an ordinary lot of ore. It is felt that even small advances toward the uniformity, precision, and efficiency of sampling mean so much to the industry as to warrant even far more effort and cost than is represented in this study. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The managements of the American Smelting and Refining Com- pany, the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, and the East Butte Copper Mining Company have heartily welcomed the study and have assisted in every way possible. Each company has put itself to expense and trouble to join in the work. Particular acknowledgments are due Messrs. Smith, Morse, and Adams of the American Smelting and Refining Company, to Messrs. Laist, Bender, Gillie, Margetts, and Demond of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, and to Messrs. Rohn and Beaudin of the East Butte Copper Mining Company. The men mentioned have been personally helpful in forwarding and correcting the work. Dr. Clapp of the State Bureau has taken a strong interest in the work and helpfully directed the preparation of the report. MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY THE PURPOSE OF SAMPLING The sampling of a lot of ore is carried out in order to supply the analyst with a 4-ounce envelope of finely ground powder which, when selections are made in from half-gram to thirty-gram portions, shall give the analyst average results with a precision of about one part in fifty for the important components, or elements, moisture excepted. The usual chemical determinations are for gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, sulphur, iron, silica, lime, and magnesia, and for special elements in particular ores. Sampling is thus seen to have an amazing purpose in view; to take from a lot of ore — be it one ton, fifty tons, or five hundred tons — only about thirty-two ounces of material which shall uniformly con- tain all the components of the original lot in exactly the proportions in which they exist in the original lot of ore. Even this final sample of about thirty-two ounces must be capable of division so that the different packets into which it is separated must be chemical duplicates of each other and supply seller, buyer, control analyst, smelter, and umpire analyst with as nearly identical results as possible. Yet, in spite of the enormous difficulties in practice, perfectly satisfactory sampling is actually attained daily. The lot of ore to be worked upon will likely contain very fine material, sandy material, and sizes up to big chunks; it will contain desirable minerals and undesirable rocky gangue; it may contain free metals, clayey gouge, and crystals in all degrees of purity. It is remark- able that the task can be done at all; it is nothing less than one of the great achievements of modern engineering and industry that it can be done easily, quickly, cheaply, and with precision. Ordinary sampling mills will secure a 100-pound sample from a 50-ton lot of ore in from fifteen minutes to two hours, and then from this sample the sample man in the bucking room will produce the analyst’s packets of thoroughly ground, dried, and mixed pulp in another hour. The cost of sampling varies from 5 cents to $1.50 a ton, depending upon the amount, character of ore, and the method and equipment used. Sampling has accomplished its purpose if the small packet will supply the half-gram, fifteen-gram, or thirty-gram selections for the analyst so that he can get his results with the required precision. The sampling is satisfactory if the average results on different selections from the same packet, or on selections from different packets, or on selections from different samplings, agree to one part in fifty parts, or, as they sometimes do, to one part in one hundred parts. The pre- cision may be less with elements present in excessively small amounts, like gold and silver. The chemical work is subject to both constant and chance errors, so that single results, or too many significant figures in the results, have little meaning; error may come as likely from the analytical work as from the sampling operation. PRINCIPLES OF SAMPLING Sampling has failed of its purpose if selections from packets do not agree within the desired limits, or if the different packets from the same sampling do not agree, or if packets from different samplings are discordant. The best test of accuracy in sampling is to resample or sample by another method. It is rarely cheap of practicable to actually extract the desired metal or attempt to separate a compound from an entire large lot in order to determine its amount; in such a case the recovery figure, instead of the composition figure, is obtained, because the losses which the chemist compensates for, the plant operator cannot avoid. Whoever mines ore, sells it on the results of the analysis of a sample; ore is purchased on its value as determined by sampling; the plants are operated on a basis of results from sampled materials; efficiencies and losses are all based on results from samplings. Sampling is therefore one of the most vital and necessary operations of modern mining and metallurgical industry. PRINCIPLES OF SAMPLING *Woodbridge in a recent paper published by the United States Bureau of Mines defines sampling as follows: “The correct sampling of a lot of ore is the process of obtaining from it a smaller quantity that contains, in unchanged percentages, all the constituents of the original lot.” He further qualifies and defines the operations in his next paragraph: “The commercial object of sampling is accomplished when the ultimate sample obtained meets the above conditions within an allowable limit of error, and has been obtained with reasonable speed and at a moderate cost. The final sample should be dry and of such bulk and degree of fineness as to be immediately available for the determination by the assayer or chemist of one or more of its constituents.” THE OPERATIONS OF SAMPLING Four wholly different, yet essential, sorts of work may be done to accomplish the intended purpose of sampling. The four operations are: 1. Crushing, or grinding. 2. Selecting — dividing or cutting. 3. Mixing. 4. Drying. These essential operations are carried through to varying degrees and in whatever order the conditions require. Thus, with flotation WVoodbridge, J. T.; U. S. Bureau of Mines, Technical Paper 86 (1916). 10 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY concentrates, which are already finely ground and well mixed in pro- duction, the work is largely in cutting out numerous selections, drying, regrinding the lumps made by the drying, mixing the pulp, and dividing it between the several packets. A lot of coarse, rocky ore may be dry and excessively hard; in this case the work is mostly crushing and selecting until the small final portion is dried, finely ground, mixed, and split for the assayers’ packets. Successful sampling demands that a rational sequence be followed and that attention be continually give to certain fundamental con- ditions, explained later, lest some slip or unexpected influence vitiate the entire work. It is self-evident that the final result cannot be more perfect than the most imperfect step in the sequence; if six divisions are made, and one is imperfectly done, perfect work in the other five does not compensate. Sampling can frequently be accomplished by different methods or by changing the sequence of the steps; one usually uses the method most feasible or least costly. Thus, if one had a 50-ton lot of lump ore to sample, an imaginary way to get the required results might be to dry the entire lot, then grind it to pass 100 mesh, then mix it thoroughly, then at last take out just enough of the dried, ground, and mixed ore to fill the sample packets. For most metallurgical purposes the cost of such an operation would be absolutely prohib- itive; the nearest commercial approach to it is probably the sampling of the Cobalt native silver ores. The usual western practice with lump ores is to crush to 2- or 3-inch size, select a fifth and crush it finer, select a fifth and crush it again; and this sequence is repeated, two, three, four, or more, times, until a small amount is obtained which alone is dried, finely ground, mixed, and distributed between the packets. The method of making the entire lot uniform and then selecting a few duplicate portions for the analyst is attractive for the ease and simplicity of the few selections involved. In addition, this method is one which may come into use more and more on account of the lines along which metallurgy and industrial chemistry are advancing. Pipe sampling of concentrates is almost an example of this simple method. In fact, this method is actually followed in the most approved manner of sampling lead bullion. A kettle of molten lead ready for casting into bars is stirred for 15 minutes; as the stirring continues the sampler inserts a steel rod, with a row of conical depressions in it. On the withdrawal of the rod each little cone of lead, which fills a depression, will come out of the kettle of the proper weight for the assayer and will contain the correct proportions of all components of the kettle of molten lead. Two lots of 7 little cones, all from the same kettle, were cupelled, and the following results were obtained: CRUSHING AND GRINDING 11 Series No. 1 Series No. 2 Gold Silver .30 oz. 81.7 ozs. Gold Silver .30 oz. 82.1 ozs. Average: .30 82.0 .30 82.0 .30 81.4 .30 82.3 .32 82.1 .30 82.0 .30 82.3 .30 82.4 .30 82.0 .30 81.7 .30 82.0 .30 82.0 .32 81.8 .30 82.0 This method of sampling lead bullion has given eminently satis- factory results at a trivial cost. Pipe sampling of a pile, or carload of concentrates, is also a matter of very slight cost and will necessarily give correct results if the lot is uniform. Sampling by taking a few- small portions from a uniform lot of fine material, either during its production or after it is in a batch, is a method which should always be borne in mind; and if the proper condition for this is to araise during the treatment of any material, sampling can be profitably delayed until that stage is reached. Unfortunately, the producer of ore seldom has his material in a fine and uniform condition suitable for such sampling. Crushing and Grinding. — The crushing of ore for sampling pur- poses is largely a matter of mechanics, power, and capital outlay. It usually does no harm if some of the material is finely divided during the course of crushing the larger pieces to the necessary dimensions. Since a great variety of sizes will inevitably be produced, the making of fines increases the number of particles and favors the sampling when it is done on the probability basis. Many of the crushing machines on the market are excellent for reducing ore sizes and fulfil most of the expected functions. Capital outlay is always a serious consideration and machines are primarily installed on their gross capacities and not on the basis of how thor- oughly they will accomplish the crushing task. Sampling mills do have a strong claim for heavy and powerful machinery, since an unusually large or tough piece of rock slipping through one machine may spoil the sampling because of its excessive mass and one-sided composition. In ordinary ore-dressing practice it means little if slabs fall through machines or if large rocks spring the rolls and fail to be well crushed. Ultimately the pieces will be caught and crushed or returned to the first crushers by the sizing devices. But most sampling mills do not have sizing devices and it is possible for large pieces to get into the sample. It is not uncommon to find a sample which, although 90 to 99 per cent, is properly sized, contains a few unduly large pieces, thus tending to vitiate the results. Several methods may be proposed for overcoming the sizing dif- ficulty. The idea of using very heavy rolls is neither new nor impres- 12 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGA’ sive. Dodge type crushers, which make a finer product than the Blake type, would be only a partial remedy. There appears to be a field for a type of crushing machine which shall be so constructed as to make the passing of thin slabs impossible; capacity could be somewhat sacrificed for the sake of the sizing feature. In regard to grinding the finest sizes for the final pulp there appears to be an open field for studying the correlation of grinding substance with the work accomplished. A complete study of this detail of sampling and grinding should include the composition, structure, and physical properties of the grinding substance. One important factor would be to accurately determine how much of the grinding substance is abraded to contaminate the sample. Dividing or Selecting. — The phrase, “selecting the sample,” could well be replaced with the words, “dividing the lot,” for the idea inherent in SELECT is that a division is made which is based on some property or quality of the portions available. The word select is always used in this paper with the simple meaning of divide. The most vital principle in any and all sampling is that division shall not be dependent on any quality of the parts. Whether one is removing a small portion of a perfectly mixed lot, or whether one is making a thousand mechanical divisions, the separation demands the absence of discrimination. Mechanical sampling attains its best precision with well-designed equipment which allows no division based on a property of parts, as on the coloring, the sizes, or the relative densities of the ore pieces. If a piece of machinery is to handle pieces of rock several inches across just as impartially as it handles quarter-inch sizes it probably means surprisingly large equipment. When confronted with the prob- lem of sampling very large pieces, the engineer sometimes decides to crush enough to accommodate the sampling machinery; he rarely builds ungainly machinery, but he frequently handles large sizes with too small machinery. To the mechanical engineer a compromise is a “practical” solution of the problem, but to the mining engineer a compromise involving even slight deviations from impartial sampling is a perversion of the whole function. The precision of modern mechanical sampling, as based on the law of probability brought into play by hundreds and thousands of divi- sions, is a source of much pride and satisfaction to the engineers and men interested. The demonstrations to be presented in later para- graphs will substantiate this opinion and establish a confidence in the practice. Mechanical cutters in the mills, and riffle dividers in the bucking rooms, allow ores to be sampled without possibility of being influenced either by human craft or stupidity. Also, fortunately, both speed and cheapness are in favor of wholly mechanical sampling. Mixing the Sample. — The mixing of a large lot of ore consisting of large and small pieces is almost impossible and, besides, is wholly MIXING THE SAMPLE 1 useless. When you try to do this you find that any method of hand- ling assorted sizes allows segregation if the material is dropped, or let roll, or even moved by ordinary implements. The material cannot be properly sampled by small selections of single pieces, because the larger pieces exceed the proportionate composition in all components. The mixing of large lots of fine ore or mill products is not as difficult an operation as the preceding, but is seldom practicable unless done incidentally to the production or transfer of the material. Even if a lot of fine ore appears to he uniformly mixed there is no easy demonstration of the fact, and it is much safer to depend on a considerable number of cuttings. The frequent division of a fairly uniform material is carried out in practice when mill streams are sampled, either mechanically or by hand, when cars and bins of con- centrates are pipe sampled, and in shovel sampling by the tenth- or fifth-shovel method. The three instances last mentioned are really applications of probability sampling, but probability sampling used where the material is known to be nearly uniform, and where from 50 to 500 selections suffice to establish the required precision in the sample. A thorough mixing of the final portion of pulp previous to its division between the several packets is indispensable. A large number of rollings on a suitable cloth or paper is the almost universal way to do the final pulp mixing. Rolling, when skilfully done, accom- plishes the purpose, but the great objection to rolling is that it is tedious and requires both time and patience. If a cloth fabric is used it may well have a pebble-grained surface; a paper should have a matte surface. The surfaces of either fabric or paper are commonly colored black to show the sample more easily. Substitutes for rolling the pulp on cloth or paper have been pro- posed; the Anaconda sample mills use cube mixers and at the School of Mines a small table riffle answers the purpose. At Anaconda both mills are equipped with 8-inch cube mixers which rotate by power and slowly enough for the contents to undergo practically the same sort of tumbling which a pulp would get when rolled on a fabric. Cube mixers have not proved satisfactory in all cases and their use in the State is limited to the Anaconda mills. Classes in assaying at the School of Mines have recently mixed their final pulps by pouring them, with shakings to and fro, at least ten times through a table riffle. As far as can be determined in the the course of the regular assaying work, the riffle mixing is fully adequate and will be explained in considerable detail. A riffle cutter may be used to make either a very few or a greater, and almost unlimited, number of cuts during the division of an ore sample. Figure 2 shows an operator pouring a sample through a riffle cutter which has 26 slots. When the sample container rests on the edge of the cutter, and the material is merely allowed to flow through the 12 slots which extend the width of the ore stream, 14 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY FIG. 2. — STAND RIFFLE CUTTER USED AT THE STATE SCHOOL OF MINES. The cutter lias 26, 5/a-inch slots, ami is intended for dividing 8-mesh stock. MIXING THE SAMPLE 15 there will be 6 streams of ore flowing into the sample half, and the lot may be said to be cut 6 times for sample. When the operator moves the container across the top of the riffle, say 20 times during the .pouring, all of the slots are brought into play and the lot may be cut 20x13, or 260, times for sample. The operator might, however, take the ore from the container in a scoop and then pour it through in small portions, shaking each scoopful 20 times across the riffle. If the operator takes a lot of ore in 10 scoopfuls, and pours each across the 26 slots, with 20 to and fro motions, he makes, altogether, 10x13x20, or 2,600 cuts, for the sample. It is thus seen that a lot of ore is very easily cut into a larger number of portions by merely shaking the ore stream across the riffle. When the two halves of the divided sample have been united the lot of ore has been thoroughly mixed. Both gross and minute inequalilies are dispersed throughout the sample by cutting and uniting several times, in other words, the lot has become unusually “well mixed.” The author is of the opinion, that, if a lot of sample pulp is shaken 10 times across a riffle, which makes 1,000 cuts for sample each time, the united pulp will be as well mixed as by rolling 1,000 times on a cloth. The riffle mixing can be done in less than 5 minutes, while the rolling will rarely require less than 15 minutes. In order to make an exacting test of the mixing that can be done with a riffle the author prepared 500 grams of quartz and 500 grams of iron ore by grinding each and passing them through a 100-mesh sieve. Each lot was, of course, dry and thoroughly mixed. The iron ore was poured over the quartz in a pan and then the material was poured through a 12-slot riffle giving nearly 100 shakes during the 30 seconds required for the powder to flow from the pan. Two grab samples of about half-gram size were taken on a spatula from each half. The two portions were united and the operation repeated. This was done 7 times and each time two grab samples from each half were taken for analysis. The chemical results were as follows: Quartz, 3.17% iron; iron ore, 43.78% iron; average, 23.48% iron. PERCENTAGE OF IRON IN GRAB SAMPLES Ave. Deviation Mixing The Four' Samples Average from 23.48 1st 15.72 32.72 6.04 30.80 21.32 10.44 2nd 20.24 20.12 19.24 21.12 20.18 3.30 3rd -.20.12 21.40 *23.40 22.88 21.95 1.51 4th 23.28 23.50 23.40 23.20 23.34 .15 3th —23.64 23.64 23.44 23.64 23.61 .13 6th 23.56 23.64 23.44 23.64 23.57 .11 7th 23.36 23.44 23.52 23.64 23.49 .09 The chemical analyses show that the first mixing had intermixed the iron ore and quartz to a very considerable extent, although far 16 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY PIG. 3. — CONK AND QUARTER SAMPLING. The cone has been formed over a wooden cross and the men are just beginning to spread the pile. DRYING THE SAMPLE 17 from enough to be utilized. The second mixing adjusted the compo- sition to within a few per cent, of what it should be. The third mixing brought practically perfect final composition in streaks, while the fourth mixing doubtless rendered the entire batch homogeneous to within 1 part in 100 parts, which is of the order of the chemical analyses, themselves. The 5th, 6th, and 7th mixings changed the com- position in an almost inappreciable degree. The chemical determin- ation of iron was chosen because it could be done more easily and with greater precision than almost any other determination or assay. Material which yields identical composition on haphazard samples fulfills the test of uniformity, in this instance rather a test of the mixing than anything else. Whenever the riffle cutter has been tested under proper conditions it has given admirable results; it is, accordingly, strongly recom- mended wherever it can be used. The prospector and miner will find riffles both cheap and handy. Riffles can be used wherever cone and quarter sampling or split shovel sampling is now used. The utmost use of riffles will tend toward uniformity, low cost, rapidity, and the greatest possible precision in sampling. Drying the Sample. — Two devices are in common use in Montana for drying ore samples; the most common is the cabinet shelf dryer, heated by steam or electricity; steam tables with large flat tops are also found at most mills. The shelves of the cabinet dryers will accom- modate pans large enough to hold eight or ten pounds of ore in a thin layer. Larger samples are divided among pans or spread on the steam table. An hour’s drying is usually considered enough, although the sample may be left in the dryer much longer while awaiting its turn for fine grinding. Drying is by far the simplest and easiest of the four mechanical operations in ore sampling. The drying problem, if indeed there is any, is rather one of pro- curing a sample to dry, or taking the moisture sample, then drying the sample after it is procured. At some Montana mills the sample for moisture is a composite made up of several cuttings from different places well within the lot, at other mills a somewhat arbitrary cor- rection is made to the moisture on the regular mill sample, or on a portion of the last mill crushings. How to get a moisture sample cheaply and accurately is the same sort of problem as how to cheaply and accurately sample spotty gold ore; both are troublesome. CONE AND QUARTER SAMPLING There is a method for sampling ores, handed down through many decades, which is known as the cone and quarter process and is sup- posed to have originated in Cornwall. The ore is thrown into a conical pile, which is then spread out with a tool as the operator 18 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY FIG. 4. — CONE AND QUARTER SAMPLING. The first cone is being ringed to mix the fine, damp material. PROBABILITY SAMPLING 19 circles about the pile. Quarters are marked and two opposite ones are shoveled away, leaving one-half of the original lot as a sample. The coning and quartering is repeated as often as necessary to get the right-sized sample. Figure 3 shows the operation in progress on a steel sampling floor. The principle involved in cone and quarter sampling is that of symmetry about a vertical axis; an additional and less effective principle is that of compensation of opposite quarters. The idea in the cone and quarter method is that the ideal pile shall be uniform about the center, but, if the pile is not uniform, the opposite sectors across any given diameter may be expected to compensate for each other and so establish a working average. The method of dividing the lot allows the principle of diagonal compensation to apply to both sample and discard. Although splendid work can be done by the cone and quarter method the principles are not as simple nor is the work as independent of human discrimination as sampling by other methods. An exag- gerated segregation of fine and coarse particles always occurs during the coning of the pile; depending entirely on the ensuing distribution of the finer core of the pile, there may be either a fair halving or a pre- ponderance of values in either sample or reject. Mixing the lot by “ringing about” before coning is a common practice (see Figure 4). The use of crosses to help center the pile and hold the sides during the division is also common practice. PROBABILITY SAMPLING The law of averages and the theory of probability demonstrate that if either single pieces or small portions of a large lot are chosen at random the composition of the selection will approach, after enough selections and as a limiting condition, the composition of the entire lot. Obviously, if one selects the entire lot, the sample and lot become identical. However, it is not necessary to take the entire lot, for by mixing and taking a sufficient number of single particles, or by making enough cuttings, or by a combination of mixing and dividing, it is possible to take not more than one-fifth, one-tenth, or even one-twentieth of the lot and still get a truly representative sample. Shovel sampling, split shovel sampling, riffle sampling, and all types of mechanical cutters involve more or less of the proba- bility principle. To make the probability overwhelmingly on the side of pre- cision, a questionable number of divisions is not taken, but thousands of divisions, each portion containing thousands of particles, are com- monly made. Furthermore, the possibility of large pieces influencing the results is precluded, and any influence that can interfere with absolutely random division is avoided. Thus any influence which tends to select according to size, weight, shape, density, color, hardness, porosity, or any other imaginable property is eliminated. Number of Cuttings for Sample 20 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY Actual Lead Content 0 10 20 £0 40 £0 60 70 £0 90 100 Percentage of Lead in Sample Selected FIG. 5. — PROBABILITY CURVE FOB DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLING RESULTS. 21 THE LARGEST PIECES There is no doubt but that the results of sampling must follow some probability curve, mathematically determinable by the factors and quantities involved; the engineer makes certain that the curve shall be of the shape indicated in Figure 5. The curve means that, depending on the number of divisions or cuttings for sample, the probable result will lie within the extremely narrow, vertical portion of the blackened area. On this; basis, if one repeatedly crushes between divisions so as to circumvent the influence of large single particles, the limit of accuracy is not exceeded, although the crushing and dividing is repeated as many times as neessary to sufficiently reduce the size of the sample. In actual sampling the sequence of crushing and cutting is com- monly performed from six to ten times. Each portion of the thousand or more selections made by one machine contains millions of particles and the final result has ever}' assurance of correctness and is capable of proof. The proof consists, not in analyzing the entire lot, which, as already stated, is impossible, but in repeating the process, in getting duplicate samples, or by sampling by an entirely different method. If a lot of ore weighing 50 tons requires 60 minutes to go through a mill whose mechanical cutters are taking out a fifth at the rate of 60 cuts a minute and are in series of four, the first cutter will make 3,600 selections and take out 10 tons containing millions of particles. After crushing, the second cutter will make its 3,600 selections from the first sample and take out its 2 tons containing again millions of particles. Then the third cutter will divide the 2-ton lot, making its 3,600 selections and taking out 800 pounds containing again some millions of particles. The last cutter will divide the 800 pounds and with its 3,600 selections take out 160 pounds in another sample like- wise containing millions of particles. The process of crushing and dividing is then continued with suitable machines, and usually in the bucking room, until the final analysts’ packets, each containing millions of particles, represents the original lot with the same precision as that of any previous larger selection or sample. THE LARGEST PIECES The goal to be attained in the most economical crushing and dividing is to crush the larger particles no more than necessary to prevent their one-sided composition affecting the accuracy of the results. The limiting size of particle is of course a constant depending on the nature of the material and the quantity of the lot. The earlier sampling mills in the western United States were strongly constrained to crush as little as possible, because the ore was desired coarse for blast furnace smelting. The combined considerations of economy and preserving the ore coarse have given us most of the mill charac- teristics which are found in western samplers. The mills have been built and operated largely on an empirical basis, with thorough studies on the vital factors conspicuously absent. The limiting sizes for 22 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY different ores, minerals, and weights of lot is one of the studies on which comparatively little work has been done in a systematic way. In a general way, and as far as practicable, the present sampling mills are constructed to so crush the larger pieces that when a division is made there shall be no excessively large pieces. An excessively large piece is one which would materially affect the result, depending on whether it enters the sample or the reject. The mills are intended to make thousands of what may be termed the largest-sized pieces. A few of the larger pieces cannot, then, by getting in the wrong division, appreciably affect the result. Some investigators have supposed that the law of averages would apply to the larger pieces in this way, that even if some excessively large and rich pieces should tend to increase the values in the samples there would be enough large lean pieces to conterbalance. Weld 1 , in 1910, clearly demonstrated, by actual tests, that it is not admissible to use this interpretation of the probable distribution of results. A probability curve based on the average obtained by balancing a few large and individually important quantities would be much broader and flatter than the curve indicated in Figure 5. The accuracy of the sampling operation is jeopardized in two ways by the presence of unsuitably large pieces; the presence of the piece affects the results, and it interferes with the work of the dividers. The common occurrence of pieces larger than intended is commented upon by Woodbridge 2 in his paper on western sampling practice. In 1895, Brunton 3 published a paper containing an extensive dis- cussion on the safe size of the largest pieces for lots of ordinary ores and low-grade gold ores. Woodbridge 4 gives a table, based partly on Brunton’s work and partly on experiments and practice, designating the smallest permissible weight of sample for different sized material. If it is necessary to have at least a certain amount of material for pieces of a given size, the converse statement must also hold, that if a lot of ore weighs only a given amount, then the largest pieces must have only the corresponding size. 1 Weld, “Accuracy in Sampling 1 ,” J. Ind. Eng. Chem., Vol. 2 (1910), page 426. 2 Woodbridge, T. R. ; *'Cre-Sampling Condition in the West.” U. S. Bureau of Mines, Technical Paper 86, page 57 (1916). 8 Brunton, D. W. ; “The Theory and Practice of Ore-Sampling.” Trans. Am. Inst. Min. Engrs., Vol. XXV., page 826 (1895). 4 loc. cit. The table, as given by Woodbridge, follows: HIGH VALUE MINERALS 23 Smallest Permissible Weight of Sample for Varying Sizes of Crushing Smallest Permissible When Crushed To — Weight, Pounds Two inches 10,000 One and one-half inches ~ 5,000 One inch - - - 2,000 Three-fourths of an inch 1,000 One-half inch 400 Three-eighths of an inch 300 One-fourth inch 200 Three-sixteenths of an inch 100 One-eighth of an inch 75 Six-mesh ... + — ~ 50 Ten-mesh 25 Eighteen-mesh 10 Thirty-mesh 4 Fifty-mesh 1 Woodbridge applies the table to. ordinary gold ores and suggests that the limits may be too restricted for low-grade silver ores. The relationships expressed in the table may well be adhered to for the sake of allowing a reasonable margin of safety. The common presence of ore pieces larger than the allowable size, frequently seen in Montana practice, is a condition which can be excused only because of the com- paratively low grade of the ores. HIGH VALUE MINERALS The influence of pieces of coarse gold in a lot of ore is so over- whelming as to make any table of quantity-size relationships of little value. Oxidized surface gold ores and quartz containing coarse gold are in places so rich that single pieces may easily vitiate the sample by whole ounces. Accurate sampling of such materials demands that the entire lot should be finely ground before dividing. It is usually admitted that ordinary sampling mills are not adapated to sampling ores contaning coarse gold; it is also obvious that it would not pay custom plants to install fine-grinding machinery for the small and infrequent lots of “spotty” ores. The prospector or miner who is getting out rich material and thinks he is not getting fair returns can install a small grinding machine and daily reduce to 20- or 40-mesh the few hundred pounds of ore he produces. A suitable grinder need not cost over $200.00, and with whatever power is available the small operator should be able to pulverize his high-grade ore so that any good method of sampling will give accurate results. 24 MONTANA . STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY EQUIPMENT FOR SAMPLING Several really difficult and obstinate conditions are met in the satisfactory execution of the principles of sampling, so that to do the work quickly, cheaply, and above criticism demands high engineering accomplishment. Modern precision and modern standards are always becoming more exacting, and although the last few years have brought few changes in the industry, there is yet opportunity for further work. CRUSHING AND GRINDING The following machines are about the only ones used in sampling plants to reduce the size of ore particles: a. Gyratory rock breakers — for the largest sizes. b. Jaw crushers, Blake type — for large and medium sizes. c. Rolls — for intermediate and small sizes. d. Bell-type grinders — for small and finest sizes. e. Disk grinders — for the finest sizes. f. Bucking boards — for the finest sizes. Baby gyratories and chipmunk crushers are now and then seen in laboratories, but their place is for special samples rather than for routine samples of large lots. The large crushers used in sampling works are always commercial mill units. The practice is a great convenience to the sample mill designer, but, as already mentioned, the ordinary ore crushers are not perfectly adapted to sampling, because it is possible for flat and rather large pieces to get through the crushers without suitable reduction. Single pieces entering a spring roll may be suitably crushed, but if several pieces enter together, or within a wave of fines, one or more pieces may fail to he crushed because the rolls opened under the strain. The w r ear of the hard iron working surfaces is usually compensated by adjusting the opening, but the channeling of the jaws and the corrugation of roll shells takes place just as in any concentrating mill. As the sampling mills do not contain sizing and returning equipment unless for some additional function of the mill, it follows that samples frequently contain pieces far too large for the size of the sample. The introduction of abraded iron into the sample during the fine grinding is a matter upon which data is apparently rather scanty. Fieldner 1 reports that the ash in five samples of coke was increased, on the average, 2.9% by grinding on a bucking board instead of in a pebble mill. The quartz used in the author’s mixing test contained only 0.03% iron extractable from the small rounded grains, but 3.17% iron after grinding in the disk grinder. 1 Fieldner, A. C. : “Notes on the Sampling and Analysis of Coal.” L T . S. Bureau of Mines, Technical Paper 76, page 57 (1914). SPLIT SHOVEL SAMPLING FIG. «. — SPLIT SHOVEL SAMPLING. The sample man is sliding tile reject into pans; the sample is held In the pockets and will he piled and again divided. MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY DIVIDING INSTRUMENTS The Hand Shovel. — The division of a lot of ore into sample and reject by shoveling it over, and putting every fifth or tenth shovelful aside as the sample, is an old and useful method of sampling. The size of the pieces and the richness of the minerals must, of course, correspond with the lot size, while the restricted number of selections, infers that the lot has received some mixing. There are evidently 1,000 selections made for sample if a 50-ton lot of ore is hand shoveled in 10-pound shovelfuls, and every tenth one is put to one side as the sample. As the size of the sample decreases the number of selections gets critically small, but is in a measure compensated for by the mixing. The method of shovel sampling is easily carried out if the material has to be moved by hand and is fine enough. Crushing must be intro- duced at the required stage if the material is not fine to start with. It is a common practice to shovel sample for the first, or first two divisions, and finish with the cone and quarter method. For nearly all large scale metallurgical work shovel sampling is far too slow and costly; the method also suffers because of the care- lessness of the workmen and because of an undesirable element of judgment in handling lots of mixed sizes. The Split Shovel. — The split shovel is in common use in some of the Montana sampling plants. It offers a convenient means of dividing a lot, but the number of independent cutting which can be made is small. It makes no difference how. few selections are made if a lot of ore is well mixed, but in practice it is nearly always easier to make many cuts than it is to mix the ore. Figure 6 shows a sample man sliding the reject from a split shovel into discard pans. Material remaining in the closed pockets of the shovel will be piled and cut again. Riffle Cutters. — The widely-used Jones type of riffle sampler, built either as a floor stand or in table size, is a remarkable instrument for dividing and mixing ore samples. Suitable designs have from 16 to 40 slots, are rigidly made, and have the slots wide enough to safely accommodate the particles poured over them. The ratio of 4 to 1 is generally considered a safe one with which to express the “width of opening” over “diameter of particle” relationship. This ratio is usually greatly exceeded when riffling small sizes and is often far from being, attained when riffling coarse material. The instrument well deserves to be given both more variety in manufacture and more use in the industries. Figure 2 shows the 26-slot stand cutter used at the Montana State School of Mines. Figure 7 shows a riffle with alternate bottoms closed, but as the cutter is fixed on a sharp slope it is a Jones riffle to all intents and purposes; this cutter is in use in several Montana ■INCLINED TABLE RIFFLE. 28 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY FIG. 8. — CORNER IN EAST HELENA RI CKING ROOM. Hoicking- boards, scales, riffles, cabinet dryer, sieves, and sample holders can 1m seen. PIPE SAMPLING 29 mills. In Figure 8 is seen a neat table riffle at the very left of the picture; this design is in use at the mills of the American Smelting & Refining Co. at East Helena, Montana. Pipe Samplers. — Pipe samplers have long been used in Montana and in other sections of the country, notably at the zinc mines in Missouri and Oklahoma, where the cars of concentrates are sampled with the “gun,” as the pipe sampler is there called, immediately after loading out for the smelters. Since the advent of flotation concen- trates, which are notoriously sticky and difficult to handle, pipe samplers have greatly increased in utility in the Butte district. Ore suitable for pipe sampling consists of concentrates or other fine material which has been produced in a regular and uniform manner, or has been mixed in handling. Flotation concentrates may very in consistency from a thin mud to a dry powder. When sampling carloads of the muddy concentrates men are sometimes barely able to support themselves on the drying crust. Cars which have traveled long distances may have the load so firmly packed that an auger, rather than a pipe, is required to cut out the samples. According to the Montana practice, lots of concentrates are sampled at the mill by the shipper and later at the custom sampling plant, or smelter. Data as to agreement of assays is not available, but results are said to be wholly satisfactory. Pipe sampling of a carload of concentrates usually begins at one end of the car, where a row of holes two feet apart and two feet from the end wall is made; a parallel row is then punched two feet nearer the center and this is repeated until samples are taken in a systematic order over the entire length of the car from points about two feet apart. Hopper-bottomed cars have the two deep pits, which are hard to penetrate, but the pipes are long enough to touch the steel bottoms, as in the shallowed portions of the car. Pipes are commonly four to' five feet long, three inches diameter at the top and two inches at the cutting edge. For firm materials, easily cleared, circular tubes are used; for sticky loads the pipe is slotted and provided with a scraper with which the sample man quickly forces the core out into the sample pan. A sample of 250 pounds weight is usually obtained by from 40 to 75 insertions of the pipe. Figure 9 shows three men sampling a car of flotation concentrates at the Washoe Sampler. Pipe sampling of the fine concentrates may continue in the bucking room until the final samples for moisture and assay are taken. The sample man merely goes over the pans of first sample with a smaller pipe, a foot long and an inch in diameter, and punches from all parts of the pans enough cores to give a sample of the required weight. The justification of pipe sampling clearly depends on the uni- formity of the lot of ore as it is spread in the bin or car. To test the uniformity of a lot of concentrates in a railroad car, the author took 30 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY KICL 9 PIPE SAMPLING OF FLOTATION PRODUCT. PIPE SAMPLING 31 40 four-ounce grab samples from the pipes as a car of flotation con- centrates was being sampled at a custom plant. Each of the samples was dried, ground, mixed, and analyzed for iron with the following results : Sample %Fe Sample %Fe Sample %Fe Sample %Fe 1 ...14.7 11 ...14.1 21 ...13.4 31 ...14.8 2 ...14.2 12 ...14.8 22 15.5 32 ...16.2 3.. ...13.8 13 ...14.5 23 ....13.1 33 ...15.7 4 ...14.5 14 — 13.8 24 ....13,1 34 ...16.3 5 ...14.0 15 ...14.5 25 ....13.1 35 ...17.2 6 ...14.2 16 ...14.1 26 18.3 36 -15.4 7 ...14.3 17 ...13.2 27 ....13.8 37 ...14.8 8 ...14.1 18 ...13.6 28 ....14.5 38 ...15.3 9 ...15.0 19 ...12.8 29 ...14.8 39.. -17.4 10 ...13.0 20 15.0 30 15.0 40 ...14.3 The average of all the figures is 14.7%, and the average deviation of a single analysis is only .9% from the 14.7%. In other words, the average deviation from the mean is approximately 1 part in 15. From the sampling point of view it means that one could take a grab sample anywhere in the car and the probable analysis of that sample would be accurate to better than 1 part in 15. The main pipe samples, from which the little samples just discussed were taken, weighed 25 to 30 times as much and were piled and again piped before drying, mixing, and grinding for the regular sample. The main sampling work might reasonably be expected to be 10' times as accurate as the author’s grab sampling, which would make the main pipe sampling accurate to more than 1 part in 150, a precision consid- erably greater than ordinary assaying or wet chemical analysis. Pipe sampling of fine, mixed materials is very rapid and cheap; the test confirms the prevalent opinion that it is also accurate. The Brunton Vibratory Cutter. — One of the earliest sample cutters used in western sampling mills consists of a thin wedge of steel plates riveted to a shaft and set in the center of the ore stream as it flows from a spout. The thin wedge has the shaft inclosed along its base and points upward into the ore stream; by turning the wedge to one side or the other it deflects the entire ore stream first to one side, then to the other side; separate spouts catch the two ore streams made by the deflector. Spill is taken care of by steel wings on each side of the wedge or blade. The sample can be made any fraction of the lot by the relative periods the deflector remains pointing toward either sample or discard spout. Pins on a rotating disk engage a cam at the far end of the shaft and so throw the blade, first to one side, then to the other; by the adjustment of the pins in holes around the edge of the disk the periods are determined and the periods, in turn, determine the fraction selected for sample. MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLUROV 32 FIG. 10 BR UNTON VIBRATORY CUTTER BLADES. Two sizes as used in one of the East Helena Sampling Mills. FIG. 11 MECHANISM OF BRUNTON OSCILLATORY SAMPLER. A crank arm on a disk changes the rotary motion of a pulley to the oscil- lations of the cutter. (After Brunton. Trans. Am. Inst. Min. Engrs., 1909.) 1 i ; i i I BRUNTON OSCILLATORY SAMPLER 33 FIG. 12. — FIRST SAMPLER AND ROLLS AT THE WASHOE SAMPLER. The steel housing- in front of the oscillator is turned down to expose the parts. The sample drops through the opening and falls to the rolls, the reject is deflected away to a spout to the conveyor behind the rolls. 34 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY Two sizes of Brunton vibratory cutter blades are seen in Figure 10; they happen to be spare parts for the machines now used in only one mill in Montana. The vibratory cutter slips through the ore stream -quickly, which is always an advantage; the blade also cuts the stream in the same direction for sample. If the repeated cutting in the same direction is considered a disadvantage, it is eliminated in the Brunton oscillatory cutter, which is next described. The driving mechanism of the vibra- tory cutter would doubtless have been further perfected if the oscil- latory cutter had not been invented. The Brunton Oscillatory Cutter. — In the States of Colorado, Mon- tana, Nevada, and Utah are many sampling mills built after the Taylor and Brunton design and equipped with the Brunton “time-sampler”, or oscillatory cutter. The general scheme of the driving machanism is plain after studying Figure 11, while a cutter is seen in place in Figure 12. The cutter is of the general intersecting saucer type, but the machine oscillates back and forth across a 120° arc and its cutting edges enter the ore stream first from one side, then from the other, instead of always from the same side. The small sample cut is plainly made by a division of the stream, the deflecting planes entering first from one side, then from the other. The division of the ore stream is smooth and clean-cut, while the driving mechanism is noiseless and lasting. The wearing parts of the oscillatory cutter are the edges of the sample segment and the floor of the larger reject casting; the small sample casting can be frequently renewed at slight expense, thus maintaining the cutting edges, while the larger casting is renewed as often as worn out. The East Butte Cutter. — Figure 13 illustrates the mechanical cutter used at the East Butte mill. It rotates in a horizontal plane and is obviously of the intersecting saucer type. The unit seen in Figure 13 has 4 sample openings and would make a 20% selection, the units actually in place in the mill have 2 openings and make about 10% selections. The cutters are entirely suspended from above and the ore stream enters them either vertically or at a steep angle. The Vezin Cutter. — The Vezin type of mechanical cutter is made in several modifications of the original intersecting cone type. In all forms the lower cone, either real or imaginary, is extended upward on two opposite arcs in a sort of wing design; it is into' the rotating wings that the sample falls and is discharged through the restricted lower apex of the cone. It is well to compare this machine (Figure 14) with the East Butte cutter and note that both are closely related; by merely altering the relative sizes of the parts, the sample or the discard is made to fall through the apex of the inverted cone. EAST BUTTE SAMPLEli 35 FIG. 13 EAST BUTTE TYPE OF SA3IPUER. This cutter has four slots; the cutters installed have only two slots. 30 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY FIG. 14. — VEZIN SAMPLER. Several modifications of the type are in com- mon use. This is the Resign supplied by Traylor Fug. & Mfg. Co. The Snyder Sampler. — A slotted saucer, rotating on a horizonal axis, forms the base idea of the Snyder sampler. A sloping feed spout neatly directs the stream of ore through the inclined opening as the sample slot passes. The similarity to the several other intersecting saucer types is apparent from Figure 15. The machine usually has two sample lots, as seen in the picture, but the only unit known to be installed in Montana, which is a 28-inch machine in the ore-dressing laboratory of the State School of Mines, has a single slot. The actual amounts of sample cut by the various samplers is an important topic which has not been thoroughly investigated. The only data which the author has seen are figures obtained by the Anaconda Copper Mining Company. These figures indicate that, in their mills, considerably less than the expected amount is selected. The uniformity of the ore stream on entering the cutter is a large factor in the constancy of the fraction cut for sample. The mixing and retarding drums at the East Butte mill give an exceptionally uniform feed to the cutters and the fraction cut out is reported to be practically constant. SNYDER DISK SAMPLER 37 FIG. 15 TWO-SLOT SNYDER SAMPLER, The saucer rotates in a vertical plane. 38 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY A careful inspection of the relative sizes of cutter openings and ore pieces shows that the ratio of 4 is not often attained in the case of the first cutters. It is believed that attention to this detail will add to the perfection of future mills. The number of cuts made by mechanical cutters is sometimes in- sufficient for accurate work, especially if the lot is hurried through the mill. The difficulty with speeding up cutters is the batting and scattering action on the larger pieces as the velocity of the machine increases. Many cutter designs are already on the market, but, if it should be found desirable to make more cuts in a unit time, it may not be too much to expect an improved design for high speed work. MIXING MACHINES Henry A. Vezin is commonly credited with first having used mixing and retarding drums in large scale sampling operations. He placed staggered baffles in the drums to mix the ore before it fell in a steady stream to the cutter below. The mill of the East Butte Copper Mining Company, at. Butte, Montana, has two mixing and retarding drums (see Figure 16) before the second and third cutters, respectively. Thus, as the first cutter is fed by the main ore stream, all three cutters are fed with a decidedly well-mixed and uniform stream of ore. The other Montana mills depend largely on shaking feeders to mix and spread the samples, which one cutter delivers to the next. A revolving disk is, however, found in the No. 2 mill at East Helena, between two Vezin cutters; this feeder gives an especially uniform feed to the lower Vezin. Retarding machines are highly desirable to elongate and equalize the ore stream after a cut has been made. Natural spreading in the short spouts does not give a smooth ore flow to either rolls or cutters. Synchromatic gaps and irregular fractions are naturally greatest when the stream equalization is least. Aside from the equal- izing for rolls and cutter, any mixing of the material may be con- sidered an incidental matter if the number of selections by each machine amounts to more than a thousand, and the values in the large and rich pieces do' not exceed the limits for accuracy. The mixing of the ore stream is, however, an assurance of correct results if the number of cuts is reduced to only a few hundred. It may not be out of place here to analyze just what happens on mixing a small lot of ore with the riffle cutter. We will suppose that a lot is poured over a 30-slot riffle with 50 1 shakings to and fro, the two halves are then united and the pouring repeated; the entire operation of cutting and uniting is continued until it has been done 10 times. The slots divide the sample into 30x50, or 1,500 portions, at each pouring. The 1,500 portions are not superimposed but are spread out into 50 layers at each pouring; when the halves are joined the 50 layers from each side get superimposed, or, as may be said, each EAST BETTE MIXING DRUM 89 gBMi PIG. 16 DRUM MIXER, SAMPLER, AND ROLLS IN EAST BUTTE MILL This is the upper drum mixer, and the No. 2 sampler over the No. 2 rolls 40 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY pouring puts the material in 100 layers when the halves are united. On repeating the work 10 times the material clearly gets divided into 10x1,500 portions and the full numbers of layers increase to 10x100, or 1,000. The 100 layers made by the 1,500 portions at any one pouring give a splendid lateral distribution of any inequality, but cannot pos- sibly equalize throughout the pulp any segregation in either the first, middle, or last of the lot poured. But uniting the halves and repeating does effectually dispense the vertical segregation, as the inequalities in the first, middle, or last of the pouring may be called. Thus, with a few repetitions, the lot becomes uniform laterally and vertically, or is well mixed. The previously described test on the quartz and iron ore is very good proof of the efficiency of riffle mixing. DRYING MACHINES It has already been mentioned that the Montana practice uses both steam and electrically heated cabinet shelf-dryers, as well as large steam tables. In all cases the operation is very simple and requires no attention. Although drying requires about the same time as mill sampling, it is, nevertheless, so rapid and simple that there is little incentive to speed up the process. Faster drying would inevitably demand higher and injurious temperatures, as well as moving parts to the drying apparatus. If all oth£r essential operations in sampling were in as satisfactory a status as that of drying it would be fortu- nate, indeed. SAMPLING OF TEST LOT BY STATE BUREAU The results of resamplings and check samplings have been pub- lished from time to time, but to test the matter of sampling more exhaustively and at the same time provide tangible evidence that the custom mills in Montana are doing satisfactory work, the State Bureau acquired the use of a lot of ore and had it sampled at the three most important custom mills. The carload weighed a little over 50 tons, and was from a Montana mine which is producing a silver-lead ore of considerably greater value than the average of the Butte mines. The ore was run-of-mine product and, like many high sulphide ores, more than half of it con- sisted of rather fine to earthy material. At least a quarter of the material was in lumps over two inches in diameter, and the rest was intermediate. The minerals varied in size and texture from large pure grains to fine intimate mixtures. The mineral composition was, approximately: Quartz 30% Arsenical tetrahedrite Pyrite 25% (gray copper ore) 15% Galena 15% Zinc blende 5% Other gangue minerals 10 % STATE BUREAU TEST LOT 41 The lot typified Montana ore of the better sort, with commercial values in gold, silver, copper, and lead; an ore suitable for demon- strating the precision of sampling on customary and average materials. The lot of ore was sampled twice at the Washoe Sampler, resulting in two independent final pulps. The lot was sampled in the No. 1 mill at East Helena, using the coarse by-pass; it was tenth-shovel sampled at East Helena, and then finally ground to pass the 2-mesh screens and again sampled in the No. 1 mill, this time in the ordinary way. The lot was sampled once at the East Butte mill while in the coarse condition, but duplicate portions were taken from the mill product before fine grinding. Six different samplings were thus made, giving seven pulps; three different types of mechanical cutters were used and once the lot was hand-sampled. The hand-sampling was first by the tenth-shovel method, and it was then coned and quartered until the final splitting for packets was made with a table riffle. The actual sampling time at the different mills varied; at the Washoe Sampler the lot required 20 and 30 minutes at each respective sampling; at the East Butte mill 50 minutes were required for the sampling; at East Helena fully 2 hours were taken each time. the lot was run through the mill. The final sampling at East Helena, after crushing to half-inch size, afforded a good standard test, since the material was then all in small sizes, had undergone repeated dispersions and retardations in the mills, and was cut at least 3,500 times by each of the mill samplers. The lot was sampled in the presence of the author in each instance; no particular arrangements were made at the mills, nor was the sampling carried out in any way differently from the routine pro- cedure which the author has repeatedly observed when he has hap- pened into the mills. The seven final pulps were analyzed under as nearly identical con- ditions as possible in the State School of Mines laboratories. Lest too few results might involve deviations in the chemical work instead of in the sampling, the analyses were checked over from 6 to 8 times so as to furnish average figures for each component. Pulp inequalities, chemical influences, and manipulations all introduce deviations, which repeated analyses alone can eliminate so as to show the precision or lack of precision in the sampling. 42 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MIXES AND METALLURGY The results of the analytical work follow: Silver, oz. Gold, oz. Lead, Copper, Iron, Insoluble, Sample per ton per ton per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent. A ... 37.8 .21 12.73 1.74 14.49 32.58 B ... 37.3 .22 12.46 1.69 14.43 33.07 C ... 37.0 .23 12.50 1.74 14.46 32.87 D ... 37.9 .21 12.64 1.78 14.77 ' 32.01 E ... 37.3 .21 12.64 1.76 14.52 32.83 F .... 37.4 .21 12.72 1.70 14.35 32.50 G ... 37.5 .22 12.91 1.73 14.72 32.22 One conclusion, only, can he drawn from the results in the table: namely, that the sampling was well done in each instance. The differ- ence between the several pulps is less than excellent analysts might report on one and the same pulp. The individual items and gross values of the lot may be calculated for each sampling, reckoning silver at $1.25 an ounce, gold at $20.67 an ounce, lead at 8 cents a pound, and copper at 18 cents a pound. Deviation Sample Silver Gold Lead Copper Total From Mean A ....$47.25 $4.34 $20.37 $6.26 $78.22 $0.44 B ... 46.62 4.55 19.94 6.08 77.20 0.58 C .... 46.25 4.75 20.00 6.26 77.26 0.52 D ... 47.38 4.34 20.22 6.41 78.35 0.57 E .... 46.63 4.34 20.22 6.34 77.52 0.26 F ... 46.75 4.34 20.35 6.12 77.56 0.22 G .... 46.88 4.55 20.66 6.23 78.32 0.54 The total values range from $77.20 to $78.35, an extreme difference of $1.15; the average deviation from the mean of all the totals is $0.45. Ore producers should certainly be well satisfied with custom sampling which shows this degree of precision. MILL FLOW SHEETS To indicate the treatment by which each of the samples was obtained in the State Bureau test, the following flow sheets have been prepared. WASHOE SAMPLER FLOW SHEET 48 Washoe Sampler — Cars unloaded over hopper; 18'x20'xll' deep Shaking grizzly feeder; 1.5"x2.0" holes in 24"x20" section Crusher; 20"xl0" opening Shaking tray Elevator to top of mill No. 1 cutter; Brunton oscillatory, 7.0"xl0.5" opening, 40 cuts per minute Sample; 20%, or 20,000 lbs. on 50-ton lot Shaking tray; 12" effective length No 1 rolls; 16"x36" No 2 cutter; Brunton oscillatory, 6.0"x8.0" opening, 28 cuts per minute. Sample; 20%, or 4,000 lbs. on 50-ton lot Shaking tray; 9" effective length No. 2 rolls; 14"x30" No. 3 cutter; Brunton oscillatory, 4.5"x6.75" opening, 63 cuts per minute Sample; 20%, or 800 lbs. on 50-ton lot Bell distributor No. 3 rolls; 12" x 24" No 4 cutter; Brunton oscillatory, 3.5"x5.0" opening, 68 cuts per minute. Sample; 160 lbs. on 50- ton lot Trolley bucket Steel sampling floor in bucking room Split shovel to 8 to 10 lbs. Sample; 8 to 10 lbs. Dried in shelf cabinet, electric heat Engelbach grinder Riffle cutter; 26 slots, each .64"x2.0" Sample; 32 ounces Braun disk grinder Hand sieves; 100, 120, 150, and 200 mesh Rolled on pebble-surfaced oil cloth 1,000 times Sample split for 4 packets with inclined riffles 44 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY East Helena No. 1 Mill— Cars unloaded onto steel pan conveyor; pans 18"xl8"x6' Chute to No. 5 McCully gyratory crusher Belt conveyor, 16" belt, to top of mill, under magnet Chute to A (fine grinding and sampling) Trommels; 12'x60", y 8 " x ]/ s " mesh under No. 1 cutter; Vezin, wings 14" and 3"x20", 30 cuts per minute Sample; 20%, 20,000 lbs. on 50-ton lot Shaking tray; 4' effective length No. 2 cutter; Vezin, wings 7" and 1.5"xl0", 34 cuts per minute Sample; 20%, 4,000 lbs. on 50-ton lot Shaking tray; 4' effective length Rolls; 12"xl2" Shaking tray; 4' effective length No. 3 cutter; Vezin, same as No. 2 cutter, 40 cuts per minute Sample; 20%, 800 lbs. on 50-ton lot Shaking tray; 3' effective length No. 4 cutter; Vezin, same as No. 2 cutter, 40 cuts per minute Sample; 20%, 160 lbs., on 50-ton lot Locked sample hopper nr over 2-8eotion trommel, 16 T x 36" I 5/8” x B.5" reotangleB £" circles oversiEi rolls, 16" x 36" rolls, 16" x 36" No. 4 McCully gyratory- return conveyor to top of mill » trommel, 12* s> 60"| 3/8" x 3/8" screen ! 1 through i overaise L— Sample; wheelbarrow to steel sample floor in or near bucking room Cone and quarter, or riffle cut, to 10 to 12 lbs. Dried in shelf cabinet or on steam table Bell grinder Hand sieves; 100, 120, and 150 mesh Table riffle to 24 ounces Rolled 15 minutes on special paper Sample split with table riffle to 4, 6-oz. packets EAST BUTTE SAMPLING MILL 45 B (coarse sampling) No. 1 Vezin cutter Sample; 20% Return conveyor to top of mill Discard, out of mill on conveyor Chute to No. 2 trommel, 12'x60", mesh under No. 2 Vezin cutter 2-section trommel and closed circuit, as above over Same as under A to finished sample East Butte Sampling Mill — Cars unloaded over mill hopper Shaking feeder Crusher; 12"x24" opening Spout to elevator Elevator to top of mill No. 1 cutter; East Butte, 8"xl2" openings, 28 cuts per minute Sample; 10%, 5 tons on 50-ton lot Shaking tray; 3' effective length No. 1 rolls; 16"x36" Drum mixer; 6'x2', 16 r.m.p. No. 2 cutter; East Butte, 6"x7.75" openings, 26 cuts per minute Sample; 10%, 1,000 lbs. on 50-ton lot Shaking tray; 3' effective length No 2 rolls; 10"x24" Drum mixer; 5'x23", 10 r.p.m. No. 3 cutter; East Butte, 4.5"x5.5" openings, 16 cuts per minute Sample; 10%, 100 lbs. on 50-ton lot Shaking tray; 3 ' effective length No. 3 rolls; 9"x9" Sample can Cast iron riffle cutter to 15 to 20 lbs. Sample; 15 to 20 lbs. to bucking room Riffle cutter to 8 to 10 lbs. Sample to shelf cabinet or table dryer Bell grinder Table riffle to 16 ounces Hand sieves, 100, 120 and 150-mesh Rolled on cloth Table riffle; split to 4, 4-oz. packets 4G MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY SAMPLING MILLS IN MONTANA THE WASHOE SAMPLER The $150,000 steel-concrete custom ore sampling plant of the Ana- conda Mining Company is known as the Washoe Sampler and is situated on the main line of the Butte, Anaconda, and Pacific Railroad at Butte, Montana. The main mill portion is absolutely fireproof; it was put in operation in 1911, after a fire had destroyed the previous structure. The new mill was designed and built by the company engi- neers following the Taylor and Brunton system, which had been suc- cessfully demonstrated in the first mill. Figure 17 is a diagram of the Taylor and Brunton system, which, in a general way, is the scheme followed in the present sampler. The Brunton oscillatory time samplers are, of course, the cutters installed. The types of machines used and the fractions cut at the several stages have already been indicated in the flow sheet of the mill, and are repeated in Figure 17. The main machinery tower has floors 35 feet by 45 feet; the main elevator pit floor is 28 feet below the ground floor, and the ridge of the building is 68 feet above, a total elevation of 96 feet thus being used. The arrangement of the mechanical, power, and switching facilities is such that 500 tons of ore can be sampled in an 8-hour shift, and 1.200 tons can be put through in 24 hours. A 50-ton lot has been sampled in 9 minutes, but the usual running time is from 20 to 30 minutes; if ore comes in box cars the sampling depends on how long the unloading takes. Figure 18 shows a portion of the tracks serving the plant. After weighing on the upper set of Fairbanks 100-ton recording beam scales, the cars are lowered by cable to the right hand side of the mill and unloaded in the shed over the mill hopper. As soon as a car is unloaded it can be pulled back with the electric hoist and let down on the left side of the mill to receive the same lot of ore it originally contained. On the loading side of the mill is a second scale; cars can thus be switched from one side of the mill to the other in a minute or two. They can be weighed after loading and then let down farther on the same track for delivery to the railroad. A wagon and truck unloading shed is seen at the right in Figure 18; below the floor of the shed are fourteen 50-ton hoppers over a conveyor which delivers to the mill hopper. The brick structure seen between the tracks in the foreground of Figure 18 houses the. black- smith shop and change room. Figure 19 shows how massive cast iron pipe may be used for permanent and tight spouting in mill equipment. The mill normally selects 0.16% of the original lot for the bucking room; by using a special cam arrangement in the mechanism of the second cutter only 0.04% need be cut out. The smaller cut is conve- nient on large lots. Four cutters will be used on lots weighing between TAYLOR AND BRUXTON SAMPLING SYSTEM 47 Jst Cut m 400- Lb. Sample From 1 Ton Wo 1 Sam pit 20% Sample Coarse Crushing Ft oils 16x^6 Rolls -No. <2 Sampler 20% Sample 2nd Cut * 30- Lb Sample From 1 Ton Fine Crushing Rolls 14x27 Rolls 3rd Cut ” 16 -Lb. SacnplG' From J 7on Wo 3 Sampler 20 % Sample Sample Rolls t2x20 Rolls Line Shaft 4th Cat *3.2 -Lb Sample From 1 Ton '0.64% Discard ' Sample Safe 0-/6% Sample /Vo. -4 Sampler 20 % Sample 9 9. Q4£Di Oca nd 'u Delivery TnacF FIG. 17 TAYLOR AND HRUNTON SAMPLING SYSTEM. The \Y T aslioe Sampler follows this general diagram closely. (After Brunton, Trans. Am. Inst. Min. Engrs., 1909) 48 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY 3 o , bl > . S ; h 3 1 * « : © * H ^ - *■ i * ii “ m _ © « © » C S; £ * fa 5 .£ n * I fa 4) : g a* - © ' S 55 < **s % 4 S - Z H -H.J! 0 £ © 5>. a m r© _ 1 I? g d S' fa ~ J: it v EAST HELENA SAMPLING MILLS 49 50 and 12.5 tons. Smaller lots require less cutters in the following gradations: on lots weighing from 25,000 pounds down to 5,000 pounds three cutters are used, on lots weighing from 5,000 pounds down to 1,000 pounds two cutters are used, and on . lots weighing less than 1,000 pounds only one cutter is used. The 1 /40th of the entire lot, which must be held 30 days according to the Montana law, is usually the reject from the third cutter on large lots; with smaller lots it may be the reject from the fourth cutter or even the entire lot itself. The frontispiece shows that the whole front section of the mill is merely a row of 50-ton steel bins; these bins are, of course, avail- able for storing large lots whenever necessary. Beneath the large bins are 48 small bins on the ground floor of the mill, which are in con- tinual use for storing the ll/40th portions. When the legal period has elapsed, the reserve bins are emptied in groups and a composite lot is run through the mill and then sent to the smelter. Superintendent Margetts states that the reserve samples are very rarely called into service; whenever one is used particular attention is given to properly cutting down the entire sample in the presence of the shipper. The shipper is never allowed to take a small grab sample for control assay. When the reserve samples are properly worked down to the final packets, in the same manner as the original sample was, the assay results prectically always check the first assaying. Only in the rarest instances is a complaint carried further. The tendency to increase the fineness of grinding has been marked in the case of the Washoe bucking room. The 80-mesh sieve once used has been entirely discarded. Copper ores are ground to pass 100-mesh, silver ores are ground tO' pass 120-mesh, high-silver ores, lead ores, and zinc ores are ground to pass 150-mesh, and high-gold ores to pass 200-mesh. The mill experience has been that lead and zinc ores, as well as the rich gold ores, require the finer grinding for satisfactory chemical results on the pulps. If gold metallics are encountered they are ground with some of the pulp on the bucking board until everything passes the screen. Local experience is that metallics in ores tributary to the Anaconda smeltery easily yield to disintegration when ground with sample pulp; after rolling on the cloth the metallics become uniformly dispersed throughout entire pulp. THE SAMPLING MILLS OF THE AMERICAN SMELTING & REFINING COMPANY AT EAST HELENA, MONTANA The American Smelting & Refining Company provides extensive sampling facilities for the custom ores which maintain its lead smeltery at East Helena, Montana. The smeltery started operations just 30 years ago, and some of the sampling mill construction dates from about that time, although many improvements and large additions have been made meanwhile. The plant maintains three distinct sampling mills and a steel sampling floor, 55 feet by 65 feet in the clear, for cone and quarter sampling. 50 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY FIG. J!>. — THIRD SAMPLER AND THIRD ROLLS IN WASHOE SAMPLER This sot of rolls lias the boll distributor inside the housing*' over the rolls. The pipe at the back of the cutter carries reserve sample to the trolley bucket on the first floor. EAST HELENA SAMPLING MILLS 51 The East Helena practice largely demands grinding ores and flux to pass 3 /8-inch mesh to meet the roasting requirements. The com- pany has, accordingly, fitted both the No. 1 and No. 2 sulphide mills to crush to this fineness and then to make the sample selections. The fine-grinding not only accounts for the peculiar flow sheet of the No. 1 and No. 2 mills, but consolidates the cutters in small space and assures highly satisfactory mechanical division for sample. The No. 1 mill has provision for either grinding the entire lot to pass the 3 /8-inch mesh trommels before sampling, or, after the preliminary crushing in the big gyratory, l|/5th of the lot may be cut out with the first sampler and then reduced to pass the 3/8- inch screen on its way to the last three samplers. The No. 2 mill is also for sulphide ores and furnace prod- ucts; it has no by-passes in its closed circuit, which grinds to pass a 5 /16x3 /8-inch screen before sampling witth two machines in dose series. Both the No. 1 and No. 2 mills are provided with excellent models of the Vezin sampler. The No. 3 mill is for oxide ores and has Brunton vibratory cutters. The No. 1 mill delivers 1 /625th of the lot as sample; both of the other mills deliver l/25th of the lot as sample. The No. 1 mill is conspicuous in that it contains no elevators; the transfer and elevation of materials is entirely by conveyor, of which there are five in use. The steel pan conveyor, onto which all incoming ores are unloaded, is well indicated in Figure 20. It will be noticed that the conveyor rises at the far end; Figure 21 makes the nature of this rise apparent, for in this cut one sees that the conveyor enters the building which contains the No. 5 McCully gyratory. After passing the gyratory, the ore goes up the long incline to the top of the main mill building. The main building covers a space 63 by 30 feet; the structure is steel and concrete and houses the equipment which has been indicated in the flow sheet of the mill on page 44. Figure 22 is a picture taken on the ground floor of the mill; the two 16x36-inch rolls and the No. 4 McCully gyratory are seen from left to right in the foreground, and the sample cabinet is farther back to the left. The first Vezin is on the second floor above the cabinet, and the three Vezin samplers following are in this cabinet on the ground floor. The two upper drawings of Figure 23 indicate the dimensions, the config- uration, and the spout approach to the Vezin samplers in the No. 1 mill. The first Vezin makes 30 sample cuts a minute, the second makes 34 a minute, and the last two make 40 cuts a minute. The No. 2 mill is a massively-built wooden structure, with floor dimensions 63x36 feet, built to crush sulphide materials to pass 5 /16x3/8-inch rectangles before sampling with two Vezin samplers in tandem. After the mill feed passes the crusher, whose opening is 9 by 15 inches, the material is elevated and dropped to a 14x27-inch set of rolls. The material is again raised and enters the trommel with 5/16x3/8-inch openings, from which the undersize falls to the Vezin samplers and the oversize to a set of 14x26-inch rolls in a closed circuit with the trommel. The upper Vezin makes 35 sample cuts a MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY FIG. 20. — UNLOADING ORE AT EAST HELENA NO. 1 MILL. Steel pan conveyor delivers to the No. 5 McCulIy gyratory in the shed. NO. 1 MILL AT EAST HELENA 53 Men are unloading limestone flux onto the conveyor to the course crushing shed. MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY VEZIN CUTTERS AT EAST HELENA 55 A / FIG. 23 VEZIN SAMPLER WINGS AT EAST HELENA SAMPLING MILLS. The two upper drawings are of the cutter wings in the No. 1 mill; the two ower drawings are of the w r ings of the tandem cutters in the No. 2 mill. The measurements were taken from the machines and show satisfactory design. MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY EAST BUTTE SAMPLING MILL 57 minute and discharges onto a slowly rotating circular plate feeder, which pushes out a uniform stream to the Vezin below. The second Vezin makes 60 sample cuts a minute. The oxide, or No. 3 sample mill, is a small machinery tower at one side of the large steel sampling floor adjacent to the No. 2 sample mill. The oxide mill is provided with two jaw crushers, a set of rolls and No. 2 and No. 3 Brunton vibratory cutters. One-fifth of the original lot is delivered as sample. The steel sampling floor has a set of platform scales, a 10x7-inch crusher and a 12xl2-inch rolls. Screens are provided for breaking up lumpy ores and numerous crosses allow several hand-sampling oper- ations to take place simultaneously. Figure 24 is a view along one side of the steel floor; a cone of ore covered with canvas is in the foreground, wooden crosses are along the wall, while around the entire room is a row of covered bins to store the reserve samples. The mills are provided with 58 wooden reserve bins similar to those in Figure 24, and near the No. 1 mill is a group of 42 steel pockets for the same purpose. The East Helena mills are provided with commodious fine-grinding and finishing facilities. The bucking room is 27x57 feet; it has an all- steel floor and the following pieces of equipment: One Sturtevant, 3"x8", roll jaw crusher One F. M. Davis, 12"x20", rolls Two steam drying tables, each 30"x72" Two Engelbach type, fine grinders Three steel bucking boards One round steel table, 5' diameter One cabinet shelf dryer, 12 double shelves Two stand riffle cutters, 26, 5/8" slots each Two table riffle cutters, 36, 5/16" slots each. The bucking room, as well as each of the mills, is, of course, pro- vided with pressure air for cleaning. Ores are commonly ground to pass 100-mesh, high-silver ores to pass 120-mesh, and gold ores to pass 150-mesh. Ground and sieved samples are rolled on a special black surfaced paper before cutting for the final packets with a table riffle. THE EAST BUTTE COPPER MINING COMPANY’S SAMPLING MILL The East Butte Copper Mining Company samples all of its second- class ore and custom ore in a mill adjacent to its smeltery at Butte, Montana. The mill building is a wooden structure some four stories high, with a main sampling section 33 feet long and 18 feet wide. The crusher is under the hopper, over which the elevated track passes beside the mill. The crushed ore is elevated to the first sampler, MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY FIG. 25. — EAST BUTTE SAMPLING MILL. Lots of ore are received over the “high line” above the bins to the left. Outgoing cars may be loaded on the receiving line or from pockets over the depressed track at the right. SAMPLER AND ROLLS IN EAST BUTTE MILL 59 FIG. 26. — THIRD SAMPLER AND THIRD ROLLS IN EAST BUTTE SAMPLER. The sample ean Is placed directly under the rolls. Notice the vertical spout to the sample saucer, and the long- shaking- trough from the sampler to the rolls. 60 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY which is in the top of the mill over the bin section which adjoins the main machinery section of the structure. A conveyor over the bins extends along the more elevated part of the building and allows sampled ore to be dropped in any one of the series of Fins, to be sent back to cars on the high unloading line, or to be screened, and crushed, and dropped in special bins. Figure 25 shows the main machinery sections in the center of the picture; behind and to the right is the bin compartment, which is a story higher and has the series of spouts to load cars on the depressed track. The unloading line and mill hopper are under the roof at the left of the picture. The cutters used in the mill have already been described as the East Butte type, and the mill flow sheet has been indicated on page 45. The large cast iron stand cutter used to finish the mill samples ready for the bucking room, is a prominent piece of equipment; it is the largest and most substantial riffle cutter in use at any of the sampling mills. Figure 16 gives an excellent idea of the drum mixers and the way they are placed over the samplers. The final sampler is pictured in Figure 26, where it is seen suspended between the spout from the last drum mixer and the shaking trough feeding the last set of rolls. A peculiar method is used in this mill for handling the sampler rejects. The reject from the first sampler, which is in the top of the mill under the dump of the single elevator, is run to final disposal as the lot is sampled. The rejects from the second and third cutters drop to a hoppered bin under the first floor, from whence, after the entire lot is sampled, they are conveyed to the elevator and follow the rest of the lot to its final disposal. Compressed air is used for cleaning. The bucking room contains the usual equipment for fine grinding, drying, mixing, and dividing. THE SAMPLING MILLS AT ANACONDA, MONTANA The Anaconda Copper Mining Company maintains two sampling mills in its great smeltery at Anaconda, Montana. The mills are almost exclusively used for sampling ores from its own mines, since custom ores are sampled in the Washoe Sampler at Butte. Figure 27 shows the huge main double sampler. It is probably the largest sampling mill in the world, having an 8-hour capacity of 2,000 tons. The mill is constructed and operated in two entirely independent but identical units. Most of the ore handled comes from the Butte mines and averages about 3.2% copper, 2.5 ozs. silver, and 0.01 oz. gold. As the ore runs fairly uniform, the cut-offs between lots are indistinct, and the cleaning of equipment between lots, which is a very important feature in all the other mills, is dispensed with. The Anaconda mill is of frame construction, with a sprinkler system for fire protection. The floor section is 45 feet by 63 feet; there are four floors and a small basement under the crushers. The general mill scheme is given in Figure 28, which correctly represents ANACONDA SAMPLING MILL 61 U ¥ I MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY FIG. 28. — DIAGRAM OF ANACONDA SAMPLING 3IILL. (Courtesy of A. C. M. Co.) The uppermost elevators now deliver to conveyors carrying- to bins across the tracks. SAMPLER AND CRUSHER IN ANACONDA MILL 63 FIG. 20. — FIRST SAMPLER AND SECOND CRUSHER IN ANACONDA MILL. The sampler is placed close to the crusher. The oscillator has a diam- eter of nearly six feet, which makes it by far the largest cutter in the State. MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY all but the more recent conveyors from the top of the mill across the tracks to the spouts delivering to the concentrator feed bins. The equipment is characterized by its large size and close spacing of cutters over the next lower crushing machine. The latter feature is well indicated in Figure 29, which shows one of the first Bruntons over its 8xl8-inch crusher. The mill also has a partial dust-collecting system with suction intakes at the most dusty points, and a cyclone separator outside the building. The bucking room is equipped with the following units in duplicate: Engelbach grinders Table riffles; 16 slot Braun disk grinders Power (air) screens Bucking boards Cube mixers; 8" sides Stand cutters; 26 slot Figure 30 is a splendid picture of the bucking room and its equip- ment. A 15-horsepower motor drives the equipment, while another small motor in the far corner is coupled to a fan which exhausts the hood above the two Engelbach grinders and delivers the dust outside of the building. The room beyond, which is just through the double doors seen in Figure 30, contains the steel floor for split shovel work, a 10 by 4-inch jaw crusher, moisture scales, and a large steam drying cabinet. The Southern Cross sampling mill is a plant addition made to the smeltery some three years ago by the company. The mill covers an area 25 by 48 feet, and has four floor levels; it is placed between two columns and under the ‘‘high line,” which tracks lead to the main sampling mill and the concentrator bins. The mill has been used only for sampling Southern Cross gold ore, which was not conveniently sampled in any other way. The crushing of the ore is done entirely by jaw crushers. The cutters are of special design; they have a wing much like the Vezin wing, but oscillate back and forth in a horizontal plane by means of a gear-and-crank mechanism. The Southern Cross mill is sprinklered for fire protection; it is cleaned with compressed air, as other mills. It has its own bucking room equipped much as the larger Anaconda mill, but with single units. ANACONDA BUCKING ROOM 65 FIG. 30. — BUCKING ROOM AT ANACONDA SAMPLING MILL. The duplicate and orderly arrangement of the equipment is prominent. The air-driven shaking sieves are on the bench at the right, the cube mixers are on the wall over the bench. — Photograph by Baker, A. C. M. Co. MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY Flow Sheet of the Anaconda Sampling Mill — Cars dump into bins under “high line” Collecting car under bins supplies two 50-ton mill hoppers Shaking trays Jaw crushers; 12"x24" Conveyors to elevators Elevated to top of 4th floor No 1 cutter; Brunton oscillatory, ll"xl5" openings, 24 cuts per minute Sample; 20% Jaw crushers; 8"xl8" No 2 cutters; Brunton oscillatory, 7"xll" openings, 36 cuts per minute Sample; 20% Shaking trays No. 1 rolls; 15"x40" No. 3 cutter; Brunton oscillatory, 5.5"x8" openings, 44 cuts per minute Sample; 20% Distributing boxes ‘ No. 2 rolls; 14"x26" . No. 4 cutters; Brunton oscillatory, 3.5"x5" openings, 76 cuts per minute Sample; 20% Trolley bucket or wheelbarrow to steel floor Brunton split shovels Sample Steam cabinet dryers Engelbach grinders Stand cutters; 26-slot Sample Disk grinders Mechanical sieves (air) Cube mixers Table riffles; 16-slot Sealed packets SAMPLING IN CONCENTRATING AND CYANIDING MILLS 67 SAMPLING IN MONTANA CONCENTRATING AND CYANIDING MILLS A great deal of sampling is done as part of the daily routine in all concentrating and cyaniding mills. In ore treatment plants condi- tions are decidedly favorable for cheap and accurate work. The greatest difficulty is unquestionably in the sampling of mill heads where hardly less than a full observance of all the rules for crushing and dividing can be expected to supply precise data. Every tenth car of ore for the great Anaconda 17,000-ton con- centrator is sampled in the Anaconda sampling mill which has already been described. All the ore going to the East Butte concentrator is sampled in the East Butte sampling mill, also one of the mills de- scribed in this paper. The Butte and Superior concentrator feed is hand sampled every half hour; 50 pounds are taken at each interval. The Timber Butte concentrator is equipped with a hand operated device which cuts out samples from the crushed feed as the stock pours from one conveyor head to another conveyor. The Shannon mine of the Barnes King Company is equipped with mechanical con- trivances which automatically cut out portions of the ore at the tram- way loading station; the sample is worked down to final pulp in the customary way. The sampling of the different streams of mill pulp is carried out in different degrees by various means in the several mills. Usually hand samples are taken at designated intervals. Swinging stream samplers are built in a variety of models and frequently used.. A com- plete automatic stream sampling system is in use at the Butte and Superior mill; an electrical timing and operating installation swings samplers across a half-dozen streams at exactly 8-minute intervals. Milling work inevitably smooths out inequalities in the raw ore; the material is abundantly crushed; mixings and dispersions occur throughout the line of pulp flow. The required precision of the sampling operation is obtained with slight expense for installation, upkeep, or attendance. Mill products can be sampled as pulps while the concentrates are flowing to collecting bins; they can be pipe-sampled as lots in bins or in railroad cars, or they can be hand-sampled by shovel and cone and quarter methods. As a rule, ordinary mill sampling, except for the sampling of the heads, is far easier to accomplish than the sampling of lots of custom ere; mill heads require practically the same treatment that lots get in the best of custom samplers. MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY es SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS The principles involved in ore sampling have been more or less expressed by several writers, but no thoroughly adequate and mathe- matical treatment has yet been given. The present paper attempts tc analyze sampling methods with the theory of probability and the distribution of results strongly in mind, although a mathematical treatment is not attempted. A lot of ore is a very complex aggregate, and to the sampling deviations are added those of chemical analysis; constants in an equation of errors, or for qualifying Woodbridge’s table of size-weight relationship. The equipment for ore sampling which is described in these pages is only that equipment found in actual use in Montana at the present time; the range of the types is wide but by no means includes excel- lent machines in use elsewhere. The figures given in connection with the descriptions of riffle mixing and pipe sampling may give a better insight into the character of those two operations. Sampling is now carried on extensively in Montana in seven sampling mills and in at least five large and important ore-di'essing mills. It has been attempted to outline the procedure used in the different sampling mills, but a full account of the sampling in the twelve places would require a much larger bulletin than this can presume to be. Although sampling of ores and mill pulps is a perfectly practical and common operation, certain features are clearly open to change and improvement. The more obvious possibilities group about pre- cision, cost, efficiency, fire risk, safety, welfare, and hygiene. There always lurks the suspicion that, for the work done, and the end attained, present plants are extravagant in elevations, size of buildings, and general capital outlay for equipment and attendance. Montana sampling mills rank high in most of their technical features, with certain attentions toward improvement in conditions of safety, welfare, and hygiene they would probably become the most advanced types in their field of technology. The excellent results obtained by the State Bureau on the different samplings of the 50-ton lot of ore demonstrate the precision of the mills and the satisfaction and usefulness of mechanical sampling. IMPORTANT PUBLICATIONS ON SAMPLING 69 ■IMPORTANT PUBLICATIONS ON SAMPLING 1884 — Brunton, D. W. “A New System of Ore-Sampling.” Trans. Am. Inst. Min. Engrs., Vol 13, p. 639. Brunton’s first vibratory cutter is described. 1895 — Brunton, D. W. “The Theory and Practice of Ore-Sampling.” Trans. Am. Inst. Min. Engrs., Vol. 25, p. 826. An extended study of the influence of large particles and rich minerals on the precision of sampling. Demonstrates the necessity for crushing between successive divisions. 1898 — Hofman, H. O. “The Metallurgy of Lead.” Hill Publishing Co., New York, 5th Ed., 9th Imp. Chapter 5 is a lengthy discussion of hand and mechanical ore sampling. 1902 — Johnson, Paul. “An Automatic System of Sampling.” Eng. & Min. J„ Vol. 73, p. 514. Describes mill at Greenwood, B. C., with cuts and results. 1908 — Argali, Philip. “Machine Sampling.” Eng. & Min. J., Vol. 86, p. 291. Refutes statement that retardation causes error in sampling. 1908 — Woodbridge, T. R. “Sampling by Machine.” Eng. & Min. J., Vol. 86, p. 917. Discusses mechanical sampling with data. 1909 — Bailey, E. G. “Accuracy in Sampling Coal.” J. Ind. Eng. Chem., Vol. I., p. 161. Discusses probability curves involving large errors. 1909 — Richards, Robert H. “Ore Dressing.” McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York. Vol. III., pps. 1570-1578. Principles and practice of sampling are discussed. 1909 — Brunton, D. W. “Modern Practice of Ore-Sampling.” Trans. Am. Inst. Min. Engrs., Vol. 40, p. 567. The Taylor and Brunton system is explained. Brunton’s oscillatory cutter is described. 1909 — Woodbridge, T. R. “Sampling by Machine.” Eng. & Min. J., Vol. 87, p. 269. Discusses mechanical sampling with data. 1910 — Weld, Fred C. “Accuracy in Sampling.” J. Ind. Eng. Chem., Vol. 2, p. 426. Discusses application of probability curves to sampling. 1910 — Huntoon, Louis D. “Accuracy of Mechanical and Riffle Ore Samplers.” Eng. & Min. J., Vol. 90, p. 62. Gives screen analyses and assays after riffle dividing. 70 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY 1916 — Woodbridge, T. R. “Ore Sampling Conditions in the West.” U. S. Bureau of Mines, Technical Paper 86. An excellent study of the more important aspects of hand and mechanical sampling. A general summary of western practice is given as well as flow sheets of the mills. 1919 — Rice, Claude T. “Sampling Practice at Independence Mill.” Eng. & Min. J., Vol. 107, p. 641. Describes the Coard mixer and divider for final pulps. A. INDEX Abraded iron Acknowledgments Anaconda — bucking room ... flow sheet sampling- mills . Analyses — Bureau test lot flotation car lead bullion mixing test Authorization Page .12, 24 7 64 66 .60, 61, 62, 63, 64 42 31 11 15 7 B. Page Equipment for sampling 24 Essential operations of sampling 9 F. Fabrics for mixing 13 Fieldner on abraded iron 24 Fine grinding 24, 49 Fines in crushing 11 Flotation sampling 10, 29, 31, 67 Flow Sheets- — Anaconda 66 East Butte 45 East Helena 44 Washoe 43 Brunton — on large pieces 22 oscillatory cutter 32, 33 , 34, 43, 46, 64 vibratory cutter ..31, 32, 57 Bucking rooms — - Anaconda 64 East Butte 60 East Helena 57 Washoe 49 Bureau test lot .40 ,41, 42 C. Cabinet dryers 17, 40 Cloths for rolling 13 Concentrating mills in ’ Montana 66 Conclusions 68 Cone and quartering. .. .17, 18, 19 Cost of sampling 8 Crosses for sampling... 19, 56 Crushers 24 Crushing — economical 21 machinery 11, 24 operation 9, 11 surfaces 12, 24 Cube mixers 13, 64 Cutters — Brunton 31, 32. , 33, 34, 43, 66 East Butte 34, 39 riffle 13 Snyder 36, 37 Yezin ...34, 36, 51, 55 Cutting 9, 12, 14, 15 G. Grab sampling flotation car 31 Grinder for prospectors 23 Grinding (see crushing) — coarse gold 49 substance 12, 24 “Gun’’ sampler 29 H. Hand shovel sampling 26 High value minerals 23 I. Impartial sampling 12 Influences in sampling 19 Iron — in mixing test 15 in samples 24 J. Jones riffle 26 L, Large pieces 11, 12, 21, 22 Law of averages 19, 22 Lead sampling 10 Literature on sampling 69, 70 M. D. Definition of sampling 9 Dividing — lots 9, 12, 19 instruments 26 Drum mixers 33, 39 Dryers 17, 40 Drying samples 9, 17, 40 E. East Butte — cutter flow sheet mixers sampling mill East Helena — flow sheet rfiffles sampling mills 34, 35 45 38 .57, 58 44 26 .49, 51, 53 Mechanical sampling speed cheapness Methods of sampling Mills, sampling — Anaconda East Butte East Helena Washoe Minerals, high value.. Mixing — by ringing drums necessity samples test Moisture sample Montana — concentrating mills reserve sample law sampling mills .... 12 12 12 10 60, 61, 62, 63, 64 57, 58, 59, 60 49,51 43, 46, 47, 48, 49 23 19 36, 38 9, 13 .9, 12, 13, 15, 38 15 17 67 49 46 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY 72 INDEX — Continued N. Page Number of cuts..lO, 12, 15, 19, 21, 26 0 . Object of bulletin 7 Operations of sampling 9, 21 P. Permissible weights 23 Pipe sampling 11, 29, 30 Precision in sampling 8, 12, 17, 19, 21, 31, 42 Principles of sampling 9, 19 Probability — curve 21, 22 sampling 12, 13, 19 Pulp mixing 13 Purpose of sampling 8 R. Reserve samples .49, 57 Results — of sampling lead. 11 on test lot 42 Retarding drums .... .36, 38 Riffles .12, 13, 17, 27, 28 Ringing the cone 19 Rolling samples 13 S, Sample — cloths 13 division .12, 26 drying - 9, 17 mixing .12, 13 Weights 23 Sampler — Anaconda .12, 34 Brunton .31, 32, 33, 34 East Butte 34, 45, 57, 58, 59, 60 East Helena .49, 51, 53, 54, 57 Snyder .36, 37 Vezin .34, 35, 51, 55 Washoe 46 Sampling — accuracy of 8 at Anaconda 67 at Barnes King 67 at Butte and Superior 67 at East Butte 67 at Timber Butte.... 67 cost 8 cone and quarter.. 17 crosses 19 defined 9 equipment 24 for moisture 17 impartial 12 in West 10 influences 19 mills in Montana.. 46 Page mixing 9, 12, 13, 15, 17, 38 molten lead 10 necessity 9 operations 9 pipe 11, 29 precision 8, 12 principles 9 probability 12, 19 publications 69, 70 purpose 8 sequence in 10 test lot 40 time 8 School of Mines — riffle 13, 26 Snyder disk 36 Segregation . 13, 19 Selecting sample 9, 12 Sequence in sampling 10 Sieves 43, 44, 45, 49 Snyder sampler . 36, 37 Southern Cross mill 64 Split shovels .25, 26 Spotty ores 23 State Bureau — authorization _. 7 staff 4 test lot 40, 41 Summary 68 T. Table riffles 13 Taylor and Brunton System 46, 47 Test — of mixing 15, 17 of uniformity 17 of sampling ...8, 9, 29, 31, 40, 41 Theory of probability 19 Time of sampling.. 8, 41 U. Uniformity test 17 V. Yezin sample cutters 34, 35, 51, 55 mixing drum 38 W. Washoe sampler — bucking room 49 description 46 flow sheet ... 43 Weights of sample ...23, 36 Weld on sampling 22 Western sampling 10, 21 W oodbridge — on large pieces 22 principles of sampling 9 table of safe weights 23 PLATE III. — ELK BASIN. View from the south rim looking northward into Montana. The conspicuous escarp- ment has been produced by erosion along the crest of the anticline. UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA BULLETIN BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY SERIES NO. 4 GEOLOGY AND OIL AND GAS PROSPECTS OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN MONTANA C. H. CLAPP ARTHUR BEVAN G. S. LAMBERT • uC uu OF ? Hi JNIVERSi] / OF ILLiNOIS STATE SCHOOL OF MINES BUTTE, MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY CLAPP, CHARLES H. Director and Geologist PhD., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1919 ADAMI, ARTHUR E. Mining Engineer E. M. Montana State School of Mines, 1907 LAMBERT, GERALD S. - - - - - - Assistant Geologist B. S. School of Mines and Engineering, Univ. of Utah, 1919 BEVAN, ARTHUR C. Assistant Geologist B. S. Ohio Wesleyan University, 1912. PUBLICATIONS No. 1. The Montana State Bureau of Mines and Metallurgy (an ex- planation of its purpose and operation). No. 2. Directory of Montana Metal and Coal Mines. No. 3. Mechanical Ore Sampling in Montana (by H. B. Pulsifer). No. 4. Geology and Oil and Gas Prospects of Central and Eastern Montana (with a geologic map). (By C. H. Clapp, Arthur Bevan and G. S. Lambert.) $ 2,500.00 38.855.00 81.406.00 62.148.00 *110,000.00 *100,000.00 Consumers Wells Drilled Wells \bandoned Domestic Industrial Dry Productive 1 | 1| 2 727 61 9 1216 121 2 3 1| 1198 | r - 1 1 1 1 fcr c P'3 1 5 111 13 § *Estimated. fThree poductive wells drilled in 1914. |Three wells not utilized, §No data on drilling operations. **Complete data lacking. Petroleum. — Until 1920 the total production of oil in Montana came from Elk Basin but the production from the West Mosby dome now overshadows that from the older field, totaling in 1920, 236,832% barrels, at an average price of $3.10 per barrel, valued at $734,180.75. Wells Drilled Year Bbls. Produced Ave. Price Per Bbl. Value Dry Productive Abandoned Wells Wells Producing Reramrks : 19 15 1 o| 1 $ 1 o 1 4 1 o| 1 - |No facilities for ship’ g oil 1916 44,917| $0.98 44,019 1 1 2 1 0 1 6 |Began shipping in June 1917| 1918 1919 1910 99,399| 1.47 69,323| 1.8l| | *84,000|No di ta| | *336,000|No data| 146,272 125,328 *170,000 *1,000,000 1 1 i 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 7 1 1 1 *Estimated. The price of crude Elk Basin oil at the beginning of 1919 was $1.85 and was $2.25 at the close of 1919, but rose to about an average of $3.00 during 1920. Theoretical Considerations A knowledge of the conditions controlling the accumulation of oil and gas is essential to an intelligent exploration of new oil and gas 78 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY fields. The essential conditions are: (1) a source of oil and gas, (2) a porous stratum, known as a reservoir rock in which the oil and gas can accumulate, (3) an impervious stratum, cap rock, sealing the reservoir rock, so as to prevent the escape of oil and gas, and (4) an enclosed structure into which the oil and gas may migrate from adjoining areas to form pools. Other factors or conditions may also affect the commercial accumulation of oil and gas, such as: the size of the drainage area, the absence of water in the oil sands, the depth of the oil sands, and the temperatures and pressures existing during the distillation of the oil and gas from their source. Following a dis- cussion of the conditions enumerated, their application to the oil and gas possibilities of Montana is taken up. Source of oil and gas. — Mineral oil, or petroleum, and natural gas are complex compounds of hydrogen and carbon, containing various impurities such as sulphur, nitrogenous substances, and oxidation products. They are classified into series such as the Methane or paraffin base series. To each series a generalized formula can be given, for example, that of the Methane series, CnH2n-)-2, The series begins with Methane gas (CH4) and progresses according to the gen- eralized formula, through the gaseous and liquid bitumens to the solid(116). When found in underground reservoirs, the gaseous bitu- mens form gas pools and the liquid bitumens oil pools. Oil and gas have their source either in the distillation of organic material or in certain inorganic reactions. Belief in the inorganic theory would lead one to seek for oil and gas in areas more greatly deformed through mountain uplift or volcanic activity rather than in such areas as are now, through a general belief in the organic theory, considered promising. There are three organic theories: (1) that oil and gas is derived from animal remains; (2) that it is derived from vegetal remains; and (3) that it is derived from both animal and vegetal remains. The last theory, called the Engler-Hofer Dual theory(117), is most generally accepted. The attempt to prove that oil and gas are derived from coal on account of the similarity between petroleum and natural gas and the distillation products of coal, is refuted by geologic evidence which shows that the oil producing horizons in most fields are not the coal horizons and are not in any way genetically connected with them. Furthermore, oil and gas are generally associated with marine forma- tions and salt water, whereas coal is associated with continental depos- its and fresh or brackish water. The part played by salt water in the origin of petroleum is uncertain. Some authors hold that it is essential as a preservative and precipitant, others hold that its pres- (116) For details the writer is referred to Clarke, F. W., Data on Geol. -chem- istry, U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 695. or to various text books on Oil Geology or Chemistry. (117) Engler and Hofer, “Das Erdol.” Yol. 2, pp. 59-142, 1909. RESERVOIR AND CAP ROCKS 79 ence is not necessary but only coincidental. The elimination of coal forming and land plants as a source of oil and the recognition of the association of oil and gas with marine sediments leads to the con- clusion that plant and animal remains, which are deposited with marine sediments, are the source of oil and gas. These remains include spores, sea weeds, and soft parts of animals that yield waxy, fatty, gelatinous, and resinous products (118), and are ordinarily deposited with muds to form black shales. Although oil and gas may result from bacterial action it is not until the black shales have been heavily covered by younger sediments which, with the covering of salt water serve to prevent the rapid destruction of the organic matter by oxida- tion and to retain the products of decomposition, that, through heat and pressure, resulting from deep burial or deformation, oil is distilled from the organic matter (119). The presence of petroliferous rocks may be detected at the surface by the occurrence of oil or gas seeps or asphaltic residium or by actual outcrops of the petroliferous rocks, which may be recognized by their color, odor, or by chemical analysis. Reservoir rock. — The formation of deposits of commercial import- ance requires the presence of porous rocks in which the oil and gas generated from the organic matter can accumulate. The amount of oil and gas, and the ease with which it can be secured, depends directly upon the number, size and shape of the pores. The most com- mon reservoir rocks are sandstones, those having the largest capacity consisting of loosely cemented, medium-sized, rounded quartz grains. Other porous rocks in which oil and gas may be found are porous limestones, fractured shales and vesicular lavas. Since oil and gas migrate upward, the reservoir rocks are found above the source of the oil and gas. Therefore, the ideal reservoir bed is situated above the petroliferous shales, which are the source of the oil and gas. However, where the rocks have been folded into anticlines with steeply dipping limbs, oil and gas may migrate upward through cross fractures toward the crest of the anticlines, and enter porous beds, which normally occur below the petroliferous shales, the source of the oil, but which along the anticlines have been uplifted above the petroliferous shales on either side. Thus, in Montana and Wyoming oil is derived from the Kootenai and Cloverly sandstones which are stratigraphically lower than the Colorado shales, which are probably the source of the oil. Cap rock. — A relatively impervious bed, usually of shale, must overlie the porous, reservoir bed in order to retain the oil and gas in the reservoir rock. Even a slight leak may have completely (118) White, David, Late theories regarding the origin of oil: Bull Greol. Soc. America, vol. 28, p. 778, 1917. (119) White, David, Genetic problems affecting search for new oil regions: Bull. 153, Am. Inst. Min. Eng., 1919; and McCoy, A. W., Notes on the principles of oil accumulation: Journ. Geol., vol. 27, pp. 252-254, 1919. 80 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY drained the reservoir. Hence, where open fractures exist commercial accumulations of oil and gas are unlikely. On the other hand, some good fields, notably the Elk Basin field of Wyoming and Montana have been greatly broken by faults, which must have been closed or sealed by clay gouge, rock flow, or cementation. Enclosed structures. — To prevent the farther migration of the oil and gas upward along the contact of the reservoir rock with its cap rock, it is essential that the cap rock completely surround the upper sides of the reservoir as well as cap it, so as to form an en- closed reservoir. Enclosed ‘reservoirs are formed in several ways as is illustrated by figures 1 to 6, plate IX. The various enclosed struc- tures or reservoirs have been classified by F. G. Clapp (120) as fol- lows: Class I — Where anticlinal and synclinal structure exists. (a) Strong anticlines standing alone. (b) Well defined anticlines alternating with synclines. (c) Structural terraces. (d) Local warpings on monoclinal dip. (e) Accumulations on monoclines, due to thinning out or change in texture of the sand. (f) Broad geanticlinal folds. (g) Overturned folds. Class II — Quaquaversal structures. (a) Anticlinal bulges, or “cross anticlines. 1 ’ (b) Saline domes. (c) Volcanic necks. (d) Perforated domes. CLASS III — Joint cracks. (a) Joint cracks in sedimentary rocks. (b) Joint cracks in crystalline rocks. Class IV — Sealed faults. Class V — Oil sealed in by asphaltic deposits. Class VI — Contact of sedimentaries with crystalline rocks. Drainage area, — As a reservoir is assumed to drain all the sur- rounding area which is underlain by beds that slope upward to the reservoir, the amount of oil and gas in any reservoir is controlled by the size of the drainage area. Hence it is clear that other things being equal that oil field is most productive which has the largest drainage area. Water in oil sands. — It is uncertain what is the cause of the migration of oil and gas from their source to the reservoir, but it is generally conceded to be due to the migration of water carrying oil and gas with it, or forcing the oil and gas ahead of it. The com- pacting of the petroliferous muds into shales may force the water (120) Bacon, Hamor, and others; Amer. Pet. Industry, p. 48, McGraw-Hill, 1916. OIL AND GAS STRUCTURES 81 Fig 1. — Hypothetical cross-section of a Volcanic Neck in Mexico, showing the occurrence of petroleum according to Sub-class II (c). Fig. 2. Illustration of ideal anti- clinal conditions, shsowing the occur- rence of petroleum according to Class I. Fig. 3. Ideal section of a lenticular sand, showing the occurrence of gas and oil according to Sub-class I (e). fifUr HAGER Fig. 5. Theoretical section normal to a fault plane, showing the occur- rence of petroleum according to Class IV. Fig. 4. Theoretical section, show- ing the occurrence of petroleum ac- cording to Class I. Note that the low- er fold is non-productive, the oil hav- ing migrated up the slope. Fig. 6. Theoretical section of un- conformable contact of Arkose on Granite, showing the occurrence of petroleum according to Class VI. PLATE IX.— GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES FAVORABLE TO OIL AND GAS ACCUMULATION. 82 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY and oil and gas into the more porous beds that are not compacted so readily as the weaker muds(121), or as has been pointed out(122) water may through its greater capillary attraction replace the oil and gas in shales forcing the oil and gas into more porous beds. Within the porous beds of the reservoirs the mixtures or emul- sions of gas, oil and water are separated and the various constituents arranged within the reservoir according to their respective densities, the gas on top, underlain by the oil, and that in turn underlain by water. Where the oil sands are only partly saturated with water,- oil and gas may be found in the limbs of the enclosed structure and in dry sands, as in places in the Appalachian region, may be found even in the troughs of the synclines. Depth of oil sands. — Where, within the enclosed structure, erosion has progressed to such an extent that the oil sands occur at the sur- face, the oil and gas which may have been in the sand would have escaped. In almost every oil district there are usually monuments, in the shape of non-productive wells, where drilling began at or below the productive horizon. At several places in Montana, even where only the upper part of the Kootenai formation is exposed as in the ’ Koontenai, Devil’s Basin and Shawmut domes, no oil has been obtained from the Kootenai sandstones. On the other hand, since the profitable extraction of • oil and . gas depends upon the cost or depth of drilling, the oil sands may be so deep as to preclude profitable development. Whereas wells have been drilled to a depth of over 7000 feet, yet it is doubtful if \ profitable wells can be drilled anywhere at the present time to more than 5000 feet. Furthermore, since the per foot cost of drilling increases rapidly below a few hundred feet with increasing depth, deep wells to be profitable must be large, long-lived producers. The ; limit of profitable drilling is of course subject to much variation, i depending upon such conditions as labor costs, efficiency of the drill, j character of the rocks, production and life of the wells, and price of \ crude oil. The limit in Montana or even in Wyoming has not yet ( been definitely determined but is probably not much greater than , 3500 feet. Physical conditions existing during distillation. — It is obvious that the character and amount of the oil and gas in any region is also dependent upon the physical conditions, temperatures and pres- sures, existing during the distillation of oil and gas from their source, since distillation results largely from heat and pressure. Because the character of a coal is also dependent largely upon the temperatures and pressures to which it has been subject, passing under their influ- (121) Daly, M. R., The disastrophic theory: Bull. Am. Inst. Min. Eng., No. 115, pp. 1137-1157, 1919. (122) McCoy, A. W., Notes on principles of oil accumulation: Journ. Geol., vol. 27, pp. 252-262, 1919. DISTILLATION OF OIL AND GAS 83 ence from its initial stage of peat through lignite, sub-bituminous and bituminous coals and to the higher grade coals' and even to graphite, White (123) has suggested the use of the character of the coals in any region as an index or gauge of the physical conditions. Coals are classified according to the ratio, called the fuel ratio, of the amount of fixed carbon to the amount of volatile matter they Contain, or by the percentage of fixed carbon in pure ash and water-free-coal. Thus lignite usually contains less than 50 per cent fixed carbon, sub- bituminous coal from 50 to 60 per cent, bituminous coal from 55 to 75 per cent, and the higher grade coals more than 75 per cent. Detailed study by White as well as by Fuller(124) and Gardner(125) in the Appalachian and Mid-Continent fields with a more general study of the other oil fields of the world has shown that although fields of heavy oils occur, as in the coastal plain of Texas, where the percentage of fixed carbon is less than 50 per cent, in the principal fields of medium oils like those of the Ohio-Indiana and Mid-Continent fields, the amount of fixed carbon varies from 50 to 55 per cent and in the principal fields of light oils and gas of the world, like the Appalachian field, the amount of fixed carbon varies from 55 to 60 per cent. Where the amount of fixed carbon varies from 60 to 65 per cent, commercial pools are rare, but the oil is exceptionally high grade when found; gas wells are common but are usually isolated. Where the amount of fixed carbon exceeds 70 per cent, oils, if present, will be “ white oil” (approximately kerosene) in pockets too small to be of commercial importance though gas pockets may exist. Although first advanced in 193.>5, practically no exception to Dr. White ’s principle of the distribution of oil has been discovered. Since the heat and pressure causing the devolatization of coals and the distillation of oil and gases results largely from deformation, in greatly deformed, mountain built regions, the carbonization of the coals is usually above the 65 to 70 limit, or “dead line.” Although as White (126) points out, the carbonization ratio applies only to areas in which alteration is regional, that is caused by deformation, not con- tact metamorphism resulting from the intrusion of igneous rock bodies, yet igneous intrusives such as occur throughout the mountains of Montana, although more local in their effect bring about similar changes to deformation. Furthermore, the escape of hot waters or solutions from the igneous intrusions, usually fill the pores of the adjoining rocks with mineral matter converting reservoir rocks into (123) White, David, Some relations in origin between coal and petroleum: Wash. Acad, of Sci., vol. 6, pp. 189-212, 1915. (124) Fuller, M. L., Relation of oil to carbon ratios of Pennsylvanian coa’s in Aorth Texas: Econ. Geology, vol. 14, pp. 536-542, 1919, and Carbon ratios in Carboniferous coals of Oklahoma, and their relation to petroleum: Econ. Geology, vol. 15, pp. 225-235, 1920. (125) Gardner, J. H., The Mid-Continent oil field: Bull. Geol. Soc. America, vol. 28, pp. 685-720, 1917. (126) White, David, Genetic problems affecting search for new oil regions: Mining and Metallurgy, No. 158, Sec. 21, p. 7, Feb., 1920. 84 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY firm, impervious rocks such as quartzites, in which no accumulation of oil and gas can take place. In conclusion it is well to consider that owing to the many conflicting or compensating conditions, many of them imperfectly understood, affecting the commercial accumulation of oil and gas, ‘ ‘ it is not surprising that some concentrations of oil and gas occur where, from all surface indications (especially where the productive rocks are obscured by a mantle of younger, unconformable sediments) the conditions are unfavorable, whereas, some areas that appear to have the most favorable . structure are barren. ’ ’(127) Possibilities of Oil and Gas. This chapter on the possibilities of oil and gas must serve as a guide in detailed work rather than as a final report on any area, as the reconnaissance nature of the field work precludes detailed dis- cussions. As already noted, the possibilities will be discussed by ap- plying the theoretical conditions presented in the previous section, to Montana. Sources of oil and gas. — The marine shales of the Claggett and Bearpaw formations are the only rocks above the Colorado formation which need to be considered as sources of oil and gas as the sedi- ments of the Eagle, Judith River, Lance, and Fort Union formations were deposited under littoral or continental conditions and are not known to contain any black, bituminous shales. Some such shales do occur in the Claggett and Bearpaw formations and Hancock(128) has reported surface indications of oil and gas in the vicinity of Hardin and in the northwest corner of Yellowstone County. However, no commercial amount has ever been found and it is doubtful if either the Bearpaw or Claggett shales can furnish any significant quantity of oil or gas. Furthermore, to the west the shales grade into alter- nating sandstones and shales typical of near shore or litoral deposits. The source of most of the oil and gas produced in Wyoming and southern Alberta is generally conceded to be the black shales of the lower portion of the Colorado formation. The uninterrupted continu- ation of the Colorado formation from Wyoming through Montana into Alberta has long been considered the most favorable indication that Montana would produce oil. Recent drilling has shown, however, that in places the lower black shales are absent. Stebinger’s field work(129) in the northwestern part of the plains area has shown some of the Colorado shales to be petroliferous to such an extent that (127) Hancock, E. T., Geology and ol and gas prospects of the Huntley field, Montana: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 711-G, p. 146, 1920. (128) Hancock, E. T., Geology and oil and gas prospects of the Huntley field, Montana: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 711-G, p. 144, 1920, and Geology and oil and gas prospects of the Lake Basin field, Montana: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 691-D, p. 126, 1918. (129) Stebinger, Eugene, Oil and gas geology of the Birch Creek-Sun River area, northwestern Montana: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 691-E, p. 157 and pp. 161- 164, 1918. SOURCES OF OIL AND GAS’ 85 they offer an unquestioned source for commercial quantities of petro- leum. The main petroliferous horizon seems to be confined to the lower 150 feet of shales which overlie the Blackleaf sandy member- Collier(130) states of the Mowry member, 1 ‘ it seems almost certain that the formation would yield oil if properly sampled and tested.” These reports from the northwestern and northeastern parts of Central and Eastern Montana, in connection with the fact that the major pro- duction from Wyoming and the entire production from the Mosby dome in Central Montana is from associated sands, indicate that the Colorado formation and in particular the Mowry member, is the important source of oil and gas in Montana. In all places the oil is a high grade ? light oil with a paraffin base and in Central Montana consists mainly of gasoline and kerosene. Since the Mesozoic sediments below the Colorado formation are predominantly sands and shales of continental and near shore origin it is doubtful that any petroliferous beds competent to serve as sources of oil or gas will be found. Furthermore no oil or gas other than that which has migrated from other sources, have been discov- ered in these formations. Two possible sources of oil and gas are found in the Paleozoic sedi- ments. Although the more northerly exposures of the Quadrant forma- tion in Central Montana do not show a dominately petroliferous zone, yet some black shales which may have furnished oil and gas are found and the more westerly and southerly exposures are of a more favor- able character. The phosphatic black shale member of the Quadrant, which contains the oil shales of southwestern Montana is reported to thin to the eastward(131) and whereas the Quadrant sands have not yet furnished commercial production in Musselshell Valley, yet these beds are productive in the Soap Creek anticline. Along Mackenzie River in Canada, numerous seeps of light to heavy asphaltic petro- leums are found in the Devonian limestones. To the south, along Athabasca River, these beds are overlain by Dakota sandstones which are known as “tar sands” due to their saturation with asphaltic bitumens which appear to have been derived from the underlying limestones. Southward, in Montana, the Devonian beds are exposed only in the western mountainous area but underlie at least a part of the plains area. Peale(132) describes them as black magnesian limestones “crowded with Devonian fossils,” and shales which in places form carbonaceous phases of sufficient richness to form an impure coal. Reservoir rocks. — Porous beds which may serve as erservoirs are known at various horizons in the upper Paleozoic and Mesozoic forma- (130) Collier, Arthur J., The Bov. doin Dome, Montana, a possible reservoir of oil or gas, U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 661-E, p. 199, 1917. (131) Condit, D. Dale, Oil shale in western Montana, southeastern Idaho, and adjacent parts of Wyoming and Utah: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 711-B, p. 20, 1919 (132) Peale, A. C., Three Forks Folio, U. S. G. S., Folio 24, 1986. « 86 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY tions. The oil that might be generated in the Paleozoic sediments finds suitable reservoir rocks in .the Quadrant formation, correlated with the Tensleep, Amsden, and Embar formations in Wyoming. The most important reservoir rocks belong to the Comanchean and Cretaceous series and serve as collecting sands for oil and gas derived from the associated Colorado shales. The present productive sands occur in the Colorado and Kootenai formations underlying the Colorado shales, in the Eagle sands overlying the Colorado shales, and in the Judith River formation overlying the Claggett shales. The Frontier sands, from which most of the oil in Wyoming is obtained, are only locally developed in Montana and have not yet proved to be pro- ductive in Montana except in the Elk Basin dome. The basal Colo- rado sandstone or ‘ 1 Rusty Beds ’ ’ is the first of the three oil sands of the Mosby district, and the first and second Kootenai sandstones are the two lower sands. The production from the West Mosby dome is al- most entirely from the upper sand, whereas the production from the Mosby dome proper, or middle dome, is from the middle sand. Oil has been obtained from the lowest sand in the Ten Spot well on the West Mosby dome near the edge of the productive area. The chances for production from the two lower sands in the West Mosby dome are therefore favorable. The Eagle sandstones are productive of gas in the Havre district but are not known to contain oil. Since they are separated from the basal petroliferous beds of the Colorado by 1500 to 2000 feet of clay shales, which are not readily traversed by fractures open sufficiently to allow the migration of oil through them, it is doubtful if the Eagle sandstones contain any significant amounts of oil anywhere in Montana. Where traversed by large faults, as in the Havre district, gas can doubtless migrate through the Colorado shales, and may col- lect in the Eagle sandstones in commercial quantities. The Judith River sandstones also contain commercial amounts of gas in the Cedar Creek anticline, but are still farther separated from the source of the oil and gas than the Eagle sandstones, and hence are not likely to contain oil. In fact it appears as if the Judith River sands are productive of gas in the Cedar Creek anticline because the Eagle or other sands are lacking between the Judith River sands and the source of the gas in the basal Colorado shales. It would be unwise, therefore, to prospect only the Judith River sands in those areas also underlain by the Eagle sands. Cap rocks. — Extensive thick beds of shale occur throughout the sedimentary series of Central and Eastern Montana. Most of the shales are weak and incompetent and hence, will flow when under the weight of only a few hundred feet of overlying sediments. There- fore, although they may be broken by faults in many places, they may still serve to cap the underlying sandstones effectively. Favorable structures. — With a minor exception in southwest Wyoming, the only structures which have proved to be productive of FAVORABLE OIL AND GAS STRUCTURES 87 oil in Montana or Wyoming are domes or enclosed anticlines, although within these structures the actual distribution of oil is controlled in places by faults. The uplifts terminated on one side by faults, to the north and south of the Bearpaw mountains, contain gas but have not yet been proved to contain commercial amounts of oil. The major structural features have already been described(133) and are shown and named on the accompanying structural map. Whereas the possi- bilities of oil and gas in each of the structures can not be discussed, on account of the lack of detailed knowledge, yet the application of the facts and theoretical principles already given may be considered further, profitably. Since, as already described, the principal sands, the basal Colo- rado and Kootenai, in which oil is now found in Montana occur lower in the geologic column than the principal source of the oil, the Mowry member of the Colorado, the most favorable structures are those with steep limbs, affording a chance for the oil to migrate upward through cross fractures toward the crest of the fold where the sands have been uplifted above the petroliferous shales. Even in Wyoming where the Frontier sands are well developed, no large oil fields have been found except where the dips exceed, at least 10 degrees in places. In Montana the folds of steep dips occur chiefly in connection with the main Rocky Mountain uplift, the major axis of deformation of Central Montana south of the Little Belt mountains, and the synclinal area between this axis and the main mountain uplift, the Big Snowy Mountains anticlinorium, and in the north and south of the Bearpaw Mountains as well as in the Sweetgrass Hills, Bearpaw Mountains, and Little Rocky Mountain uplifts. In the Sweetgrass arch, and west to the area of greatly folded and faulted rocks near the Lewis over- thrust fault and in Eastern Montana the dips are usually less than 5 degrees. However, the western limb of the Cedar Creek anticline dips at an average angle of 20 degrees. On the Sweetgrass arch, and the Porcupine dome as well, a few minor uplifts or domes are reported, and it is possible that some of them will have sufficiently steep dips to be worth testing. However, it must be borne in mind that in general where the folds have the steepest dips they are close together and only a rela- tively few enclosed anticlines and domes with steep dips have a suffi- ciently large drainage to have collected commercial amounts of oil and gas. It is doubtful if any of the folds within the main mountain area, or even close to the main mountain front, have a sufficiently large drainage area, and doubtless this cause is one of the reasons for the failure resulting from drilling in the Woman’s Pocket and Shawmut anticlines, Big Coulee-Hailstone dome and the domes on the Elk uplift, all situated along the axis of major folding, in Central Montana between the Bighorn and Little Belt and Big (133) See pages 18-24. 88 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY Snowy mountains. This element in the problem should also be given careful consideration in the location of test wells on the faulted structures to the north and south of the Bearpaw mountains. On the other hand, the domes along the north and south margins of the Big Snowy anticlinorium, on th§ flanks of the Bighorn mountains, and in the synclinal area to the west, and in Eastern Montana all have large drainage areas. Virtually all of the sandstones of Central and Eastern Montana are saturated with water throughout their entire extent and although one or two wells have been driven into dry sands, yet the chances are that within nearly all the enclosed structures of Central and Eastern Montana, the sands contain sufficient water to have caused the migration of oil and gas from the surrounding drainage area to the apex of the structure. In all of the mountain groups of Central Montana, with the excep- tion of the western portion of the Bearpaw, and the Highwood and Crazy mountains which are largely volcanic in character, Madison limestone and older Paleozoic rocks and even igneous rock cores are exposed. Hence, they cannot be considered favorable to the accum- ulation of oil and gas. Furthermore, in some of the otherwise fairly favorable structures, such as the Kootenai and Devil’s Basin domes and the West and Middle domes of the Shawmut anticline, the Kootenai formation is exposed and drilling has failed to secure oil from the shallow Kootenai sands although some oil has been obtained from the much more deeply buried Quadrant sands. The lowest rocks exposed in the structures of Eastern Montana, and in several of the structures of Central Montana, except in the Por- cupine dome and in northern ' extension of the Black Hills uplift in southeastern Montana, occur above the Colorado formation. There- fore, to test the basal Colorado and Kootenai sands, the highest known oil horizons in Montana except the Frontier sand in the Elk Basin dome, it will be necessary to go through the Colorado formation which has a thickness of 1500 to 2200 feet. Where the Bearpaw shales are the lowest exposed formation, as in several of the structures of Eastern Montana, and a few in Central Montana, it will be neces- sary to go through the additional thickness of the Eagle, Claggett, and Judith River formations amounting from 600 to more than 1200 feet. Throughout Central and Eastern Montana, the base of the Colorado formation is at least 2000 feet below the base of the Bearpaw shale and in most places is nearly 3000 feet or more. Where the Lance formation is the lowest rock exposed, the Bearpaw shales must also be penetrated so that the depth to the base of the Colorado will vary from 3000 to more than 4000 feet. Since it is doubtful • if oil can be produced at a profit in Montana from depths of more than 3500 feet, drilling for oil in structures where the Lance is the lowest exposed rock cannot be recommended at the present time and not until further development has proved the existence of oil in neigh- FAVORABLE OIL AND GAS STRUCTURES 89 boring structures where the oil sands are shallower. Gas, however, may be sought at shallower depths, 1500 to 2000 feet less in the Eagle sand, and 2000 to 2500 feet less in the Judith River sand. On the accompanying index structural map, the lowest exposed formation is given with the name of the structure and also four type geologic sections, referring in particular to those parts of the state where the corresponding figures are shown. Thus, by the use of the data given, a rough estimate of the depth of the various sands in any structure may be made. There are an insufficient number of analyses of coal from care- fully selected places to determine accurately the physical conditions under which oil and gas might have been distilled in various portions of the state by plotting the carbon contents of the pure coals. In general the carbon content of the lignites of Eastern Montana is slightly less than 50 per cent, hence, any oil which may be found in Eastern Montana will probably be of a heavy character. The carbon content of the sub-bituminous coals of the western part of Eastern Montana and the sub-bituminous and bituminous coals of Central Montana, except close to the mountain uplifts, ranges from 50 to 60 per cent and hence represent ideal conditions for the distillation of medium and high grade oils such as have already been found. Close to the mountains and in the eastern part of the Rocky Mountains the carbon content of the bituminous coals range from 60 to 72.5 per cent, although in places, as in the Trail Creek field(134), the carbon content may be as low as 53.5 per cent, and hence the region cannot be considered as favorable in general to the occurrence of oil in quan- tity although some high grade oil and gas may be found. There are virtually no analyses from which to judge the carbon content of coals, hence the metamorphic conditions, existing well within the mountain region, but in most places it would doubtless exceed the “dead-line” of 70 per cent. It cannot be denied that the results of drilling during 1920 and the first half of 1921 have been disappointing. Several structures where apparently the surface indications have been favorable have not yet been proved to contain oil and possibly some have been definitely disproved, and by June 1st, .1921, only the Elk Basin dome, the West and Middle Mosby domes, and the Soap Creek dome, have been proved to contain oil in profitable amounts. On the other hand it can be said in all fairness that where competent examination shows in Central or Eastern Montana an enclosed structure with steeply dipping limbs, with a good drainage area, and with Judith River or lower Cretaceous rocks exposed, there is ample justification for a test well. (134) Calvert, W. R., The Livingston and Trail Creek coal fields, Montana; U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 471-E, p. 402, 1912. INDEX A. Acknowledgements 9 Amsden formation, correlation of.... 66 , 68 , 86 Anticlines, occurrence of oil in. .80, 86 B. Baker, gas near Battle Creek anticline, location of Bear Creek, coal at Bearpaw Mountains, coal near 44, 51, features of formations in 38, 43, 46 igneous rocks in... .23, 56, 62, 64, location of . Bearpaw Shale, characteristics of 38, distribution of fossils in 41, 49, origin of term . possible source of oil similarity to Claggett shales.. 37, to Colorado shales. stratigraphic relation of 35, 37, 38, thickness of topographic expression of 40, Belly River formation, correlation Belmont terrace, location of Benton group, stratigraphic rela- tion of 36, Bibliography 10, Big Coulee-Hailstone dome, loca- tion of oil possibilities of Big Elk dome, location of oil possibilities of Big Elk sandstone, occurrence of Bighorn Basin, oil development in : Bighorn Mountains uplift, forma tions 35, 36, 50, 58, 60, 62, 64, location of ; oil structure of Bighorn River, location of Big Muddy Creek dome, location of ..... Big Sandy, coal near Big Snowy anticline, location of.... Big Snowy Mountains, formations in 22, 55, 58, 60, 62, location of structure of 21, Big Wall dome, location of Billingsly, Paul, cited Birch Creek, anticlines near Black Butte, location of Black Butte dome, location of Blacktail Creek anticline, location of Black Hills uplift, formations in 36, 43, 46, 50, 54, location of structure of 73 23 71 71 23 51 88 1 > 40 38 54 38 84 47 57 66 41 47 21 66 15 20 87 21 87 55 74 67 17 76 20 16 24 71 21 67 17 22 22 76 21 18 22 21 66 18 24 Blackleaf sandy member, character of 56 Bowdoin dome, formations in. ...43, 46 location of 23 Bowen, C. F., cited 27, 43, 44, 46, 47, 49, 50, 52, 55, 57, 64, 70 Bridger, coal near 70 Bridger Canyon geology of 59, 65 Broadview terrace, location of 21 Browns Coulee anticline, location of 23 Brush Creek dome, location of 22 Bull Mountains, coal field of 71 formation of „ 27, 34 location of 18 nature of coal in 72 Button Butte terrace, location of.... 23 C. Cabin Creek, gas near..... 73 Calvert, W. R., cited 22, 29, 32, 53, 57, 59, 60, 68 and Stone, R. W., cited. ...28, 32, 53 Carbon black, manufacture of 73 Carbon County, early oil develop- ment in 72 Carboniferous, formations of 68 Carbon ratio of coals in central and eastern Montana 89 in Trail Creek coal field 89 relation to oil and gas fields 82 Carlile shale, stratigraphic rela- tion of 55, 66 Castle Mountains, location of 17 Cat Creek anticline, formation in 43, 58 location of 22 oil development on 74, 88 structure of 22 Cedar Creek anticline, gas in. ...73, 86 location of 23 structure of 24 Chugwater formation, characteris- tics of 65 distribution of 65, 67 origin of name 65 thickness of 65 Claggett formation, characteristics of 46, 49, 57 correlation of 66 distribution of 46 fossils in 49 origin of name 46 possible source of oil shale 84 similarity to Bearpaw shale. .37, 47 similarity to Colorado shale 57 stratigraphic, relation of...35, 37, 66 thickness of 49 topographic expression of 47 Clapp, F. G., cited 80, 81 Cleveland, coal near 71 Cloverly formation, correlation of .— . - 58, 59 oil in 80 section in Pyror Mountains 59 thickness of 60 Coal, association with oil and gas 78 occurrence of 70 92 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY Coal Creek anticline, location of 23 Colgate sandstons, stratigraphic re- lation of 26 view, showing 30 Collier, A. J., cited 41, 46, 49, 56, 62, 85 Colorado formation, characteristics of — - * _ i . 55 distribution of 54 fossils in ______ 57 gas in 74 oil in .74, 85, 86 origin of name 54 Petroliferous shale in 56, 84 similarity to Bearpaw shale 57 similarity to Claggett shale 57 source of oil and gas . 84 subdivisions of 55 , 66 thickness of _ 57 Comachean, formations of 35, 57 Concretions, occurrence of 27, 32, 39, 41, 44, 47, 50, 5> Condia, D. D., cited 65, 85 Conglomerates, occurrence of Crazy Mountains, formations in 27, 34, 35, 44, 47, 51, 53, 57, 60 igneous rocks in 53 , 87 location of 17 Cretaceous, formations of 35 , 57 Cross, Whitman, cited 25, 60 Cut Bank anticline, location of 22 Daisy Dean dome, location of 21 Dakota sandstone, occurrence of - 36, 66 petroliferous charcter of 85 Daly, M. R., cited . 82 Darton, N. H., cited 36, 64, 65 Dawson, Sir William 57 Dean anticline, formations in 50 location of 22 Deerfield, Fergus Co., coal near 71 Devil’s Basin anticline, formations in 44, 45, 47 location of 1 22 oil development 74 structure’ of 22 Devil’s Basin dome, location of 22 oil possibilities of 88 Devil’s Pocket anticline, location of 23 Devonian, bituminous character of 85 formations of 69 Domes, See anticlines — Drainage, main features of 16 Dry Creek dome, location of 22 Dupuyer anticline, location of 22 E. Eagle sandstone, characteristics of 50 coal in ...50, 70 distribution of 49 fossils in 51 gas in 73 origin of name 49 thickness of 51 topographic expression of 51 view, showing 48 Eastern Montana, carbon ratios in 89 oil possibilities of 88 East Mosby dome, location of--22, 74 Eldridge, E. H., cited 37 Electric coal field, age of coal in 70 Elevations, regional 17 Elk Basin, formation in 38, 54, 61, 66 location of 22 oil in 74 view, showing frontispiece Elk uplift, location of 21 oil possibilities of 87 Ellis formation, characteristics of.. 64 correlation of 64 66 distribution of ’ 62 fossils in [ 64 sections of 64 stratigraphic relation 62 thickness of 64 view, showing g 3 Embar formation, correlation of „ — ------ : 66 , Emery, W. B., cited Eocene, formations of Faults, influence on oil and gas ac- cumulation 80, 86 tortional, near Billings ! 20 Fernie shale, correlation of 66 Field work, record of 8 Fisher, C. A., cited..._.7.738,’ 51,' Ti] 70 Five Mile dome, location of 24 Flathead County, oil development in - 1 72 Flat Willow anticline, location of.... 23 Fort Union formation, age of 25 characteristics of 27 concertions in _• 27 distribution of 27 divisions of ’’ 28 fossils of ’ 29 lignite in 27, 71 origin of name ’ 26 stratigraphic relation " 27 thickness of 28 topographic expression of 28 Fowler, George cited ; 74 Fox Hills sandstone, correlation Frannie dome, location of ’ 22 Frontier formation, correlation of ------ 55, 66 occurrence of 86 Fuller, M. L., cited 83 • Fuson shale, correlation of 66 G. Gardner, J. H., cited 83 Gas, association with coal 78 with faults : 80, 86 with salt water 78 nature of 78 occurrence near Glendive 73 near Havre 73 near Swetgrass Hills 74 plate, illustrating.... 81 origin of 78 production of 77 theories of acumulation of 78 Geology, regional 18, 24 Gibson dome, location of 21 Glacial drift, distribution of 18 Glendive, gas near 73 Graneros shale, correlation of 60 Great Falls, coal near 70 Greenhorn limestone, correlation of 66 Greybull sandstone, correlation of 58 Gypsum, in Chugwater formation.. 65 INDEX 93 H. Hancock, E. T., cited 20, 38, 39, 40, 41, 57, 61, 84 Hardin, oil and gas near 76, 84 Hares, C. J., cited 36, 38, 55, 59 Hatcher, J. B. cited 29 Hatcher, J. B., and Stanton, T. W., Havre anticline, location of 23 coal near - 73 - gas, occurrence of 73, 86 production of 77 Hayden, F. V., cited 41 and Meek, F. B., cited — 26 Haymaker dome, location of 21 Highwood Mountains, igneous rocks in 57, 88 location of 17 Horsethief sandstone characteris- tics of 32 correlation of 26, 66 fossils of 32 stratigraphic relation of 32 Howard Coulee dome, location of.. 22 I. Igneous intrusions, effect on oil and gas 84 Igneous rocks, occurrence of ....23, ' 34, 35, 53, 54, 57, 88 Impervious beds, necessity of 79 occurrence of 86 Ingomar dome, formations in 43, 45, 46 location of 23 J. Jefferson limestone, occurrence of.. 68 Judith Basin, coal in . 70, 71 Judith Mountains, formations in 43, 62, 67 location of - 17 Judith River formation, character- istics of 44, 45 coal in 43, 70 correlation of 52, 66, 70 distribution of 41, 43 gas in 73, 86 fossils in 46 thickness of 45 topographic expression of 45 view, showing 42 Jurassic, formations of.. ..35, 62, 64, 66 K. Knowlten, F. H., cited 26, 29 Kootenai dome, location of 22 oil possibilities of 88 Kootenai formation, characteris- tics of 57, 59 coal in 58, 59, 70 correlation of 58, 59, 66 fossils in 60 oil in 79, 88 origin of name 57 sections of thickness of 60 L. Lakota sandstone, correlation of 66 Lance formation, age of 25 characteristics of 31 coal in 71 concretions in 31 correlation of r 31, 32, 66 distribtion of ..! 29 divisions of 31 fossils in 33 oil, and gas possibilities in areas of 88, 89 origin of 33 origin of name of 29 stratigraphic relation of 26 thickness of 33 topographic expression of 32 view, showing 30 Larb Hills, location of 17 Lebo shale, coal in 28 features of 27 ' 28 Lennep sandstone, correlation of . 26 , 66 features of 32, 38 Lewistown, coal near ’ 70 Lignite, occurrence of 70 utilization of ' 72 Little Belt Mountains, formations in 43 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 64 , 68 location of 17 structure of 21 Little Belt-Big Snowy anticliorium, features of 22 Little Elk dome, location of 21 Little Missouri River, location of.. 16 Little Rocky Mountains, formations - - <±, 45, 49, 51, 55, 56, 58, 60, 62, 68 igneous rocks in 23, 34 location of 17 Little Sheep Mountains, location of 18 Livingston coal field, location of.... 70 Livingston formation, characteris- tics of 53 correlation of 54 , 66 origin of name of 53 Lodge Creek anticline, location of.. 23 M. McCoy, A. W., cited 82 McGinnis Creek dome, location of.. 23 formations in 43 , 46 McLeod dome, location of 21 Madison limestone, characteristics of 68 Map, compilation of 8 Mapping, methods of 8 Meek, F. B. and Hayden, F. V„ cited 26 Mesozoic, distribution of 34 formations of 34 , 67 table, showing correlation of 66 thickness of 35 unconformity at base of 62 Metamorphism, effect on oil and gas pools 83 Methane 78 Milk River, anticline on North Fork of 22 coal along 16 71 Minnekahta lmestone, correlation of 66 Minnelusa formation, correlation of 66 Missouri River, location of 16 formations along 34 , 38, 41, 43, 44, 45,- 47,’ 49 Moccasin Mountains, location of 17 structure of 22 Montana group, divisions of 35 origin of name of 36 thickness of 38 Mook, C. C., cited 61 94 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY Morrison formation, characteristics of distribution of „ fossils of _ origin of name of sections of thickness of ;_j_ Mosby dome, location of 22, oil development in Mowry shale, characteristics of correlation of source of oil and gas : Musselshell River, location of formation along 34, 38, 43, 44, 45, 47, 50, 54, 57, 85, N. Niobrara shale, stratigraphic rela- tion of 36, 55, O. Oil, association with coal with salt water migration of nature of .' origin of plate showing occurrence of production of theories of accumulation of Oil pools, relation to drainage areas 80, to steep dips 79. Oil sands, economic depth of erosion of water saturation of Oiltana dome, location of Oligoc'ene, formations of Opeche formation, correlation of-.. Ordovician, occurrence of Organic origin of oil and gas P. Pahasapa limestone, correlation of.. Paleozoic, distribution of Parkman sandstone, correlation of Parties, organization of Peale, A. C., cited 67, Peay sandstone, stratigraphic rela- tion of Pepperberg, L. S., cited Petroleum. See oil — Petroliferous rocks, detection of.... Petroliferous shales, origin of Pierre shale, occurrence of Piney Butte, location of Piniele Ridge, location of Pipe lines, from Mosby oil field. .. Pirsson, L. V. and Weed, W. H., cited i Pole Creek anticline, location of.... Poplar dome, location of Porcupine dome, formations in 38, 44, 45, 46, 51, terraces on Porous rocks, influence on oil, gas accumulation stratigraphic relation of Potter Basin dome, location of Powder River, location of Pryor Mountains, formations in 35, 57, 58, 60, 62, 65, location of Q. Quadrant formation, characteristics of correlation of .. 66 distribution of 67 oil in 76 origin of name of j 67 section of 68 source of oil 85, 86 thickness of 68 R. Ragged Point dome, location of .... 22 Red Lodge, coal at 71, 72 Red Rock Coulee anticline, location of 23 Reeves, Frank, cited 30 Rogers, G. S., cited 27, 28 Rosebud River, location of 16 Rosebud Mountains, location of.... 18 S. Salt water, association with oil and gas 78 Schu chert, Charles, cited 26, 61 Scobey anticline, location of 23 Scoffin Butte anticline, location of 22 Seven Mile dome, location of 24 Shawmut anticline, location of 20 oil possibilities of 88 Sheep Mountains, location of 18 Signal Butte anticline, location of... 54 Skull Butte dome, location of 21 Smith, C. D., cited 31 Smoky Buttes, location of 18 Soap Creek anticline, location of-.. 76 oil in 76 Spearfish formation, correlation of 66 Stanton, T. W., cited 29 and Hatcher, J. B., cited 38, 41, 44. 45, 46, 53 Stebinger, Eugene, cited— 21, 27, 31, 32, 36, 40, 45, 52, 56, 64, 71, 72 Stillwater. Valley, coal in 70 St. Mary River, location of 16 St. Mary River formation, correla- tion of 27, 66 Stockett dome, location of 21 Stone, R. W., cited 29 and Calvert, W. R., cited 28, 32 Structure, major features of 20, 24 of Central Montana... .16, 20 of Eastern Montana.... 16, 20 Structures favorable to oil and gas accumulation 80 plate illustrating 81 Sumatra anticline, location of .... 23 Sundance formation, correlation of 46, 66 section of, in Bighorn Mountains 64 Sweetgrass arch, formations in 35, 38, 54 location of 20 structure of 21 Sweetgrass Hills, coal near 71 formations in 34, 50, 62 gas near 73, 74 igneous rocks in 23 location of 17 structure of 21 T. Tensleep sandstone, correlation of 66, 67, 86 Tenspot oil well, West Mosby dome 86 Threeforks shale, description of— 68 61 60 62 60 61 61 74 76 56 66 85 16 89 66 78 78 80 78 78 81 77 78 87 87 82 88 88 22 19 66 68 78 66 67 45 8 85 55 71 79 78 36 18 18 76 22 23 23 54 23 79 86 21 16 67 17 68 INDEX 95 Thermopolis shale, stratigraphic re- lations of 55, 66 Tongue River, location of 16 Topography, general description of 16, 18 Torchlight sandstone, stratigraphic position of — 55 Trail Creek coal field, carbon ratios in .. 89 location of 70 Triassic, formation of 35, 65, 67 Two Medicine formation .character- istics of 52, 53 coal in 3Z, 71 correlation of 52, 66 fossils in 53 origin of name 52 topographic expression of 53 U. Unconformities, occurrence of— .19, 62 V. Virgelle sandstone, characteristics of 50 correlation of 50, 66 distribution of 49 origin of name 49 W. Washburne, C: H., cited 50 Water in sands, effect on oil and gas accumulation 80 Water, salt, association with oil and gas 78 Weed, W. H., cited 49, 53, 68 and Pirsson, L. V., cited— 22 West Mosby dome, location of 22 oil development in 76 plate illustrating 75 production of oil wells in 76 White, C. A., cited 54 White, David, cited 79, 82, 83 White River beds, age of 19 unconformity at base of 19 Willow Creek anticline, location of 22 Willow Creek formation, correla- tion of 27 Winchester, D. E., et al, cited 31, 32 Winifred, Fergus County, faulted structure near 23 Wolf Mountains, location of 18 Wolf Point anticline, location of.... 23 Woman’s Pocket anticline, location of 23 oil development in 74 oil possibilities of 87 Woodruff, E. G-., cited 29 Woolsey, L. H., et al, cited 27, 28 Y. Yellowstone River, location of 16 Yellowstone Yalley, formation in 34. 35. 38, 40, 41, 43 r 45, 47, 51, 53, 54 Columnar Sections ] (After Slebinger) Lance Shale and Sandstone. 1000 3 ear pa-tv Shade Some Sandstone 1 sod 7ivo /Medicine Shale, Sandstone and some coaZ. 2000 ± Eagle Sand - stone 29 ± 0 Colorado Shade so me Sandstone- i&od Kcotenaidforrison, Sandstone and. Shale 900 ' ± Lilts Sha7e, Limestone and. Sandstone Z7S ± 2<(Afte r Collier) 3 eaa~ paw Shade 9 od ± Jud itdvjtiver Sandstone 400 C lagged: Shade iso' Eagle Sew teds tone loo' ± Co lo 7xzdo Shale some Sandetorvs /sod ± Kootsrial-Jifor- rison- Sand- stone Shade 62S ± Lilts Sandstone and Shade 400 ± ^4.fbsr 3oyven) Lance Shade IOOO and Sandstone ± 3eccrpccw Shuzde JudiddvLt SancLsts some Cla. IOOO aver yne and ■ Shade sod ± ggett Shade 400' ± Eagle Sandstone zgd Colorado Shade some Sandstone Z2od KootenaL Shale and Sandstone 25d A EortZJnzors ■ SandstD7ie,SJiaZe and Ligrlde Lance Shade and Sandstone (500 3& • 6" This bulletin deals mainly with interpretations of the federal and state mining laws as related to the discovery, location, representation, and patenting of mineral land in the state of Montana. Considerable space has been given to rules and regulations pertaining to the Leasing Act, as approved by Congress on February 25, 1920, which relates to the mining and prospecting of mineral deposits of coal, phosphate, oil, oil shale, gas and sodium. The last part of the bulletin includes many sections of the mining laws of Montana as taken from the Revised Codes of 1921. These sections treat with the laws of location and representa- tion, and laws which apply to the actual mining of mineral deposits, and mine operations. This work has been written with the intentions of supplying the prospector and locator of mineral deposits with such information as will aid him in complying with the laws from the time of discovery to such time as a patent is obtained, and to inform any qualified applicant as to the general procedure, necessary to prospect and lease lands containing mineral deposits as covered by the Leasing Act. The information contained in this bulletin has been obtained from the Regulations of the United States Land Office, and from the various treatises on mining laws, namely, Lindley on Mines, Morrison’s Mining Rights, Howell on Lode and Placer Claims, Ricketts on Mines, and Shamel on Mining, Mineral and Geological Law. The writer wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness to these treatises, and to Dr. C. H. Clapp and Prof. W. T. Scott for their kind assistance in the preparation of this work. The writer is especially indebted to Mr. Samuel Barker, Jr., E. M., and to Mr. E. B. Howell, LL. B., who have given their valuable time to reading the bulletin besides offering many valuable suggestions, and contributing knowledge gained from practice in their professions. A. E. ADAMI. 3 — CONTENTS Mineral Land : Definition Page Land Subject to Location in Montana State Lands : Location on Lands not Subject to Location in Montana School Lands Agricultural Land .. Before Patent is Issued Locations: Who may Locate Citizens Aliens - Corporations Number of Locations . Allowed Kind of Claims Lode Claims.. Placer Claims Tunnel Claims Millsites Coal Land on State Land Coal Claims on Government Land in a State Oil and Gas Land : On State Land On Government Land Stone Claims : On Government Land On State Land Location of Lode Claims Valid Location Discovery Location Notice : What It Should Contain Notice of Location : Form for Posting of Notice of Location Marking Location on the Ground : How and When Corners : Kind Size of Claims Located : Section 2320, Revised Statutes Discovery Work on Lode Claims Overlapping Locations Discovery Shaft Discovery Cut or Tunnel Certificate of Location 17, Verification of Location Certificate Annual Labor, Representation Work, Assessment Work Annual Labor on Group of Claims *. When Annual Work Ends I What Will Count as Annual Labor Affidavit of Annual Labor : Time for Same Co-owners Forfeiture of Co-owners’ Interest : “Advertising Out” Forfeiture - Abandonment Amended Location Patenting a Mineral Claim Only Citizens May Secure Patent How to Obtain Patent 23 When Made by Authorized Agent 25 — 4 — CONTENTS 5 Page Form for Application to IT. S. Surveyor General for Survey of Mining Claim - - Adverse Claim : Section 2326 Revised Statutes Revised Statutes Pertaining to Rights of Possession and Extralateral Rights Placer Locations : How Made Location of Placer Claims : Size — On Public Lands Form for Placer Locations Form for Certificate of Placer Location 26 29 29 30 31 32 Discovery Work and Annual Labor 34 Patenting Placer Claim 34 Vein or Lode Within Placer Claim 34 Forfeiture, Abandonment, Relocation, Co-owners of Placer Claims 35 Tunnel Claims. Location 35 Patent for Tunnel Claim 36 Labor on Tunnel Claim 36 Staking Lode Claims on Surface 36 Millsites, Location of 37 Form for Millsite Location 37 Patenting Millsites 37 Millsite for Owner of Patented Claims 38 Timber and Timber Lands 38 Leasing Act of Feb. 25, 1920 38 Lands Affected - 38 Title to Such Lands. Permit and Lease 39 Who May Receive a Permit or Lease 39 Aliens 39 Number of Leases Allowed . 39 Unlawful Fights of Persons or Corporations 39 Interests Acquired by Descent, Will, Judgment, etc 40 Lawful Combined Interests, for Pipe Lines — Railroad 40 Unlawful Combined Interests 40 Application for Permits or Leases 40 Cancellation of Prospecting Permits 40 Permits and Leases on Land Patented with Mineral Rights Re- served 40 Right of Way lor Lipe Lines - 41 Right of Way Over Lands Held Under Permit or Lease 41 Reserving of Surface Rights : of Lands Leased 41 Assigning, Sub-Leasing 41 Relinquishment of Lease 41 Methods for Working Deposits 41 Coal Lands 42 Permit and Lease 42 Discovery of Coal by the Permittee — Lease 42 Railroads 42 Areas that May Be Leased 42 Method of Leasing 42 Application of Leases to Land Occupied and Improved 43 Leasing Additional Land 43 Consolidation of Leases 43 Non-Contiguous Land 43 Royalties and Rentals — 43 Period of Lease 43 License to Cities and Individuals for Domestic Purposes 43 Phosphate Lands 44 Size of Lease — Shape 44 Lease on Unsurveyed Land 44 6 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY Page Royalties and Rentals ; 44 Period of Lease . . - 44 Suspension of Operation 45 Additional Lands 45 Oil and Gas Lands... 45 Permit for Unappropriated Lands 45 No Permits for Land in Known Oil or Gas Field 45 Location of Lands 45 Preference Right to a Permit. 45 Terms and Conditions of Permit... 45 Work Required 46 Location of Wells for Prospecting or Lease 40 Precautions When Drilling 46 Extension of Life of Permit... _. 46 Discovery of Oil or Gas 46 Royalty Before Applying for Lease 46 Description of Land Selected for Lease 46 Life of Lease 47 Royalties and Rental Upon Leased Land — 47 Reduction of Royalty 47 Leasing of Land in a Producing Oil or Gas Field 47 Preference Right of Owner of Surface 47 Application by Other Persons 48 Government to Extract Helium From Gas 48 Oil Shale Lands 48 Size of Lease 48 Period of Lease 48 Royalties and Rental 48 Claims Held Under Former Laws 48 Sodium Lands 4b Permit 49 Lease - - 49 Royalty 49 Known Deposits of Sodium 49 Rental 49 Period of Lease 49 Additional Lands 49 Mining Laws of Montana, Revised Codes of 1921 50-55 Location of Mining Claims on State Lands, Revised Codes 55 Sale, Leases and Rentals of State Lands, Revised Codes 56-57 Mining Partnerships, Revised Codes 58-59 Fraud in Selling Mines, etc., Revised Codes 59 Safety to Underground Miners, Revised Codes 59-60 Code of Signals in Metal Mines, Revised Codes 61-62 Procedure to Examine Adjoining Mining Properties, Revised Code 63 Destroying Notices, Penalty, Revised Codes 64 THE LOCATION, REPRESENTATION, AND PAT- ENTING OF MINERAL LANDS IN MONTANA. Mineral Land : Definition. Land which has been classified as more valuable for its mineral deposits than for other purposes is called mineral land. In many cases land which is yet unclassified by the land department of the government may he more valuable for its mineral content than for other purposes and might therefore be called mineral land. In case of dispute, the final decision as to the true character of the land is made by the federal land department, or by the different courts. Unappropriated land, upon or within which mineral is found, is not classed as mineral land unless the deposits are of sufficient size and value to warrant the expenditure of time and money for the purpose of prospecting and developing the deposits, and unless the land proves more profitable for mining than for other purposes. Land Subject to Location in Montana: All mineral land on the public domain of the United States within the State of Montana, whether surveyed or unsurveyed, is open to loca- tion. Following is Section 2319 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, as enacted on May 10, 1872, and which is still in force: “All valuable mineral deposits in lands belonging to the United States, both surveyed and unsurveyed, are hereby declared to be free and open to exploration and purchase, and the lands in which they are found to occupation and purchase, by citizens of the United States and those who have declared their intention to become such, under regulations prescribed by law, and according to the local customs or rules of miners in the several mining districts, so far as the same are applicable and not inconsistent with the laws of the United States.” A valid location can also be made on a forest reservation. State Lands: Location on In Montana lode or quartz claim location may be made on mineral land owned by the state. A locator of state land must comply with the regular laws of the state pertaining to the location of claims, except that no notice of location need be recorded in the office of the County Clerk and Recorder, hut should be filed with the Register of State lands. After one year the locator must purchase the claim at not less than $10.00 per acre, or lease the same from the State Board of Land Commissioners. The land must be mineral land and be more valuable for mining than for other purposes. A lode or quartz claim may not be located on any coal or oil lands belonging to the state. (See page 55.) Lands not Subject to Location in Montana: Any land which has been reserved by the government for military purposes, school purposes, for Indian reservations, or for public parks cannot be located for mineral. If a reservation has been abandoned by the government and restored to the public domain it is again subject to location. — 7 — MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY Locations on Forest Reservations are not included in the above ex- ceptions. A special act was passed by Congress dated March 3. 1891, withdrawing certain lands from the public domain for forest reservations, but in 1898 Congress passed another law whereby all mineral land in such forest reservations is subject to location and entry as mining claims. Following is a list of Indian Reservations opened to the public, and therefore subject to location according to the mineral laws of the state : Fort Belknap, Montana, June 10, 1896. (Minimum price per acre $10.00) Blackfeet Reservation, Montana, June 10, 1896. Flathead Reservation, Montana. April 23, 1904. Crow Indian Reservation, Mon- tana, April 27, 1904. (Price of mineral land as provided by law, but in no case less than $4.00 per acre.) Land which has been granted to a railroad, and for which title passed to the railroad company, is no longer free and open to location. School Lands: Congress has reserved Sections 16 and 36 in each township in the State of Montana, and has granted the same to the state for the main- tenance of public schools, providing, however, that these sections have been classified by proper authority as non-mineral in character. The classification of the school sections is usually made immediately after they have been surveyed and approved. If the land is found to be mineral in character, it is not included in the grant, and is, therefore, open to location. If the land has been otherwise appropriated, or if a mineral location has been made before the land has been surveyed, it is likewise not included in the grant. Agricultural Land: Where a patent has been issued for a homestead, and title thus granted, it is impossible for a valid mineral location to be made, unless fraud has been committed in obtaining the agricultural patent. In case of fraud, a suit by the United States to vacate and annul patents, must be brought within six years after the date of issuance of patent, other- wise the patent is good. (Act March 3, 1891). If a valuable mineral deposit has been discovered on agricultural land for which patent has been issued, the deposit may hot be located by a third party. Such a deposit can be worked or prospected only subject to the wishes of the owner under patent. Before Patent is Issued: If a homestead is applied for in the local land office, and patent has not been issued, it will be possible for a valid mineral location to be made providing, however, that sufficient mineral can be found. In case of dispute between the agricultural and mineral locators, it is necessary to have the Land Office determine the character of the land, and if LOCATION, REPRESENTATION, PATENTING MINERAL LANDS 9 any. portion of the land in conflict is proved to be mineral land by the legal authorities, it will be open to location, and the homestead entry for that portion in conflict will be cancelled. Locations: Who may locate — Citizens : Any citizen of the United States or anyone who has declared his in- tention to become a citizen may locate mineral land for the purpose of prospecting and developing the same. Aliens : An alien may locate a claim in the State of Montana, and can hold, prospect, or develop it, and his rights will be protected by the laws in so doing, providing that he otherwise complies with the state laws governing the location of mining claims, and all ore that is discovered and mined may be sold or otherwise disposed of as desired by the alien locator. The Montana law states that : “Any person who discovers, upon the public domain of the United States, within the State of Montana, a vein, lode, or ledge of rock in place, bearing goltn silver, etc., as a placer deposit of gold or other deposit of minerals having a commercial value, which is subject to entry and patent under the mining laws of the United States, may, if qualified by the laws of the United States, locate a mining claim upon such vein, lode, or ledge or deposit, etc.” In several cases, as decided by the courts, it has been held that a location by an alien is not void but voidable, 1 The right of an alien to hold a mineral location may be contested by the Government only, and an alien may, therefore, hold a claim indefinitely by right of location Should the alien later declare his intention to become a citizen, his location would become valid, and his rights would date back to the time of location. An alien may purchase a patented claim in Montana, or acquire title to the same otherwise, in which case he has the same rights as any citizen. Corporations : Any association or partnership composed of citizens and corporations, organized under the laws of any state, or of the United States, may locate mining claims. A corporation is not legally considered an asso- ciation, and therefore it may not locate a placer claim of more than twenty acres. A valid location may be made by an agent for another person or per- sons, including corporations and partnerships. A minor, regardless of sex. may also locate a claim and hold the same. United States Mineral Surveyors, officers, clerks, and employees of the General Land Office, may not locate nor patent a mining claim. Number of Locations Allowed: The number of locations that one person may make is unlimited by the state law, but as a prospector or locator is usually limited with capital and time, the number of claims that he may legally hold is more lHowell on Lode and Placer Claims, page 7. 10 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY or less limited thereby. It is necessary that $100.00 be spent on each claim each year, or in case of a group of claims, the annual work for all of the claims may be performed under certain conditions, on any one of the claims if not less than $100.00 is spent for each claim so repre- sented. This annual work is also known as “Representation Work”. (See Location Page 20.) Kinds of Claims: Lands may be located, under certain conditions, for mining purposes as lode, placer, tunnel, millsite, coal, oil, oil shale, gas, phosphate or sodium claims. Lode Claims: Lode claims are understood to be mining claims on which valuable mineral has been found in place, and any mineral land on the public domain of the United States which has not been otherwise appropriated may be located as a lode claim. By the phrase “mineral in place” is meant mineral which is fixed or enclosed in the country rock. The terms “vein”, “lode”, “lead”, “ledge”, are used synonymously by the prospector and locator, and hence may be considered synonymous when making locations, although from a geological standpoint, these terms are not identical in meaning. A vein is a tabular or sheet-like mineral deposit found in connection with some pre-existing fissure or cavity. A lode or lead has been formed in connection with a series of nearly parallel, closely spaced fractures, and may therefore, consist of several veins. A ledge refers to a vein having a large and prominent outcrop. Placer Claims : A placer claim may be a claim located on mineral land containing mineral deposits in a loose state, that is not in place. Mineral deposits found in a loose state may be rightly called placer deposits. According to the laws of the United States, the following minerals may be located as placer deposits : alum, asphaltum, diamonds, guano, gypsum, kaolin or china clay, marble, mica, onyx, slate, building stone and limestone for fluxe§ or smelting purposes. Clay used for manufacturing brick is not considered a mineral, and such clay deposits must be located as agri- cultural land. Abandoned tailings may be located as a placer deposit. Tunnel Claims: A tunnel claim is one located for the purpose of prospecting mineral land by means of a tunnel. All veins cut by the tunnel are subject to loca- tion and development by the prospector providing no prior rights to the vein existed before beginning the tunnel. A tunnel may not be driven through any ground which was located by another party prior to the date the tunnel was started, nor may it be driven through any ground for which another person has a patent. Following is section 2323 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, as passed on May 10, 1872, re- garding tunnel claims : “When a tunnel is run for the development of a vein or lode, or for the discovery of mines, the owners of such tunnel shall have the right LOCATION, REPRESENTATION, PATENTING MINERAL LANDS 11 of possession of all veins or lodes within 3,000 feet from the face of said tunnel on the line thereof, not previously known to exist, discovered in such tunnel, to the same extent as if discovered from the surface ; and locations on the line of said tunnel of veins or lodes not appearing on the surface, made by other parties after the commencement of the tunnel, and while the same is being prosecuted with reasonable diligence, shall be invalid, but failure to prosecute the work on the tunnel for six months shall be considered as an abandonment of the right to all undiscovered veins on the line of such tunnel.” By “face” is meant the working face of the tunnel when it is entirely under ground or actually under cover. Millsites : A millsite is a tract of land not exceeding five acres, located on non- mineral land but not contiguous to one’s lode location. If the millsite is located with a lode claim it may be used in connection with the lode claim for mining and milling purposes. A millsite may also be located by an owner of a quartz mill or other reduction plant, who does not own a mine or lode claim in connection with the reduction plant. Section 2337, Revised Statutes of the United States, as passed May 10, 1872, states : “Where non-mineral land, not contiguous to the vein or lode, is used or occupied by the proprietor of such vein or lode for mining and milling purposes, such non-contiguous surface ground may be embraced and in- cluded in an application for patent for such vein or lode, and the same may be patented therewith, subject to the same preliminary require- ments as to survey and notice as are applicable to veins or lodes ; but no location hereafter made of such non-ad jacent land shall exceed five acres, and payment for the same must be madn at the same rate as fixed by this chapter for the superficies of the lode. The owner of a quartz mill or reduction works, not owning a mine in connection therewith, may also receive a patent for his millsite, as provided in this section.” It is absolutely necessary th^t the land claimed as a millsite be non- mineral in character, and therefore, it should not contain any veins, lodes, or ledges valuable for mineral. By “contiguous” is meant ad- joining, adjacent, touching. A claim and millsite with only one corner in common has been held as not contiguous. Coal Land on State Land: All known or classified coal land now owned or acquired later by the State of Montana is reserved from location and can only be leased from the State by paying a royalty of not less than ten cents per ton to the State. State coal lands are so classified by the United States Geological Survey and by the State Board of Land Commissioners. 1 Coal Claims on Government Land in a State: (See page 42.) Oil and Gas Land: On State Land— All state lands are subject to sale, or lease but all coal, oil and gas contained therein is reserved by the state. (See page 56.) On Government Land: By an act passed in Congress in 1903 oil lands were located as placer claims and the annual assessment work on a group of claims not exceed - lLaws of 1909, Chapter 147. See pages 56 and 57. 12 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY ing five in all, lying contiguous and owned by the same person or cor- poration, was done on any one claim, provided that the work performed developed the adjoining claims. By an act as approved by Congress on February 25, 1920, all lands containing coal, oil, and gas, owned by the United States, are subject to lease only by citizens of the United States and under certain con- ditions by citizens of a country which grants similar privileges to American citizens. 1 Stone Claims : On Government Land : Lands which are chiefly valuable for building stone are subject to location under the provisions of the law relating to placer claims. Gn State Land: Land which is chiefly valuable for building stone found on state land may be leased from the State Land Commissioners upon a royalty basis only. (See page 56.) LOCATION OF LODE CLAIMS. Following are the various steps from the time of discovery to that of applying for patent : 1. Discovery of mineral. 2. Posting Notice of Location. 3. Establishing corners within thirty days. 4. Performing discovery work within sixty days. 5. Filing certificate of location within sixty days. 6. Performing annual assessment work. 7. Applying for patent after $500 has been expended for development work. Valid Location: Before making a mineral location, the locator should first ascertain whether or not the land is mineral land on the public domain of the United States, or on State land ; second, should discover whether or not the land is open to location, and third, should make a discovery of mineral before posting the location notice. Discovery : By discovery of a lode location is meant the finding and locating of a vein, lode, or ledge of rock in place, bearing gold, silver, cinnabar, lead, tin, copper, or other valuable minerals. When the land is unclassified, the discovery of a vein, lode, or ledge has to be of such character that the land, in the opinion of the locator, will prove more valuable for mining than for any other purposes. A discovery of mineral such as gold or other valuable mineral deposits, is also necessary in making a placer location. “To constitute a valid discovery upon a lode mining claim, three elements are necessary: (1) There must be a vein or lode of quartz or other rock in place; (2) The quartz or other rock in place must carry gold or some other valuable mineral deposit; and (3) the two preced- lSee Page 38 for Leasing Act. LOCATION, REPRESENTATION, PATENTING MINERAL LANDS 13 ing elements when taken together must be such as to warrant a prudent man in the expenditure of time and money to develop a valuable mine”. (41-L. D. 320). Location- Notice: What it should contain — After making the discovery it is necessary for a locator to post a Notice of Location which can be in a written or printed form, containing (a) name of the claim, (b) name of locator or locators, (c) the date of location, which shall be the date of posting the notice, (d) and the approximate dimensions of the area of the claim intended to be ap- propriated. Many prospectors or locators have the opinion that it is absolutely necessary to obtain a printed form for a Notice of Location. This need not be the case as the laws of the State of Montana specify that the notice may be written or printed. Following are several forms of notices of location that comply with the requirements of the State of Montana : NOTICE OF LOCATION. Notice is hereby given that the undersigned locator ha discovered a vein, lode, or ledge of rock in place, bearing gold, silver, cinnabar, lead, tin, copper, or other valuable minerals ; that the same is hereby located and claimed under the provisions of the laws of the United States and the State of Montana, and that said discovery is at or near where this Notice of Location is posted. The name of the claim is the jl Lode Mining Claim, and is situated in the County of , State of Montana. The approximate dimensions of area of the claim hereby appropriated are as follows : feet in a direction and feet in a direction along the course of the vein, lode or ledge from the point of discovery, and feet on each side from the center of the vein, lode or ledge ; the same being feet wide by feet in length. This notice of location is dated and was posted on the claim at or near the point of discovery this day of A. D. 192 Witnesses : Locators and claimants : A brief form for Notice of Location which complies with all of the requirements of the State of Montana is as follows : 14 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY NOTICE OF LODE LOCATION. Notice is hereby given that the undersigned ha discovered a vein, lode, or ledge of rock in place bearing valuable mineral deposits, and ha this day of , A. D. 192...... located same as the Lode Mining Claim by posting this location notice at or near the point of discovery. The approximate dimensions of the area of the claim located are : feet in a direction, and feet in a direction along the vein, lode, or ledge from the point of discovery and feet on each side of the middle of the vein or lode. Locators and claimants : Posting of Notice of Location: The Notice of Location must be posted in such a manner that it can be readily seen or found by persons passing. Common methods are to tack the notice in a small box and nail the box to a tree ,or to a post placed in the ground, or second, to place the notice in a tin can which is nailed to some tree or post, or third, to place the notice in a can on a pile or rock, etc. This notice should be posted in all cases at the point of discovery or at least within a few feet of the discovery. Marking Location on the Ground: How and when — Within thirty days after posting the Notice of Location, it is neces- sary to mark the location so that the boundaries can be traced. This is usually accomplished by establishing some form of monument, whether of stone or wood, at each corner of the claim. Whatever kind of monu- ment is used must be marked with the name of the claim and the num- ber of the corner or cardinal point. (Points of compass, i. e. the N. E. corner, the S. W. corner, etc.) Corners : Kind The corners of a claim may be (1) a tree at least eight inches in dia- meter and blazed on four sides; (2) a post at least four inches square by four feet six inches in length, set one foot in the ground, unless solid rock should occur at less depth, in which case the post should be set upon such rock, and surrounded in all cases with a mound of earth or rock at least four feet in diameter and two feet high, (3) a stump four inches square and surrounded by a similar mound, (4) a stone at least six inches square by eighteen inches in length, set two-thirds of its length in the ground with a mound of earth or stone along side at least four feet in diameter and two feet high, or (5) a boulder at least three feet above the natural surface of the ground on the upper side. The corners may be placed where desired and also on any land previ- LOCATION, REPRESENTATION, PATENTING MINERAL LANDS 15 ously located. Until a claim is patented, it is advisable to protect the corners by replacing them if they are destroyed, thus definitely marking the boundaries. Size of Claims Located: Section 2320, Revised statutes. “Mining claims upon veins or lodes of quartz or other rock in place bearing gold, silver, cinnabar, lead, tin, copper, or other valuable deposits, heretofore located, shall be governed as to length along the vein or lode by the customs, regulations, and laws m force at the date of their loca- tion. A mining claim located after the tenth day of May, eighteen hundred and seventy-two, whether located by one or more persons, may equal, but shall not exceed, one tnousand five hundred feet in length along the vein or lode; but no location of a mining claim shall be made until the discovery of the vein or lode within the limits of the claim located. No claim shall extend more than three hundred feet on each side of the middle of the vein at the surface, except where adverse rights existing on the tenth day of May, eighteen hundred and seventy- two, render such limitation necessary. The end lines of each claim shall be parallel to each other/’ According to the above section a locator may place his corners so that he shall have fifteen hundred feet along the vein and three hundred feet on each side of the center of the vein at the surface. This is the max- imum size of a claim. There are no restrictions as to the minimum size of a claim. An ideal location is shown in figure 1 or figure 2. /SO o'. F,£.NoJ. F> No Z. In figures 1 and 2, the end lines and side lines are parallel. It is not necessary to have the sidelines parallel, but no point on a side line may be more than 300 feet from the center of the vein. It is not necessary 16 MONTANA STATE BUREAU' OF MINES AND METALLURGY for the vein to be equidistant from the side lines, nor is it necessary for the end lines of a location to be parallel. Figure 3 shows a valid location claiming fifteen hundred feet along the vein, with end lines parallel, and side lines three hundred feet or less from the center of the vein. Fig. No. 3. SE. Aoc.Cor Fig No. A. Figure 4 may be the shape of a valid location but before the same can be patented it will be necessary to make both end lines parallel, and the side lines not more than 300 feet from the center of the vein at any point. In locating a claim the prospector or locator seldom places his corners so that he has an ideal location, or his end lines parallel, but his rights to prospect and develop such a claim are duly protected if he otherwise complies with the laws of location. A claim is seldom located by mak- ing accurate measurements as the distances are usually stepped off. Thus a location is not invalid because its length is slightly greater than 1500 feet or its width more than 300 feet on each side of the middle of the vein, but when making application for patent the dimensions must be corrected accordingly, to comply with government statutes. It should not be understood from the above statement that a locator LOCATION, REPRESENTATION, PATENTING MINERAL LANDS 17 may wilfully stake out a claim with excessive dimensions in order to hold additional land or deprive a third person from making a location. A location that exceeds the maximum size or one with the actual measurements greater than stated in the notice of location is void only as to the excess, and the excess may be located by a third party. Discovery work on lode claims: After posting the notice of location, and establishing the corners, a certain amount of work must be performed within a definite period, either by sinking a shaft, or driving a tunnel, or by cuts or trench work. The object of this work is to prevent the appropriation of land for spe- culative purposes. It is known as Discovery Work and must be per- formed within sixty days after the date of location. The discovery shaft, tunnel, cut, etc., must be upon unappropriated ground, and it is necessary that mineral be found in place in the dis- covery. If a vein or lode is discovered, it is necessary that the apex of the vein or lode shall lie within the boundaries of the location. A location is not valid without a discovery of mineral. The discovery work may be performed at any point along the vein within the boundaries of the location. Overlapping Locations : Locations may overlap, and the corners may be placed on another claim, but the discovery work must be performed on ground which does not conflict with any other location, and it must be on unappropriated public domain. Discovery Shaft: The discovery work may be performed by sinking a shaft to a depth of at least ten feet vertically .below the lowest point of the collar of the shaft, and not less than 150 cubic feet of material must be excavated, and the vein exposed. The Montana law does not state any horizontal dimensions for a discovery shaft. If the vein is exposed or cut at a less vetrical depth than ten feet, and before 150 cubic feet of material is excavated, the locator may excavate the balance of the material at another point on the claim, but in any case not less than 75 cubic feet of material must be excavated at the point of discovery. Discovery Cut or Tunnel: The discovery work may be performed in a cut or tunnel, and in Montana, 150 cubic feet of material must be excavated, and not less than 75 cubic feet must be . excavated at the point of discovery. For each location, there must be a discovery, and the required discovery work must be performed on each location. Certificate of Location: The State of Montana requires that the notice of location be filed for record with the county clerk and recorder of the county in which the claim is located, within sixty days after location. This record is known as the Certificate of Location, and in order to comply with the laws 18 MONTANA STATE BUREAU’ OF MINES AND METALLURGY of the State it must contain (1) the name of the claim, (2) the name of the locators, (3) the date of the location, (4) a description of the claim with reference to some natural object or permanent monument so as to identify it, (5) the direction and distance claimed along the lode or vein each way from the discovery and the width claimed on each side of the middle of the vein. Certificates of Location must be verified before a Notary Public, or other officer authorized to administer oaths, by the locator or an authorized agent. Following is a form of Certificate of Location which must be filed with the county clerk of the county in which the claim is situated: CERTIFICATE OF LOCATION of the . Lode Mining Claim. Know All Men By These Presents, that the undersigned, on the day of , A. D. 19 , did discover a vein or lode, bearing gold, silver, or other valuable metals, and on the same day did locate the same as the Lode Mining Claim, by posting a Notice of Location at the point of discovery, said notice containing the name of the claim, the name of the undersigned as locator , date of location, and approximate dimensions of the claim intended to be appropriated, and that within thirty days after above mentioned date, the undersigned did distinctly mark boundaries of said lode claim by establishing duly marked monuments at each corner of said claim as follows : Corner No. 1 the , Corner of this claim is a 2 marked 3 - Corner No. 1 Lode. Corner No. 2 the Corner of this claim is a marked . Corner No. 2 Lode. Corner No. 3 the Corner of this claim is a marked Corner No. 3 Lode. Corner No. 4 the Corner of this claim is a marked Corner No. 4 — - Lode. That within sixty days after the above mentioned date of location the following discovery work was performed 4 at which point the vein or lode was discovered, the total excavation amounting to ..... cubic feet. That the undersigned locator claim feet in a iNE or NW, etc. 2Describe briefly tree, post, boulder, etc. 3NE, NW, etc. 4Shaft, tunnel, or cut, and dimensions of each. LOCATION, REPRESENTATION, PATENTING MINERAL LANDS 19 direction and feet in a . direction along the course of the vein measured from the point of said discovery and feet on each side of the center of the vein. That the following references are made to some natural object or permanent monument as will identify the claim : ( 1 ) 6 ( 2 ) (3) The following claims are adjoining, to-wit : — On the north . the Lode Mining Claim. On the East the Lode Mining Claim. On the South the Lode Mining Claim. On the West the Lode Mining Claim. This claim is situated in the Mining District, County of , State of Montana. That the name.... of the locator and the claimant follow ; and the undivided interest in the above described location claimed by each of the undersigned is indicated by the fraction set after each name : Locators Interest Verification of Location Certificate: STATE OF MONTANA, County of being first duly sworn, on oath says : That he is the locator and claimant of the Lode Mining Claim, and that he has read the said Certificate of Location and that the matters and things stated therein are true of his own knowledge. Subscribed and sworn to before me this day of A. I). 10 Notary Public for State of Montana. Note: Printed forms for Notice of Location and Certificate of Location can be purchased at the different news stands and newspaper offices in the State. r>State approx, direction and dist. to some sec., corner, patented mining claim corner, intersection of gulches, permanent peaks, hills, shafts, tunnels, intersection of streams, towns, RR stations etc. eName of locator or authorized agent, or officer of corporation. 20 MONTANA STATE BUREAU’ OF MINES AND METALLURGY Annual Labor, Representation Work, Assessment Work: Performing the necessary work of location and discovery, recording the certificate of location, and verifying the same, entitles the locator or claimant to hold the claim until noon of the first day of July suc- ceeding the date of location, but for each period of one year thereafter at least $100.00 must be spent for labor or improvements on the claim. Example: If a claim is located on March 10, 1922, the first annual work or assessment work must be performed between noon on July 1, 1922 and noon July 1, 1923. If a claim is located on July 10, 1922, the first annual work must be performed during the period from noon July 1. 1923 and noon, July 1, 1924. Following is an amendment to Act of January 22, 1880. “That the period within which the work required to be done annually on all unpatented mineral claims located since May 10, 1872, including such claims in Alaska, shall commence at 12 o’clock meridian on the 1st day of July succeeding the date of location of such claim; Provided further, That on all such valid existing claims, the annual period end- ing December 31, 1921, shall continue to 12 o’clock meridian July 1, 1922.” (Approved August 24, 1921.1 Work may begin on the last day of the period within which the annual work must be performed and it must be continued without interruption until completed. Continuous work gives one the right of possession, which until lost, does not make a claim subject to relocation by another person. Annual Labor on Group of Claims: When a number of claims are held in common, and are contiguous, the total expenditure that would be necessary to hold all the claims in such a group may be made upon any one claim, provided such work bene- fits the claims of the entire group. Failure to perform the annual work will subject the claim or claims to relocation unless the locator resumes work before another party locates the same. Locations with only one corner in common are held not to be contiguous. When Annual Work Ends: Annual Labor must be performed until the claim is patented or at least until after the issuance of the Register’s Certificate. If the Register’s Certificate is thereafter cancelled and the annual labor has not been performed, the claim is subject to relocation. What Will Counit as Annual Labor: The expenditure of $100.00 for annual labor may be for sinking a shaft, driving a tunnel or cross cut, erecting machinery or a build- ing for mining purposes, building of roads, cost of powder, fuse, supplies, or even horse hire when used on the claim for operating a whim or pulling cars. A watchman’s service may count for annual labor where the improvements on a claim are valuable. Machinery, boilers, and sup- plies, brought on the claim, and then removed or not used will not count as a part of the annual labor. LOCATION, REPRESENTATION, PATENTING MINERAL LANDS 21 Affidavit of Annual Labor: Time for same — The State of Montana does not require a locator to make an affidavit as to the annual labor or work performed, but the law states that the owner of the lode or placer claim who performs, or causes to be per- formed, the annual work or improvement in order to prevent forfeiture of the same, may within twenty days after the annual labor file with the county clerk an affidavit of his own, or of one of the persons who per- formed the work. This affidavit is accepted by courts as prima facia evidence that the work has been performed. Co-owners : When there is more than one locator each must contribute his share of the required amount spent for annual labor but when one of the locators or co-owners fails or refuses to contribute his share, his interest may become forfeited. Forfeiture of Co-owners Interest: “Advertising Out” Upon the failure of, any one of several co-owners to contribute his share of the required expenditures, the co-owners who have performed the labor or made the improvements as required, may, at the expiration of the year, notify the delinquent co-owner in writing or notice by pub- lication in a newspaper, published nearest the claim, for at least once a week for ninety days ; and if, upon the expiration of ninety days after such notice in writing, or upon the expiration of one hundred eighty days after the first newspaper publication and notice, the delinquent co-owner shall have failed to contribute his proportion to meet such ex- penditures or improvements, his interest in the claim by law passes to his co-owners who have made the necessary expenditures. When a locator or claimant alleges ownership of a forfeited interest, under the above provisions, the sworn statement of the publisher as to the facts of publication, giving dates and a printed copy of the notice published, should be furnished and the claimant must swear that the delinquent co-owner failed to contribute his proper share within the period fixed by the statutes. 1 Forfeiture : In order to hold a mining claim of any kind in the State it is neces- sary to comply with the requirements of the law in regard to (1) mak- ing a discovery, (2) posting the location notice, (3) establishing the monuments at the corners, (4) performing the discovery work, (5) re- cording the certificate of location and verifying the same, (6) and per- forming the annual assessment or representation work. If any one of the above mentioned requirements are neglected or not complied with, the locator or claimant may lose or may forfeit his rights to the claim provided that another locator has taken up the said claim after the expiration of the time allowed for any one of the above mentioned re- quirements. A forfeited claim is subject to relocation, but a forfeiture is not com- plete until another party has located the said claim. A locator who did lLand Office Regulations. 22 MONTANA STATE BUREAU' OP' MINES AND METALLURGY not comply with the requirements of the law within the period so stated, but who at some later date, possibly several months thereafter, did complete the necessary work before there were any adverse rights, remains the rightful owner of the claim, and his title to the same dates back to the time of location. Forfeiture does not apply when an owner is forceably prevented from performing his annual labor. Abandonment : Abandonment is a voluntary act on the part of a locator or locators relinquishing his, or their, rights to the claim, that is, with the intention of deserting the claim and thus allowing other parties to relocate and work the said claim peacefully. An abandoned claim is subject to im- mediate relocation. If the owner encourages another party to locate the claim or states before witnesses that he intends to leave the claim with the intention of not returning, it is an abandonment. Amended Location: A locator may, at any time, amend his location, and make any change in the boundaries which does not involve a change in the point of dis- covery as shown by the discovery shaft. An “Amended Location Notice” must be posted at the original point of discovery the corners must be marked “amended” in addition to the previous markings, and an amended certificate of location conforming to the requirements of an original certificate, must be properly filed and verified. A defect in a recorded certificate of location may be secured by filing an amended certificate of location. No additional discovery wcrk need be performed to hold an amended location, thus differing from a relocation. Relocation : Any claim which has been forfeited or abandoned may be relocated, and the laws pertaining to a location must be complied with as though it were an original location. (See Location of Lode Claim, Page 12). For each relocation there must be a discovery although the original discovery point may be adopted, and the original discovery shaft sunk until 150 cubic feet of material is excavated, or the discovered tunnel can be advanced the required amount. The same points may be used for the corners and the same corners may be used after being remarked. A locator or claimant may relocate his own claim for any purpose except to avoid the performance of the annual labor, or he may relocate his own claim and change the boundaries or the point of discovery, or both, but he must comply otherwise with all requirements of the law in regard to an original location. If for some reason a locator made a valid location but did not per- form the necessary annual work within the time so specified, the claim is subject to relocation by another party, but where the time has ex- pired for doing the required annual work, and the original locator again LOCATION, REPRESENTATION, PATENTING MINERAL LANDS 23 intends to work the claim, and does actually resume work, it is not necessary to relocate his claim to hold the same, provided that the rights of other parties have not intervened. Patenting a Lode Claim: The annual labor or assessment work must be performed each year, unless by a special act of Congress the same is eliminated, this being the case for several years during the recent war. In order to avoid the annual work or in order to secure title from the government, it is necessary to patent one’s claim. Patent may be applied for after at least $500.00 has been spent on the claim, or when, for a group of claims, at least $500.00 has been spent on each claim in the group, or the equivalent of $500.00 for each claim in the group may be spent upon any one of the claims so desired, in which case the work must be so performed that all the claims in the group will be developed thereby. As the services of the U. S. Mineral Surveyor will be required, it is advisable for a locator or claimant to seek his advice or the advice of an attorney as soon as the patent is desired. All official surveys of mining claims, in application for patent, are executed by U. S. Mineral Surveyors who are appointed by the United States Surveyor General for the State. Only Citizens May Secure Patent It is absolutely necessary that a claimant be a citizen of the United States, or one who has declared his intention to become such, before patent will be granted by the Government. How to Obtain Patent: An application for an order of survey is made by the claimant or his attorney to the Surveyor General of the State in which the claim or claims are located. The application may include the name of the Mineral Surveyor whom the claimant desires to make the necessary sur- vey. The Mineral Surveyor named in the application must have no in- terest whatsoever in the claim or claims to be surveyed. The application must be accompanied by the location notice, or by a certified copy of the Certificate of Location, obtained from the County Clerk and Recorder of the county in which the claim is situated, and by the sum of $30.00 for office expenses in the Surveyor General’s Office. 1 When a group of claims is to be surveyed for patent, the sum of $30.00 for the first claim, and $20.00 for each additional claim is required for office expenses. The Surveyor General will then issue an order for the survey naming therein the Mineral Surveyor. The order is sent direct to the Mineral Surveyor who in turn makes the necessary surveys as prescribed in the Manual of Instructions for the Survey of Mineral Lands. A Mineral Surveyor cannot act as an attorney and a Mineral Surveyor at the same time. After the survey is completed, and the necessary re- turns forwarded to the Surveyor General, including reports, plat, and field notes, it is checked, and if approved, the Surveyor is so notified, and his duty in connection with the survey thereby ceases. 24 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY One plat and one copy of the original field notes are prepared by the Surveyor General. The plat is sent to the General Land Office where I ten lithographic copies are made from the original. One copy is given to the claimant for posting on the claim together with a notice of in- tention to apply for patent ; seven copies and the original field notes are retained by the Surveyor General ; one copy, and a copy of the field notes are sent to the claimant to be filed by him with the Register of the Land Office to be finally transmitted by that officer, with other papers in the case, to the General Land Office; and one copy is to be sent by the Surveyor General to the Register of the proper land district, to be retained on his files for future reference. Copies of all plats be- ginning with Survey No. 9200 may be purchased from the Surveyor General for fifty cents each. The claimant must post a copy of the plat, with a notice of intention to apply for patent, on the claim before filing his application for patent. At least two disinterested witneses must sign an affidavit that the notice and plat have been posted on the claim. After the application for patent has been published for a period of sixty days, and after the necessary plats, notes, and affidavits, have been properly posted and filed, and upon payment of five dollars per acre for lode claims, and two dollars and fifty cents for placer claims, a register’s certificate will be issued to the applicant, provided, that no contests are filed against the claim and fraud has not been committed. Following is Section 2325 of the Revised Statutes, regarding the patent- ing of mineral lands : “A patent for any land claimed and located for valuable deposits may be obtained in the following manner : Any person, association, or cor- poration authorized to locate a claim under this chapter, having claimed and located a piece of land for such purposes, who has, or have, complied with the terms of this chapter, may file in the proper land office an application for a patent under oath, showing such compliance, together with a plat and field notes of the claim or claims in common, made by or under the direction of the United States surveyor-general, showing accurately the boundaries of the claim or claims, which shall be distinctly marked by monuments on the ground, and shall post a copy of such plat, together with a notice of such application for a patent, in a con- spicuous place on the land embraced in such plat previous to the filing of the application for a patent, and shall file an affidavit of at least two persons that such notice has been duly posted, and shall file a copy of the notice in such land office, and shall thereupon be entitled to a patent for the land; in the manner following : The register of the land office, upon the filing of such application, plat, field notes, notices, and affidavits, shall publish a notice that such application has been made, for the period of sixty days, in a newspaper to be by him designated as published nearest to such claim ; and he shall also post such notice in his office for the same period. The claimant at the time of filing this application, or at any time thereafter, wdthin the sixty days of publica- tion, shall file with the register a certificate of the United States surveyor-general that five hundred dollars’ worth of labor has been ex- pended or improvements made upon the claim by himself or grantors; that the plat is correct, with such further description by such reference to natural objects or permanent monuments as shall identify the claim, and furnish an accurate description, to be incorporated in the patent. At the expiration of the sixty days of publication, the claimant shall file his affidavit, showing that the plat and notice have been posted in a conspicuous place on the claim during such period of publication. If LOCATION, REPRESENTATION, PATENTING MINERAL LANDS 25 no adverse claim shall have been filed with the register and the receiver of the proper land office at the expiration of sixty days of publication, it shall be assumed that the applicant is entitled to a patent, upon the payment to the proper officer of five dollars per acre, and that no adverse claim exists ; and thereafter no objection from third parties to the issuance of a patent shall be heard, except it be shown that the applicant has failed to comply with the terms of this chapter. This section was amended January 22, 1880, as follows When Made by Authorized Agent: “That section twenty-three hundred and twenty-five of the Revised Statutes of the United States be amended by adding thereto the follow- ing words : ‘Provided, that where the claimant for a patent is not a resident of or within the land district wherein the vein, lode, ledge, or deposit sought to be patented is located, the application for patent and the affidavits required to be made in this section by the claimant for such patent may be made by his, her, or its authorized agent, where said agent is conversant with the facts sought to be established by said affidavits : And Provided, That this section shall apply to all applica- tions now nending for patents to mineral lands.’ ” Form for Application to U. S. Surveyor General for Surveys of Mining Claims : : 19... United States Surveyor-General, Sir: , claimant.... hereby make.... applica- tion for an official survey, under the provisions of Chapter 6, Title 32, of the Revised Statutes of the United States, and regulations and instructions thereunder, of the mining claim known as the , situated in mining district, county in section.... , township No Range No Said claim is based upon a valid location made on , 19 , and duly recorded on 19 , and is fully described in the duly certified copy of the record of the location certificate, filed herewith. Said certificate contains the name of the locator, the date of location, and such a definite description of the claim by reference to natural objects or permanent monuments as will identify the claim, and said location has been distinctly marked by monuments on the ground, so that its boundaries can be readily traced request that you send an estimate of the amount required to defray the expenses of platting and other work in your office, required under the regulations, that may make proper deposit therefore, and that thereupon you will cause the survey to be made by , United States mineral surveyor, and proper action to be taken thereon by your office, as required by the United States mining laws and regulations thereunder. , Claimant. P. O. Address County. 26 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY Adverse Claim: Section 2326 Revised Statutes. “Where an adverse claim is filed during the period of publication, it shall be upon oath of the person or persons making the same, and shall show the nature, boundaries, and extent of such adverse claim, and all proceedings, except the publication of notice and making and filing of the affidavit thereof, shall be stayed until the controversy shall have been settled or decided by a court of competent jurisdiction, or the adverse claim waived. It shall be the duty of the adverse claimant, within thirty days after filing his claim, to commence proceedings in a court of com- petent jurisdiction, to determine the question of the right of possession, and prosecute the same with reasonable diligence to final judgment ; and a failure so to do shall be a waiver of his adverse claim. After such judgment shall have been rendered, the party entitled to the possession of the claim, or any portion thereof, may without giving further notice, file a certified copy of the judgment roil with the register of the land office, together with the certificates of the surveyor-general that the requisite amount of labor has been expended or improvements made thereon, and the description required in other cases, and shall pay to the receiver five dollars per acre for his claim, together with the proper fees, whereupon the whole proceedings and the judgment roll shall be certified- by the register to the Commissioner of the General Land Office, and a patent shall issue thereon for the claim, or such portion thereof as the applicant shall appear, from the decision of the court, to rightly possess. If it appears from the decision of the court that several parties are entitled to separate and different portions of the claim, each party may pay for his portion of the claim with the proper fees, and file the certificate and description by the surveyor-general, whereupon the register shall certify the proceedings and judgment roll to the Commissioner of the General Land Office, as in the preceding case, and patents shall issue to the several parties according to their respective rights. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to prevent the alienation of a title conveyed by a patent for a mining claim to any person whatever.” This section was amended by Act of March 3, 1881, as follows : “That if, in any action brought pursuant to section twenty-three hundred and twenty-six of the Revised Statutes, title to the ground in controversy shall not be established by eithey party, the jury shall so find, and judgment shall be entered according to the verdict. In such case costs shall not be allowed to either party, and the claimant shall not proceed in the land office or be entitled to a patent for the ground in controversy until he shall have perfected his title.” This section was further amended by Act of April 26, 1882, as follows : “That the adverse claim required by section twenty-three hundred and twenty-six of the Revised Statutes may be verified by the oath of any duly authorized agent or attorney in fact of the adverse claimant cognizant of the facts stated ; and the adverse claimant, if residing at the time being beyond the limits of the district wherein the claim is situated, may make oath to the adverse claim before the clerk of any court of record of the United States or the State or Territory where the adverse claimant may then be, or before any notary public of such State or Territory.” When there is any dispute over the rights of possession of the land it is necessary for the adverse claimant to file his adverse claim during the sixty day period of publication, and commence proceedings to determine the question of rights of possession within thirty days thereafter, but if no adverse claim is filed before the time for publication expires, applica- tion is then made for title to the ground, such application being accompanied by a sum equivalent to $5.00 per acre or fraction thereof for lode claims, and $2.50 per acre or fraction thereof for placer claims, LOCATION, REPRESENTATION, PATENTING MINERAL LANDS 27 for which the Register will issue a duplicate receipt. The returns of the survey with the required approval of the Surveyor-General are then furnished to the Commissioner of the General Land Office in Washington, D. C., who upon approving the application, will issue the patent, w^hich is a conveyance from the United States Government. After the purchase price of the land has been accepted by the Land Office, for which a Register’s certificate has been issued, no annual work need be performed. After obtaining patent the owner may sell, transfer, or otherwise dispose of said claim or claims in any manner desired. Upon receiving title from the Government the patentee is granted the exclusive right of possession and enjoyment of all the surface included within his claim, and of all veins, lodes, and ledges throughout their entire depth, the top or apex of which lies inside of his surface boundaries, and he may follow such veins, lodes, or ledges, downward indefinitely even though it may be necessary to pass outside of the vertical boundaries of his side lines. Such rights as granted by the Government, can only apply to such portions of the veins that lie between vertical planes passing through the end lines of the claim which must be parallel. These vertical planes are indefinite in size. (See Section 2322, Revised Statutes, page 29). Such rights are known as “Extralateral Rights” and due to the many varied opinions and complications pertaining to the same it would not be proper nor possible to discuss the same, even briefly, within the limits of this bulletin. Following are sketches illustrating what has been said above. Figure 5 shows an ideal claim with two veins dipping in the same direc- tion and figure 6 shows a section through AA in which an end view is seen. The owner according to Section 2322, of the Revised Statutes, owns both veins, and can follow each, indefinitely in depth, beyond the vertical plane of the side lines passing through the corners 1 and 4 as shown in figure 5. The owner’s rights to follow and mine the vein beyond the side 28 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY lines as at B in figure 6, are known as “Extraside Rights” or “Extralateral Rights.” “C,” figure 6, is the apex or top of the vein. In order to have any “Extralateral Rights” it is necessary to have the top or apex of the vein within the limits of one’s claim, and the vein passing through at least one end line. Apex should not be confused with outcrop as the latter may or may not be the apex. See figure 7. AA is an outcrop, that is, where the vein comes to the surface, while “B” is the apex and an outcrop. An outcrop is the exposed edge of the vein at the surface. The apex of a vein is the top edge of the vein along its entire course. It may appear at the surface, or in the case of a blind vein, it may be at a considerable distance from the surface. LOCATION, REPRESENTATION, PATENTING MINERAL LANDS 29 In figure 8, the outcrop is shown at D and the apex at E. The claimant may by his extralateral rights, mine all ore in the main vein (figure 5) between the two vetrical parallel planes passing through the end lines 1-2 and 3-4, and all ore from the secondary vein between two parallel vertical planes passing through corners 3-4 and the point where the secondary veins crosses the side lines 2-3. Revised Statutes Pertaining to Rights of Possession and Extralateral Rights : “Sec. 2322. The locators of all mining locations heretofore made, or which shall hereafter be made, or any mineral vein, lode, or ledge, situated on the public domain, their heirs and assigns, where no adverse claim exists on the tenth day of May, eighteen hundred and seventy-two, so long as they comply with the laws of the United States governing their possessory title, shall have the exclusive right of possession and enjoyment of all the surface included within the lines of their locations, and of all veins, lodes, and ledges throughout their entire depth, the top or apex of which lies inside of such surface lines extended downward vertically, although such veins, lodes, or ledges may so far depart from a perpendicular in their course downward as to extend outside the vertical planes drawn downward as above described, through the end lines of their location, so continued in their own direction that such planes will intersect such exterior parts of such veins or ledges. And nothing in this section shall authorize the locator or possessor of a vein or lode which extends in its downward course beyond the vertical lines of his claim to enter upon the surface of a claim owned or possessed by another.” “Sec. 2336 R. S. Where tw T o or more veins intersect or cross each other, priority of title shall govern, and such prior location shall be entitled to all ore or mineral contained within the space of intersection ; but the subsequent location shall have the right of way through the space of intersection for the purposes of the convenient working of the mine. And where two or more veins unite, the oldest and prior location shall take the vein below the point of union, including all the space of intersection. — Act of May 10, 1872.” PLACER LOCATIONS. A placer claim, that is, a claim containing mineral deposits in a loose state or not in place, may be located in the same manner as a lode claim. See page 12. Mineral deposits which may be located as placer deposits are mentioned on page 10. The area of one location may vary from twenty acres to one hundred and sixty acres, depending upon the number of locators. A corporation 30 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY or any qualified locator may not locate more than twenty acres in one location. A claim containing one hundred and sixty acres may be located by an association of eight locators. One discovery of mineral is necessary for each location, whether it is a location of twenty acres by an individual or one of one hundred and sixty acres by an association of persons. A location having an area in excess of that allowed by the law, is void only as to the excess. In Montana it is necessary to make a discovery, post a notice of location, erect corners, perform the discovery work, record the certificate of loca- tion, and perform the necessary annual labor for placer claims in the same manner as for lode claims. The following are the sections of the Revised Statutes of the United States relating to placers : Section 2329, Revised Statutes : “Claims usually ‘called ‘placers’ in- cluding all forms of deposit, excepting veins of quartz, or other rock in place, shall be subject to entry and patent, under like circumstances and conditions, and upon similar proceedings, as are provided for vein or lode claims; but w T here the lands have been previously surveyed by the United States, the entry in its exterior limits shall conform to the legal subdivision of the public lands.” (Act of July 9, 1870). Section 2330. “Legal subdivisions of forty acres may be subdivided into ten-acre tracts ; and two or more persons, or associations of persons, having contiguous claims of any size, although such claims may be less than ten acres each, may make joint entry thereof; but no location of a placer claim, made after the ninth day of July, eighteen hundred and seventy, shall exceed one hundred and sixty acres for any one person or association of persons, which location shall conform to the United States surveys ; and nothing in this section contained shall defeat or impair any bona fide preemption or homestead claim upon agricultural lands, or authorize the sale of the improvements of any bona fide settler to any purchases.” Section 2331. “Where placer claims are upon surveyed lands, and conform to legal subdivisions, no further survey or plat shall be required, and all placer-mining claims located after the tenth day of May, eighteen hundred and seventy-two, shall conform as near as practicable with the United States system of public-lands surveys, and the rectangular sub- divisions of such surveys, and no such location shall include more than twenty acres for each individual claimant; but w T here placer claims cannot be conformed to legal subdivisions, survey and plat shall be made as on unsurveyed lands ; arid where by segregation of mineral lands in any legal subdivision a quantity of agricultural land less than forty acres remains, such fractional portion of agricultural land may be entered by any party qualified by law, for homestead or preemption purposes.” (Act of May 10, 1872). A placer claim must be rectangular or square in shape, and it must conform to the subdivisions of the public land, that is, the boundaries must run as nearly as practicable, north and south, or east and west whether on surveyed or unsurveyed land. No location may exceed twenty acres for one locator. A location greater than tw T enty acres but not in excess of forty acres must be made by two locators, one greater than sixty acres but not in excess of eighty acres must be made by four locators, and so on. “Gulch Placers” may be located with the boundaries somewhat irregu- lar, but if possible, the boundaries should run north and south, and east and west, as stated above. location, representation, PATENTING MINERAL LANDS 31 All locations should be compact and regular in form. Long narrow locations or one grossly irregular will not be permitted. Figure 9 illustrates bow public lands may be subdivided in order to take up various tracts as placer claims. Form for Placer Location: NOTICE OF PLACER LOCATION. Notic„e is hereby given that the undersigned locator.... and claimant— ba on this day of , A. D. 19 discovered a deposit of gold, or other valuable deposits, having a com- mercial value, and do hereby locate and claim same, which shall be known as Placer Mining Claim, and did on the same day post this notice at the point of discovery. The dimensions of this claim are feet in a direction, and feet in a direction from the point of discovery, by feet on each side of middle of claim, containing acres. Witnesses : Locators and claimants : Note : For each multiple of twenty acres in the located area or claim, there should be one qualified locator who must sign the notice of location. This notice of location must be posted on the claim at or near the point of discovery. 32 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY Form for Certificate of Placer Location: CERTIFICATE OF LOCATION of the Placer Mining Claim. Know All Men by These Presents, That the undersigned, each of whom is a citizen of the United States, or has declared his intention to become such, did, on the day of , 19 , discover a placer deposit bearing gold, and other minerals having a commercial value, and on the same day did locate and claim the same as the Placer Mining Claim, by posting a notice of location conspicuously at the point of said discov- ery, containing the name of said claim, the name.... of the undersigned as locator...., the date of said location, and the approximate dimensions of such claim intended to be appropriated. This claim is situated in Mining District (unorganized), in the County of , State of Montana. The adjoining claims are as follows, to-wit: On the North , the Claim; On the East, the . Claim ; On the South , the Claim ; On the West, the Claim ; Measured from the discovery of this claim as a starting point, the following natural objects and permanent monu- ments are distant as follows, to-wit : . is distant feet in a direction ; is distant feet in a direction. Subsequent to the date of said location, to-wit, on the day of , 19 , the undersigned did distinctly mark said location on the ground so that its boundaries could be readily traced, in the following manner, to-wit : Beginning at. Corner No. 1, which is a. and which is distant feet in a direction from the point of discovery, and running thence First Course : Direction, distance feet, to Corner No, 2, which is a Second Course : Direction, , to Corner No. 3, which is a .... and running thence distance feet, LOCATION, REPRESENTATION, PATENTING MINERAL LANDS 33 .. . . and running thence Third Course : Direction, , distance feet, to Corner No. 4, which is a and running thence Fourth Course: Direction, , distance feet; to Corner No. 1, the place of beginning. Within sixty days after posting said notice of location the under- signed performed the following discovery work, to-wit : At the point of discovery dug a .of the following dimensions, to-wit : constituting in all cubic feet of excavation, and said work has disclosed at the point of discovery a valuable deposit of The undivided interest in the above described location, claimed by each of the undersigned, is indicated by the fraction set after each name. STATE OF MONTANA, > ss. County of | Locator.... and Claimant. says : That....he....is claimant.... whose name. being duly sworn on oath the locator.... and signed to the foregoing 34 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY Certificate of Location ; that —.he... .has read the said Certificate, and knows the contents thereof, and that the matters and things therein stated are true of his own knowledge. Subscribed and sworn to, before me this day of. A. D., 19 Notary Public in and for County, State of Montana. The locators or claimants according to the state laws of Montana, may at their option set forth in the certificate of location a description of the discovery work, the corner monuments and markings thereon, and any other facts showing a compliance with the provision of the law. The certificate of location must be verified as in the case of a lode claim by some one of the locators or by an authorized agent. (See page 17). Discovery Work and Annual Labor: The same amount of discovery work is required for a placer claim as a lode claim, that is, the excavation of at least 150 cubic feet of material in which the mineral deposit has been disclosed. (See Lode Claim, Page 17). The annual labor, which is the same as a lode claim must be performed in order to hold the placer location whether it be for a location of twenty acres or for a location by an association of eight locators for one hundred sixty acres. Patenting Placer Claim: A patent for a placer claim may be applied for in the same manner as a lode claim. (See Section 2325, Revised Statutes. Page 24.) Vein or Lode Within Placer Claim: “Sec. 2333. Where the same person, association, or corporation is in possession of a placer* claim, and also a vein or lode included within the boundaries thereof, application shall be made for a patent for the placer claim, with the statement that it includes such vein or lode, and in such case a patent shall issue for the placer claim, subject to the pro- visions of this chapter, including such vein or lode, upon the payment of five dollars per acre for such vein or lode claim and twenty-five feet of surface on each side thereof. The remainder of the placer claim, or any placer claim not embracing any vein or lode claim shall be paid for at the rate of two dollars and fifty cents per acre, together with all costs of proceedings ; and where a vein or lode, such as described in section twenty-three hundred and twenty, is known to exist within the boundaries of a placer claim which does not include an application for the vein or lode claim shall be construed as a conclusive declaration that the claimant of the placer claim has no right of possession of the vein or lode claim ; but where the existence of the vein or lode in a placer claim is not known, a patent for the placer claim shall convey all valuable mineral and other deposits within the boundaries thereof.” No person may legally prospect for a vein or lode, or locate a vein, if discovered, within the boundaries of a valid placer location without the consent of the placer claimant. If a vein is discovered within the boundaries of a valid placer location by the placer claimant it will not be necessary to locate the vein as a LOCATION, REPRESENTATION, PATENTING MINERAL LANDS 35 regular lode location, but when an application is made for a patent for the placer claim, the fact that the vein or lode exists within its boundaries should be stated, and an application for a patent for the vein or lode should then be included with the placer application. If a vein is known to exist, and it is not so stated in the application, the placer claimant will have no rights to the vein. The title to a vein found after the placer patent is issued, remains with the owner of the claim. No extralateral rights are granted for such a vein. When a valuable vein is discovered within the lines of a placer loca- tion before an application is made for patent, it would be advisable for the placer claimant to locate the vein by making a regular lode location covering a tract twenty-five feet on each side of the vein, and not to exceed fifteen hundred feet in length, in order to avoid any possible future disputes. When such a vein is properly located and patented, extralateral rights are granted, otherwise no extralateral rights are attached to veins found within the placer location. Placer claims must be paid for at the rate of two dollars and fifty cents per acre or fraction thereof provided they do not contain any veins or lodes. In case of a known vein the regular price of five dollars per acre for a strip of ground twenty-five feet on each side of the vein is required. When forty-acre tracts are subdivided into ten-acre tracts, they must be in square form, and with the boundaries of the tracts running north and south, and east and west. Entry for such ten-acre tracts may be made after the usual proceedings without any additional surveys or plats, when on surveyed government land. A tract of ten acres, as in “A,” figure 9, page 31, may be described as the N. W. *4 of the N. E. )4 of the N. E. % of the section in w T hich the claim is located. Forfeiture, Abandonment, Relocation, Co-Owners of Placer Claims: The rules relating to forfeiture, abandonment, relocation, and rights of co-owners apply in the same manner for placer locations as for lode locations. (See pages 21 and 22). Tunnel Claims : Location. (See Section 2323, Revised Statutes, page 10). After a tunnel has been started and enters cover, a location notice for the tunnel is required to be posted at or near the mouth of the tunnel. This notice should contain (1) the name or names of the locator or locators claiming the tunnel right, (2) the course and direction of the proposed tunnel, (3) the height and width of the tunnel and (4) the course and distance from the face to some natural and permanent objects in the vicinity. When the notice is posted, the claimant should establish the boundary lines by stakes or monuments placed along such lines at proper interval, and extending to the end of the proposed tunnel, that is, 3,000 feet from the first working face. These lines are so staked that there will exist definite boundaries within which prospecting or locating 36 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY of any previously unknown veins or lodes is prohibited while work on the tunnel is being prosecuted with reasonable diligence. (L. O. Reg.). A copy of the tunnel location notice must be filed with the County Clerk and Recorder, to which notice must be attached a sworn state- ment or declaration of the owners, claimants, or projectors of such tunnel, setting forth the facts in the case; stating the amount expended by themselves and their predecessors in interest in prosecuting the work thereon ; the extent of the work performed, and that it is bona fide their intention to prosecute work on the tunnel so located and described with reasonable diligence for the development of a vein or lode or for the discovery of mines, or both. This notice of location must be duly recorded, and, with the said sworn statement attached, kept on the Recorder’s files for future reference. Work must be performed in the tunnel with reasonable diligence. If the work in the tunnel is not performed for a period of six months, the right to all undiscovered veins on the line of the tunnel shall be con- sidered as abandoned, and other locators may stake out lode claims on the surface which may contain such undiscovered veins. The laws of Montana do not make known any requirements in regard to the location of a tunnel claim and the foregoing have been taken, from Land Office Regulations. No Patent for Tunnel Claim: A tunnel claim cannot be patented, but all veins or lodes that are cut while driving the tunnel may be located by staking out the boundaries of a lode claim as prescribed by the laws for a regular lode location, and such lode claims may then be patented in the usual way. Money spent in driving the tunnel may be counted as annual labor in making application for patent for such lode claims as include the veins and lodes as cut by the tunnel. Labor on Tunnel Claim: By an Act of Congress, approved February 11, 1875, Section 2324, of the Revised Statutes, w r as amended, so that where a person or company has driven a tunnel for the purpose of developing a lode or lodes, the money so expended in the tunnel shall be taken and considered as ex- pended on such lode or lodes, and that the owner or claimant shall not be required to perform any work on the surface of such lode or lodes in order to hold the same as required by laws pertaining to annual labor. (See page 20). Staking Lode Claims on Surface: The method for locating or staking out a lode claim which includes such vein or lode as cut by a tunnel right seems to have provoked many different opinions. The laws of location do not state any definite point as to where the location corners, or the discovery on any claim should be ; that is, a location is not void if the discovery point is near one end line, or in the center of the claim, or even close to some corner, and it would therefore seem logical and valid to locate a claim on either LOCATION, REPRESENTATION, PATENTING MINERAL LANDS 37 side of the tunnel for a distance of 1500 feet along the vein and in any direction, the distance to be measured in all cases from the tunnel, or to locate 1500 feet along such vein or lode so that a portion of the claim may lie on either side of the tunnel. Millsites: Location of (See page 11). Millsite claims may be located and recorded in the same manner as other claims except that no discovery work is required. When a millsite is located in connection with a lode claim, the certificate of location shall describe by appropriate reference such lode claims. (See location of Lode Claims, page 12). Form for Millsite Location: NOTICE OF MILLSITE LOCATION. Notice is hereby given, that the undersigned claimant.... and owner.. . of the Lode Claim, or Quartz Mill or Reduction Works, situated in the County of State of Montana, did, on this day of A. D. 19 , locate five acres of non-mineral land as the Millsite. That, the approximate dimensions of area are feet by feet. That this notice was posted on the same date at the Corner No. 1, from which the Corner No. 2 is approximately feet in a direction, thence feet in a direction to Corner No. 3, thence feet in a direction to Corner No. 4, thence feet in a direction to the place of beginning. Witnesses : Locators and claimants : A certificate of location and a verification of the same must be filed with the County Clerk and Recorder of the County in which the millsite is located and must comply with all the requirements necessary in filing for a lode claim. (See page 18). The millsite may be used in connection with the lode claims ap- purtenant thereto. It must be used for the erection of a mill, houses for workmen, warehouses, or other mining and milling purposes. No annual labor need be performed on a millsite. Patenting Millsites: An application for patent to a millsite may be included in the applica- tion for patent for the lode claim appurtenant thereto. An application for patent to a millsite may also be made by an owner of a quartz mill or other reduction plant provided he does not own a 38 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY lode claim. He may make an application in the same manner as for a mining claim, and receive patent by paying $5.00 per acre or fraction thereof but there must be no adverse rights. Millsite for Owner of Patented Claims: The owner of a patented lode claim may, by an independent applica- tion, secure a millsite if good faith is shown in its use or occupation in connection with the lode and no adverse claim exists. 1 lLand Office Regulations. Timber and Timber Lands: By an Act of Congress, approved June 3, 1878, permission was granted to all persons wdio are residents of Montana, to cut and remove, for building, agricultural, mining, or other domestic purposes, any timber or other trees growing or being on the public lands, which were mineral and not subject to entry under existing laws of the United States, except for mineral entry, subject to such rules and regulations as the Secretary of the Interior may prescribe for the protection of the timber, etc. The above provisions do not extend to railroad corporations. Timber may be cut on unpatented mining claims and used in connection with the same. Timber on patented claims may be cut and used as the owner sees fit. Timber may be cut and used for mining purposes by a locator or claimant of a valid location on a forest reserve, and timber may also be cut and removed from a forest reservation by obtaining permission from the local forest ranger or supervisor and paying stumpage for the timber. The Act of June 4, 1897, provides that: “The Secretary of the Interior may permit, under regulations to be prescribed by him, the use of timber and stone found upon such reservations, free of charge, by bona fide settlers, miners, residents, and prospectors for minerals, for fire wood, fencing, building, mining, prospecting, and other domestic purposes as may be needed by such persons for such purposes ; such timber to be used within the state or territory respectively where such reservations may be located.” LEASING ACT. Coal, Phosphate, Oil, Oil Shale, Gas, Sodium. The Leasing Act as approved by Congress on February 25, 1920, is an act which relates to the mining and prospecting of mineral deposits of coal, phosphate, oil, oil shale, gas and sodium. Lands Affected : Any land containing such deposits as mentioned above, and owned by the Government, including those in National Forests, and lands entered or patented with such deposits reserved under laws to the United States, but excluding (1) land acquired under the act known as the “Appalachain Act,” as approved March 1, 1911, and (2) those in National Parks, and (3) lands withdrawn or reserved for Military or Naval uses or purposes, LEASING ACT, FEB. 25, ,1920 39 and (4) any land- patented without such mineral deposits reserved to the United States, and (5) Indian Reservations, are affected by the passage of this act. Title to Such Lands : Permit and Lease : Title to such deposits on any Government lands cannot be obtained. A permit must be obtained from the Secretary of the Interior to prospect Government lands for such deposits, and a lease must be obtained to mine the deposits after the same have been found. Who May Receive a Permit or Lease: Only citizens of the United States, association of citizens, or any cor- poration, organized under the laws of the United States, or of any state or territory, may obtain permits or leases. Cities or municipalities may obtain a permit to prospect for coal, oil, oil shale, or gas, or a lease to mine coal, oil, oil shale, or gas, but not for phosphate or sodium. Aliens : Aliens or citizens of another country may not own any interest by stock ownership, stock holding, or stock control, in any lease acquired under the Leasing Act unless his country grants similar or like privileges to citizens or corporations of the United States. An alien may not obtain a direct holding of a lease. Under certain conditions, American corpora- tions, with alien stockholders, may obtain a lease. Number of Leases Allowed: Only one coal, phosphate, or sodium lease may be held during the life of such lease in any state, by any person, association, or corporation. Only three gas or oil leases in any one state, and not more than one lease within the geologic structure of the same producing oil or gas field can be held by any one person, association, or corporation. Only one oil shale lease can be obtained by any person, association, or corporation. Unlawful Rights of Persons or Corporations : A corporation may not hold an interest in more than the maximum number of leases, either by direct holding as a lessee, or indirectly as a stockholder in other corporations holding leases. A corporation holding the maximum number of leases, for any kind of the above mentioned mineral deposits, may not hold any interest in any other association, or corporation having similar leases. A person with a direct holding of a lease of any kind may hold an interest as a member of an association, or as a stockholder of a corpora- tion holding a similar lease if the combined area embraced in the direct holding of a lease, and the area covered by other interests, does not exceed the maximum number of acres allowed for the respective kinds of mineral for any one lessee. Thus an individual may hold stock in any number of corporations holding oil or gas leases, provided his stock interests do 40 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY not represent a greater acreage than 2,560 acres in the same producing structure, or 7,680 acres in the same state. An individual may hold three leases directly for oil or gas, and one lease for coal, sodium, phosphate, or oil shale, and, at the same time hold a stock interest in a corporation having leases, provided his direct and indirect holdings do not exceed the maximum area for one person. b Any interests which are illegally held shall be forfeited to the United States by proceedings in the United States District Courts. Interests Acquired by Descent, Will, Judgment, Etc,: Any interest acquired by descent, will, judgment, or decree may be held for two years after its acquisition. Lawful Combined Interests for Pipe Lines — Railroad: Any number of lessees may combine their interests for the purpose of constructing and operating a refinery, or constructing and operating a common pipe line, or railroad, to be operated and used by them jointly in the transportation of oil from their wells, or from the wells of other lessees, or in the transportation of coal, provided application is made to the Secretary of the Interior, and permission is granted to combine such interests. Unlawful Combined Interests: Any land or deposits leased by any lessee which may be controlled by any unlawful trusts or combinations by the consent of the lessee, or any agreement made to control prices or output, or control an excessive area as provided, shall be forfeited by regular court proceedings. Cancellation of Prospecting Permits: Permits to prospect any government land may be cancelled by the Secretary of the Interior if the prospecting work is not carried on in a diligent manner, and according to the terms and conditions stated in the permit. Application for Permits or Leases: Application for permits, addressed to the Commissioner of the General Office, should be filed in the local land office for the district in which the lands or deposits desired for prospecting or leasing, are situated. Permits and Leases on Land Patented With Mineral Rights Reserved: When the surface rights have been disposed of by the government and the mineral rights reserved, a preference right for a prospecting permit or a lease in case of discovery, will be granted to the holder of such surface rights as stated under the various headings for each particular deposit. A prospecting permit or lease which shall apply to all deposits of coal, phosphate, oil, oil shale, gas, or sodium, may be granted to any qualified person, association, subject to such conditions as are or may later be provided. LEASING OF GOVERNMENT LANDS 41 Right of Way for Pipe Lines: Any qualified applicant will be granted a right of* way through the public lands or forest reserves for a pipe line for the transportation of oil or natural gas, provided that the pipe line shall be constructed, operated and maintained as a common carrier. The right of way shall be for the tract of ground occupied by the pipe and 25 feet on each side, under such regulations as to the survey, location, application, and the use, as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior. Every lease of oil land shall provide that the lessee, assignee, or beneficiary, if owner, or operator, or owner of a controlling interest in a pipe line, or of any company operating the same, shall at reasonable rates and without discrimination convey the oil of the Government, or of any citizen or company not the owner of a pipe line, operating a lease or purchasing oil or gas as provided in the Leasing Act. If the above provisions are not complied with, a grant for a pipe line right of way will be forfeited. Right of Way Over Lands Held Under Permit or Lease: The Secretary of the Interior reserves the right to permit upon just terms, such easements, or rights of way, over any land, or through any tunnels, on any lands leased, occupied, or even subject to lease or occupa- tion, as may be necessary to prospect or work any deposits described in the Leasing Act and likewise for the shipment and treatment of material produced. Reserving of Surface Rights of Lands Leased: The Secretary of the Interior may reserve as much of the surface rights in any one lease as will not be necessary for the use of the lessee in prospecting or working the deposit, and may lease, sell, or otherwise dispose of the same. When any surface rights are reserved by the Secretary of the Interior, such reservations must be stated in the lease. Assigning, Sub-Leasing : No lease shall be assigned or sub-let except with the consent of the Secretary of the Interior. Relinquishment of Lease: The lessee may, in the judgment of the Secretary of the Interior, be permitted to make a written relinquishment of all rights to a lease and if accepted shall be released of all further obligations. A lessee may also surrender any portion of the area in a lease which may be described by legal subdivisions. Methods for Working Deposits: Each lease shall contain the following provisions, provided that the provisions do not conflict with the laws of the state in which the leased land is situated : 1. Skill and care in the operation of the property. 2. Safety and welfare of miners. 3. Prevention of undue waste. 42 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY 4. Working day of 8 hours for underground miners except in case of emergency. 5. Non-employment of any boy under sixteen years of age, or of any female without regard to age, in any mining operations below the surface. 6. Regulations to insure the fair and just weighing or measurement of coal mined by each miner. 7. Complete freedom of purchase for all workmen. 8. Payment of wages at least twice a month. 9. Sale of production to the United States and to the public at reasonable prices. 10. Protection of the interests of the United States. 11. Prevention of monopoly. 12. Safe-guarding of the public welfare. COAL LANDS. Permit and Lease: A permit may be obtained from the Secretary of the Interior by any qualified applicant including municipalities, to prospect on government land for coal, or to explore such deposits, or to determine if the coal can be mined at a profit. Such permits will be granted for a period of two years for a tract of land not exceeding 2,560 acres (4 sections). Discovery of Coal by the Permiitee — Lease: If coal is discovered by any qualified permittee within the two-year period, and can be mined in commercial quantities, a lease will be granted without competitive bidding by the Secretary of the Interior for all or any part of the land included in the permit. The application for a lease should be filed in the proper district land office before th§ expiration of the period of the permit. Railroads : A company or corporation operating a common carrier railroad may hold a permit or lease for coal deposits, provided the coal is for its own use for railroad purposes. Such company or corporation may not hold more than one permit or lease for each 200 miles of its road, operated by steam within the state in which the coal deposits are located. Spurs, switches, and branch lines built to connect the leased area with the rail- road, shall not be included in the above mileage. Areas Leased: Coal lands will be divided into 40-acre tracts or multiples thereof by the Secretary of the Interior upon the petition of any qualified applicant for a lease, but no tract will be leased which contains more than 2,560 acres (4 sections). Method of Leasing: Leases may be obtained by competitive bidding or by any other method adopted by the Secretary of the Interior, provided that a notice of such LEASING OF COAL LANDS 43 lease has been given for 30 days in a newspaper in the county in which the land, or coal deposits are situated. Application for Leases for Land Occupied and Improved: The Secretary of the Interior is authorized in awarding leases to con- sider, and recognize equitable rights of persons who, prior to February 25, 1920, have improved, occupied, or claimed the lands offered for leasing. Leasing Additional Land. When a deposit held under any valid lease shall be worked out in three years, the Secretary of the Interior may lease to the lessee an additional tract of land or coal deposits, upon the same conditions as the original lease, but the combined area of the unworked deposits in the original lease, and the area of the additional lease must not exceed 2,560 acres. Consolidation of Leases: A number of lessees may surrender their original leases, and then con- solidate their leases by including in a new lease such areas, not to exceed 2,560 acres of adjoining land, provided the same is approved by the Secretary of the Interior. Non-contiguouis Land: The Secretary of the Interior may allow a single lease for non-con- tiguous coal land not exceeding 2,560 acres, which may be operated as a single lease. Royalties and Rentals: The amount of royalty will be specified in the lease but it will not be less than five cents per ton of 2,000 pounds mined. An annual rental must also be paid in advance. Such rental will be specified in the lease, and will not be less than twenty-five cents per acre for the first year, fifty cents an acre for the second, third, fourth, and fifth years, and not less than one dollar per acre for each year thereafter during the period of the lease. All rentals for any year will be credited against the royalties as they accumulate for that year. Period of Lease: A lease may be granted for intermediate periods provided the deposits are worked continuously and in a diligent manner, except when in- terrupted by strikes or other causes not attributal to the lessee. At the end of twenty years the Secretary of the Interior may make any changes in the terms and conditions of the lease as he determines, unless provided otherwise by law. The Secretary of the Interior may permit the sus- pension of operations under such lease for a period not to exceed six months at any one time when market conditions are such that the mine cannot operate except at a loss. License to Cities and Individuals for Domestic Purposes: Cities may obtain a limited license or permit from the Secretary of the Interior for the purpose of mining coal and disposing of the same 44 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY to the residents of the city for household use. The land is to be selected within the same state in which the city is located. The amount of land allowed in a permit is as follows: Not more than 320 acres for a city having less than 100.000 population, and not more than 1,280 acres for a city having 100,000 to 150,000 population, and not more than 2,560 acres for a city having a population greater than 150,000. When such a limited license or permit is granted, no royalty or rental is charged provided the coal is sold to the residents without profit. When a limited license or permit is held by a city, it will in no w T ay interfere with a regular lease held by the city for coal land as provided in the Leasing Act. Individuals or associations of individuals may obtain a limited license or permit to prospect, mine, and take coal from public lands for their own use without the payment of royalty or rental. Under no conditions may coal mined under such a limited license be sold. A corporation may not obtain a limited license or permit. PHOSPHATE LANDS. Government land containing deposits of phosphate may be leased by the Secretary of the Interior to any qualified person through adver- tisement, competitive bidding, or any other method that he may adopt. Size of Lease — Shape: No lease may be obtained for more than 2,560 acres (4 sections) which must be described by legal subdivision when on surveyed land. All leased land must be in compact form and its length must not be more than two and one-half times its width. Lease on Unsurveyed Land: If a lease is applied for on unsurveyed land, the land will be surveyed by the Government at the expense of the applicant, in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior, and the lands leased must conform to legal subdivisions. Royalties and Rentals: All royalties shall be specified in the lease by the Secretary of the Interior, but in no case shall they be less than two per cent of the gross value of the output of phosphates or phosphate rock at the mine. An annual rental, payable in advance, shall be fixed by the Secretary of the Interior but in no case shall it be less than 25 cents per acre for the first year, 50 cents per acre for the second, third, fourth and fifth years, and $1.00 per acre for each and every year thereafter during the life of the lease. Such rentals shall be credited against the royalties for that year. Period of Lease: Leases shall be for an intermediate period upon condition of a minimum annual production, except where strikes, not attributable to the lessee, interfere with the operation. OIL AND GAS LANDS 45 At the end of each 20-year period the Secretary of the Interior may make any readjustments of terms and conditions as he finds necessary, unless otherwise provided by law at the end of such periods. Suspension of Operations: The Secretary of the Interior may permit the suspension of operations for a period not exceeding twelve months at any one time when market conditions are such that work cannot be continued except at a loss to the lessee. Additional Lands: An y lessee may obtain a permit for additional surface rights not to exceed 40 acres of unappropriated land for the purpose of prospecting, development, extraction, treatment, and removal of such phosphate de- posits. OIL AND GAS LANDS. Permit for Unappropriated Lands: A permit to prospect for oil and gas may be obtained from the Secretary of the Interior by any qualified applicant for a period not exceeding two years upon a tract of unappropriated government land not exceeding 2,560 acres. No Permits for Land in Known Oil or Gas Field: No permit will be granted for land within any known geological struc- ture of a producing oil or gas field. Location of Lands: Any land for which a permit shall be applied for must be located in a compact form according to legal subdivisions, if surveyed, and in ap- proximately square or rectangular form if on unsurveyed land, the length of which must not be more than two and one-half times its width. In contiguous tracts may be located under certain conditions due to prior locations. All locations must be made before filing an application for a permit. Preference Right to a Permit: Any applicant shall be entitled to a preference right to a permit for a period of thirty days, after erecting a monument not less than four feet high and not less than four inches square or in diameter, at some con- spicuous place on the land located, and after posting a proper notice in writing on or near such monument. Such notice must contain the date, and hour of posting, name of applicant, a description of the land to be covered by the permit by reference to courses and distances from the monument and from any other natural object and permanent monuments as will identify the land, stating the area in acres thereof, and also stating that an application for a permit will be made within thirty days after posting such notice. Terms and Conditions of Permit: Within 90 days after receiving permit, the corners of the land included in the permit must be marked with substantial monuments and a notice, 46 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY stating that a permit has been granted and giving also, a description of the land included in the permit, must be posted at some conspicuous place. Work Required: Drilling operations must begin within six months from the date of permit. Within one year, one or more wells, not less than six inches in diameter, must be drilled to a depth of not less than 500 feet eaqji, unless valuable deposits of oil are discovered at less depth. Within tw r o years one or more wells to a depth of not less than 2,000 feet must be drilled unless valuable deposits are sooner discovered. A permit may be extended for a period of two years by the Secretary of the Interior when the permittee has not been able to prospect the ground properly. Location of Wells: No wells may be drilled for oil or gas within 200 feet of the outer boundaries of the land covered by a permit or lease, unless the adjoining lands have been patented or title otherwise held by private owners. Precautions when Drilling: A permit shall be granted only upon the conditions that all necessary precautions will be taken to prevent the waste of any oil or gas developed in the land, and to prevent any water from entering the wells drilled, which may in any way cause or injure the oil or gas deposits. A permit shall be forfeited if the above precautions are not observed while drilling. Extension of Life of Permit: If the permittee is unable, with the exercise of diligence, to test the land within two years, an application for an extension of time, not to exceed two years may be filed during the period of the permit. Reasons must be given for applying for such extension of time. Discovery of Oil or Gas: When oil or gas is discovered on lands covered by a valid permit, the permittee shall be entitled to lease one-fourth of the land held under the permit, or in any case, the permittee shall be entitled to lease 160 acres if there are that many acres within the permit. The permittee shall also be entitled to a preference right to lease the remainder of the land covered by his prospective permit, but the same may be obtained only by competitive bidding, or by any other method prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior. Royalty Before Applying for Lease: The royalty on all oil or gas produced upon lands held by a permit will be twenty per cent of the gross value until such time as the permittee makes application for a lease for the one-quarter of the permit area. Description of Land Selected for Lease: All lands selected for leasing must be in compact form and described by legal subdivision of the public land surveys. OIL AND GAS LANDS 47 When tracts are selected on unsurveyed land they shall be surveyed by the government in proper manner and at the expense of the applicant for a lease. Life of Lease: Leases shall be for periods of twenty years and the lessee may also have a preference right to renew his lease for periods of ten years upon terms prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior. Royalties and Rental upon Leased Land: The royalty charged upon leased lands included in the one-fourth of the original permit will be five per cent in amount of oil or gas, or in actual value of the production. The royalties in all other leases for oil or gas shall be determined by competitive bidding, or by other methods as perscribed by the Secretary of the Interior, but shall not be less than twelve and one-half per cent in amount or value of production. The annual rental for all leases for oil or gas lands shall be one dollar per acre, payable in advance, and the rental paid will be credited against the royalties as they accumulate for that year. Reduction of Royalty: Whenever the average daily production of any oil well does not exceed ten barrels the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to reduce the royalty on future production, provided that the wells cannot be successfully operated upon the royalties fixed in the lease The royalty upon any gas lease will likewise be reduced when the production decreases so that the well cannot be operated except at a loss. Leasing of Land in a Producing Oil or Gas Field: All land or deposits within the known geological structure of a pro- ducing oil or gas field may be leased to the highest qualified bidder for an area not exceeding six hundred and forty acres. Such area shall not exceed in length two and one-half times its width. The royalty on such deposits will not be less than twelve and one-half per cent in amount or value of production, and the annual rental not less than one dollar per acre. Preference Right of Owner of Surface: A preference right to a permit and to a lease in case of discovery, will be granted to any one who has entered, or patented an agricultural tract with the mineral rights reserved, provided the land was not withdrawn or classified as oil or gas land at the time of entry. A like permit and lease will be granted to an assignee where the assignment was made prior to January 1, 1918. Such a permit or lease will not be granted on lands in- cluded in any railroad grant. A joint application for a permit not to exceed 2,560 acres may be made by the holders of such lands within an area not greater than a township (36 sections). The royalty and conditions of a lease, in case of discovery will be the same as stated before. 48 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY Application by Other Persons: An application for a permit for entered or patented lands, where the oil and gas has been reserved may be filed by a person other than the entryman or owner of the land, provided that the applicant serve personal notice of such application upon the owner or owners of the land. Upon receiving such notice, the owner of the land must file an application within thirty days in the proper local land office, if he desires to exercise his preference right, if any. to a permit for such land. The preference right applicant must furnish evidence that personal notice was served on the owner, and that the party served is the owner of the land involved. Government to Extract Helium from Gas: The Government reserves the right to extract helium from all gas pro- duced from land permitted, leased, or otherwise granted under the pro- visions of the Leasing Act. OIL SHALE LANDS The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to lease any deposits of oil shale belonging to the United States to any qualified person or corpora- tion, and under such rules and regulations as he may prescribe. Size of Lease: No lease shall be granted for an area exceeding 5,120 acres (8 sections) which must be described by legal subdivision. When the land is unsur- veyed it will be surveyed by the government, but at the expense of the applicant for lease. Period of Lease: A lease will be granted for indeterminate periods upon such conditions as the Secretary of the Interior may include, relative to the methods of mining, development, and prevention of waste. Royalties and Rental: The royalty charged for an oil shale lease will be specified in the lease, and the annual rental, payable at the beginning of each year, will be fifty cents per acre. The rental paid will be credited against the royalties. The royalties may be readjusted at the end of each twenty year period. In order to encourage production of petroleum products, the payment of the annual rental and royalty may be waived by the Secretary of the Interior for the first five years of such lease. Claims Held Under Former Laws: Any person having a valid claim under existing laws of January 1, 1919, and who relinquishes the same to the United States, will be entitled to a lease for such area of the land relinquished as shall not exceed 5,120 acres (8 sections). Anyone who has been found guilty of fraud, or who has knowledge of fraud, or who has been dishonest shall not be entitled to such a lease. Only one lease shall be granted to any person, association or corporation. SODIUM LANDS 49 SODIUM LANDS Permit : A permit to prospect for deposits containing sodium as chlorides, sul- phates, carbonates, borates, silicates, or nitrates, for a period of two years, shall be granted to any applicant for an area not to exceed 2,560 acres, in a reasonably compact form, by legal subdivision if surveyed ; if unsurveyed by metes and bounds description. Lease: If a valuable discovery of such deposits is made within two years, the permittee shall be entitled to a lease for one-half of the land included in the permit, but not to exceed 1,200 acres according to legal subdivisions. If the land containing such deposits is unsurveyed, it will be surveyed by the government at the expense of the permittee. The permittee has also a preference right to lease the remaining one-half of the land included in his permit. Royalty : The lands shall be leased at a royalty of not less than twelve and one- half per cent of the amount or value of the production. Known Deposits of Sodium: Lands known to contain deposits of sodium and not held by permits or leases, may be leased through the Secretary of the Interior by advertise- ment, competitive bidding, or as he may adopt, and in any area not to exceed 2,560 acres. Rental : The annual rental shall be paid in advance at a rate of fifty cents per acre for the first calendar year or fraction thereof, and one dollar per acre per annum thereafter. Rentals shall be credited against the royalties for each year. Period of Lease: Leases shall be for indeterminate periods subject to readjustment at the end of each twenty year period. Additional Lands: An additional forty-acre tract of unoccupied, non-mineral land may be rented to a permittee or a lessee of sodium deposits at the rate of twenty- five cents per acre, for camp sites, refining works, and other purposes connected with and necessary to the proper development and the use of the deposits covered by the permit or lease. MINING LAWS OF MONTANA REVISED CODES OF 1921. Location and Record of Mining and Millsite Claims. Section 7365. 7366. “ 7367. “ 7368. “ 7369. “ 7370. “ 7371. “ 7372. “ 7373. “ 7374. “ 7375. “ 7376. “ 7377. “ 7378. “ 7379. “ 7380. “ 7381. “ 7382. “ 7383. “ 7384. Discovery-Notice Marking Boundaries-Sinking Shaft. Record of Certifiacte of Location. Placer Locations Heretofore Made, Effect of. Annual Work-Affidavit-Contents-Record. Millsites. Relocation of Abandoned Claim. Rights of Relocator. Amended Location. Relocation by Owner. Amendment or Relocation Not a Waiver of Acquired Rights. . Rights of Third Persons Not Affected. Validating Locations Heretofore Made. Defective Locations Good Against Persons With Notice. Effect of Patent. Amended Locations. Effect of Amended or Additional Declaratory Statement. Location of Mining Claims on State Land. Owners of Mines Have Right-of-way. Right-of-way for Road or Ditch. Proceedings to Obtain Right-of-way. Section 7365. Discovery — Notice — Marking — Boundaries — Sinking Shaft. Any person who discovers, upon the public domain of the United States, within the State of Montana, a vein, lode or ledge of rock in place, bear- ing gold, silver, cinnabar, lead, tin, copper or other valuable deposits, or a placer deposit of gold, or other deposit of minerals having a commercial value which is subject to entry and patent under the mining laws of the United States, may, if qualified by the laws of the United States, locate a mining claim upon such vein, lode, ledge or deposit, in the following manner, viz. : I. He shall post, conspicuously, at the point of discovery a written or printed notice of location, containing the name of the claim, the name of the locator (or locators, if there be more than one), the date of the loca- tion, which shall be the date of posting such notice, and the approximate dimensions of area of the claim intended to be appropriated. II. Within thirty days after posting the notice of location, he shall distinctly mark the location on the ground so that its boundaries can be readily traced. It shall be prima facie evidence that the location is properly marked if the boundaries are defined by a monument at each corner or angle of the claim, consisting of any one of the following kinds : — 50 — MINING LAWS OF MONTANA. REVISED CODE 1921 51 (1) A tree at least eight inches in diameter, and blazed on four sides. (2) A post at least four inches square by four feet six inches in length, set one foot in the ground, unless solid rock should occur at a less depth, in which case the post should be set upon such rock, and surrounded in all cases by a mound of earth or stone at least four feet in diameter by two feet in height. A squared stump, of the requisite size, surrounded by such mound, shall be deemed the equivalent of a post and mound. (3) A stone at least six inches square by eighteen inches in length, set two-thirds of its length in the ground, with a mound of earth or stone alongside at least four feet in diameter by two feet in height, or (4) a boulder at least there feet above the natural surface of the ground on the upper side. Where other monuments, or monuments of lesser dimensions than those above described, are used, it shall be a question for the jury, or for the court where the action is tried without a jury, as to whether the location has been marked upon the ground so that its boundaries can be readily traced. Whatever monument is used, it must be marked with the name of the claim and the designation of the corner, either by number or car- dinal point. III. Within sixty days after posting such notice, he shall sink a shaft upon the vein, lode or deposit, at or near the point of discovery, to be known as the discovery shaft. Such shaft shall be sunk to the depth of at least ten feet, vertically, below the lowest part of the rim of such shaft at the surface, or deeper if necessary to disclose the vein or deposit located, and the cubical contents of such shaft shall be not less than one hundred and fifty cubic feet ; provided, that any cut or tunnel which discloses the vein, lode or deposit located at a vertical depth of at least ten feet below the natural surface of the ground and which constitutes at least one hun- dred and fifty cubic feet of excavation, shall be deemed the equivalent of such shaft, and, provided also, that, where the vein, lode or deposit located is disclosed at a less vertical depth than ten feet, any deficiency in the depth of the discovery shaft, cut or tunnel may be compensated for by any horizontal extension of such working, or by any excavation done else- where upon the claim, equaling, in cubical contents, the cubical extent of such deficiency ; but in every case at least seventy-five cubic feet of exca- vation shall be made at the point of discovery. Section 7366. Record of Certificate of Location. — Within sixty days after posting the notice of location and for the purpose of constituting constructive notice of the location, the locator shall record his location in the office of the County Clerk of the county in which such mining claim is situated. Such record shall consist of a certificate of location con- taining : 1. The name of the lode or claim. 2. The name of the locator or locators, if there be more than one. 3. The date of location, and such description of said claim, with reference to some natural object or permanent monuments, as will identify the claim. IV. In the case of a lode claim, the direction and distance claimed along the course of the vein each way from the discovery shaft, cut or tunnel, with the width claimed on each side of the center of the vein. 52 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY V. In the case of a placer claim, the dimensions or area of the claim, and the location thereon of the discovery shaft, cut or tunnel. VI. The locator and claimant, at his option, may also set forth, in such certificate of location, a description of the discovery work, the corner monuments and the markings thereon, and any other facts showing a compliance with the provisions of this law. Such certificate of location must be verified, before some officer au- thorized to administer oaths, by the locator, or one of the locators, if there be more than one, or by authorized agent. In the case of a corporation, the verification may be made by any officer thereof, or by an authorized agent. When the verification is made by an agent, the fact of the agency shall be stated in the affidavit. A certificate of location so verified, or. a certified copy thereof, is prima facie evidence of all facts properly recited therein. Section 7367. Placer Locations Heretofore Made — Effect of. All placer mining locations or locations of valuable mineral deposits, which have heretofore been recorded in the office of the County Clerk or Recorder, have the same force and effect as though such records had been authorized by law, except in cases where the rights of third persons had been ac- quired before the passage of this code; and such record is entitled to be admitted in evidence in any court. Section 7368. Annual Work — Affidavit — Contents — Record. The owner of a lode or placer claim who performs or causes to be performed the annual work or makes the improvements required by the laws of the United States, in order to prevent the forfeiture of the claim, may, within twenty days after the annual work, file in the office of the county clerk of the county in which such claim is situated an affidavit of his own, or an affidavit of the person who performed such work or made the improve- ments, showing : 1. The name of the mining claim, and where situated. 2. The number of days work done, and the character and value of the improvements placed thereon ; 3. The date of performing such work, and of making the improvements ; 4. At whose instance the work was done or the improvements made; 5. The actual amount paid for work and improvements, and by whom paid when the same was not done by the owner. Such affidavits, or a certified copy thereof, are prima facie evidence of the facts therein stated. Section 7369. Mill Sites. Mill site claims may be located and recorded in the same manner as other claims, except that no discovery or discovery work is required. Where a mill site claim is appurtenant to a mining claim, the certificate of location of such mill site claim shall describe, by appropriate reference, the mining claim to which it is appurtenant. Section 7370. Relocation of Abandoned Claim. The relocator of an abandoned or forfeited mining claim may adopt as his discovery any shaft or other working, existing upon such claim at the date of the relocation, MINING LAWS OF MONTANA. REVISED CODE 1921 53 in which the vein, lode or deposit is disclosed, but, in such shaft or other working, he shall perform the same discovery work as is required in the case of an original location. Section 7371. Rights of Relocator. The rights of a relocator of any abandoned or forfeited mining claim, hereafter relocated, shall date from the posting of his notice of location thereon, and, while he is duly perform- ing the acts required by law to perfect his location, his rights shall not be affected by any re-entry or resumption of work by the former locator or claimant. Section 7372. Amended Location. A locator or claimant may at any time, amend his location and make any change in the boundaries which does not involve a change in the point of discovery as shown by the dis- covery shaft by marking the location as amended upon the ground, and filing an amended certificate of location conforming to the requirements of an original certificate of location. A defect in a recorded certificate of location may be cured by filing an amended certificate. Section 7373. Relocation by Owner. A locator or claimant may, at any time, re-locate his own claim for any purpose, except to avoid the per- formance of annual labor thereof, and, by such re-location, may change the boundaries of his claim, or the point of discovery, or both, but such re- location must comply, in all respects, with the requirements of this law as to an original location. Section 7374. Amendment or Relocation Not a Waiver of Acquired Rights. Where a locator or claimant amends or relocates his own claim, such amendment or re-location shall not be construed as a waiver of any right or title acquired by him by virtue of the previous location or record thereof, except as to such portions of the previous location as may be omitted from the boundaries of the claim as amended or re-located. As to the portion of ground included both in the original location and the location as amended or relocated, he may rely either upon the original location or the location as amended or re-located, or upon both. Provided, that nothing herein contained shall be construed as permitting the locator or claimant to hold a tract which does not include a valid discovery. Section 7375. Rights of Third Persons not Affected. No amendment or re-location of a mining claim by the locator or claimant thereof shall interfere with the right of any third person existing at the time of such amendment or re-location. Section 7376. Validating Locations Heretofore Made. All mining loca- tions, made and recorded under the laws of this State, heretofore in force, that in any respect have failed to conform to the requirements of such laws, shall, nevertheless, in the absence of the rights of third persons accruing prior to the passage of this Act, be valid if the making and recording of such locations conform to the requirements of this Act. Section 7377. Defective Locations Good Against Persons With Notice. The period of time prescribed by this law for the performance of any act, shall not be deemed mandatory where the act is performed before the rights of the third persons have intervened, and no defect in the posted 54 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY notice or recorded certificate shall be deemed material, except as against one who has located the same ground, or some portion thereof, in good faith and without notice. Notice to an agent, who makes a location in behalf of another, shall be deemed notice to his principal and notice to one of several co-claimants shall be deemed notice to all. Section 7378. Effect of Patent. The issuance of a United States patent for a mining claim shall be deemed conclusive that the requirements of the laws of this State relative to the location and record of such mining claim have been duly complied with ; provided, however, that where ques- tions of priority are involved the date of the location shall be an issuable fact where it is claimed to have been prior to the date of the record of the location. Section 7379. Amended Locations. If at any time the locator of any mining claim heretofore or hereafter located, or his successors or assigns shall apprehend that his original declaratory statement was defective or erroneous, or that the requirements of law had not been complied with, or shall be desirous of changing his boundaries, or taking any part of an overlapping claim which has been abandoned, or in case his original de- claratory statement was filed prior to the passage of this law, and he shall be desirous of securing the benefit of this Act, such locator, or his suc- cessors or assigns, may file an additional or amended declaratory state- ment, subject to the provisions of this Act ; provided that such relation or filing of an amended or additional declaratory statement shall not inter- fere with the existing rights of others at the time of such relocation or filing of the amended or additional declaratory statement, and no such relocation or amended or additional declaratory statement, or other record thereof, shall preclude the claimant or claimants from proving any such title as he or they may have held under the previous location and notice thereof. Section 7380. Effect of Amended or Additional Declaratory Statement. Any amended or additional declaratory statement which may have here- tofore been filed by a locator, or his successors or assigns, shall have the same force and effect and be subject to the same terms and conditions as though the same had been filed under the provisions of the proceeding section. Section 7381. Location of Mining Claims on State Lands. The location of mining claims upon state land is provided for by sections 1905 and 1906 of the Political Code. (See page 67.) Section 7382. Owners of Mines have Right-of-way. The owner of a mining claim held under the laws of the United States by patent or otherwise, or under the local laws and customs of the state, has a right- of-way over and across the land or mining claim, patented or otherwise, of another, as prescribed in this chapter. Section 7383. Right-of-way for Road or Ditch. Whenever a mine or inning claim is so situated that it cannot be conveniently worked without a road thereto, or a ditch to convey water thereto, or a ditch or cut to convey the water therefrom, or without a flume to carry water and tail- ings therefrom, or without a shaft or tunnel thereto, which road, ditch, LOCATION OF MINING CLAIMS ON STATE LANDS 55 cut, flume, or tunnel must necessarily pass over, under, through, or across any lands or mining claims owned or occupied by another, such owner is entitled to a right-of-way for said road, ditch, cut, flume, shaft, or tunnel over, under, through, and across the lands or mining claims belonging to another, upon compliance with the provisions of this chapter. Section 7384. Proceedings to Obtain Right-of-way. Whenever such owner desires to work a mine or mining claim, and it is necessary to enable him to do so successfully and conveniently that he should have a right-of-way for any of the purposes mentioned in the foregoing sec- tions ; and, if such right-of-way has not been acquired by agreement between him and the owner of the land or claims over, under, across, and upon which he seeks to establish such right-of-way, it is lawful for him to present to the judge of the district court a complaint asking that such right-of-way be awarded to him. The complaint must be verified, and contain a particular description of the character and extent of the right sought, a description of the mine or mining claim of the owner, and the mining claim or claims and the lands to be affected by such right-of- way, with the names of the occupants or owners thereof, and may also set forth any tender or offer hereinafter mentioned. LOCATION OF MINING CLAIMS ON STATE LANDS. Section 1905. Location of Mining Claims on State Lands. Section 1906. Proof of Mineral Character of Land. Section 1891. Lands Valuable for Stone. Section 1905. Location of Mining Claims on State Lands. Locations of mining claims not exceeding six hundred (600) feet in width and fifteen hundred (1500) feet in length, each, may be made upon lands belonging to the State as follows : The discoverer of a body of mineral in either a vein, lode or ledge, or mineral in a placer deposit, shall immediately post conspicuously a notice that he has made such a dis- covery, on the date stated in such notice, and shall complete such location in all respects as prescribed by the laws of this State for the location of mining claims upon the public lands of the United States, except that no notice of such location need be recorded in the office of the County Clerk, but such notice shall be filed with the Register of State ‘Lands. Such pro- cedure shall empower the locator to retain possession of and operate said claim for the period of one year, at the end of which time he shall be required to purchase said claim at ten dollars per acre or take a lease thereof at such price, or upon such terms as may be agreed upon between him and the State Board of Land Commissioners. Section 1906. Proof of Mineral Character of Land. Before the locator will be allowed to purchase the claim located by him, satisfactory proof at a hearing, if deemed necessary, must be submitted to the State Board of Land Commissioners, that such claim is . more valuable for mineral purposes than for any other purpose, and that the same contains a body of mineral in place, or a placer deposit, of sufficient value to justify the operation of the same as a present fact ; provided, that no mining claim shall be located upon any coal or oil lands ; and, provided, further, that 56 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY all hearings under the provisions of this section shall be had before the contest board with like procedure as other contested cases; and provided, further, that no lands classified under Subdivision 4 of the classification in the constitution shall be sold as mineral lands, but the mineral therein may be sold separately from the surface. Section 1891. Lands Valuable for Stone. Whenever it shall appear to the State Board of Land Commissioners that there is a deposit of stone valuable for building, mining, or other commercial purposes upon any section or subdivision of State land, the Board shall not lease the same for any purpose except for the extraction and working of the stone and then upon a royalty basis only, upon such terms as the Board shall prescribe. The Board may lease the remainder of the section or sub- division for agriculture, grazing or other purposes, as may appear for the best interests of the State, as other State lands are leased ; but shall provide in all such cases for a right of way across said State land or any adjoining State land for all purposes connected with the working and disposition of the stone. SALE, LEASES AND RENTALS OF STATE LANDS. REVISED CODES 1921. Section 1846. Section 1852. Section 1882. Section 1883. Section 1890. Coal Lands — What Deemed — Selection. Sale of State Lands — Reservation of Coal, Oil and Gas. Leasing of Land. Lands — How Leased. Rental of Coal Lands. Section 1846. Coal Lands — What Deemed — Selection. All coal areas in the State after final examination are defined by the United States geological survey, or other authority under the government of the United States, shall be recognized by the authorities of this State as coal lands, until otherwise determined ; and no such lands shall be sold, but such lands may be leased by the State to any person or persons, company or corporation, but only on a royalty basis as herein provided ; provided, however, that the surface rights of such land may be sold or may be leased for either agricultural or grazing purposes, but any other State lands may he designated as coal lands by the State Board of Land Commis- sioners, and withdrawn from sale when, in the opinion of the Board, such lands contain coal. Section 1852. Sale of State Lands — Reservation of Coal, Oil and Gas. The State Board of Land Commissioners may direct the sale of any State lands, except as provided in this act, * * * and, provided, further, that all leases and conveyances of State lands by the State Board of Land Commissioners shall contain a reservation to the State of all coal, oil and gas contained therein. Section 1882. Leasing of Land. The State Board of Land Commis- sioners may lease any portion of the land of the state at a rental to be determined after an examination of the land by an appraiser, except as SALE, LEASES AND RENTALS OF STATE LANDS 57 herein provided. The lessee shall pay the annual rental in advance to the Register of State Lands, who shall receipt for the same. If stone, coal, coal-oil, gas, or other mineral not mentioned herein, be found upon the state land, such land must be leased only for the purpose of obtaining therefrom the stone, coal, coal-oil, gas, or other mineral, for such length of time, and conditional upon the payment to the register of such royalty upon the product as the State Board of Land Commissioners may de- termine. Section 1883. Lands, How Leased, At every public sale of state lands, each tract of land, except timber lands, for which no bid for its purchase has been received, shall be immediately offered for lease to the highest bidder, as follows: By quarter-sections, or so* much thereof as belongs to the state, in the case of lands classified as agricultural (a) ; by half- sectiions, in the case of lands classified as agricultural (b) ; and by sec- tions in the case of lands classified as grazing; and smaller tracts shall not be leased, unless it is deemed impossible to lease as above described, or unless a larger price may be obtained thereby ; and no land shall be leased for a longer period than five years, nor for a less rental than the minimum rental fixed by the board, which shall not be less than five per centum per annum of the appraised value of such lands. Section 1890. Rental of Coal Lands. Any person, association, co- partnership or corporation, leasing and operating coal land under the provisions of this act, shall pay to the State the minimum price of not less than ten (10) cents per ton for each and every ton of merchantable coal so mined from said land, to be paid monthly on or before the 25th day of each month, for the coal mined| during the preceding calendar month. Should the lessee of such coal land fail to mine during any one year the minimum amount that may be provided for in the term of the lease, he shall, notwithstanding such failure, pay to the State the mini- mum rental provided for in said lease. Should any person apply to lease any of the coal lands belonging to the State, upon which there are surface or underground improvements placed or made by a former lessee, before a lease shall issue, said applicant shall file in the office of the Register a receipt showing that the price of said improvements, as agreed upon by the parties, or fixed by the State Land Agent, or one of his assistants, has been paid to the owner thereof in full, or shall make satisfactory proof that he has tendered to such owner the price of such surface or underground improvements so agreed upon or fixed ; or proof that the owner of such improvements elects to remove them. 58 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY MINING PARTNERSHIPS. REVISED CODES 1921. Section 8050. Section 8051. Section 8052. Section 8053. Section 8054. Section 8055. Section 8056. Section 8057. Section 8058. Section 8059. When a Mining Partnership Exists. Express Agreement Not Necessary. Profits and Losses, How Shared. Liens of Partners. Mine-Partnership Property. Partnership Not Dissolved by Sale of Interest Purchaser Takes Subject to Liens. Takes With Notice of Lien, When. Contract in Writing — When Binding. Owners of Majority of Shares Govern. Section 8050. When a Mining Partnership Exists. A mining partner- ship exists when two or more persons who own or acquire a mining claim for the purpose of working it and extracting the mineral therefrom, actually engage in working the same. Section 8051. Express Agreement Not Necessary. An express agree- ment to become partners or to share the profits and losses of mining is not necessary to the formation and existence of a mining partnership. The relationship arises from the ownership of shares or interests in the mine and working the same for the purpose of extracting the minerals therefrom. Section 8052. Profits and Losses, How Shared. A member of a mining partnership shares in the profits and losses thereof in the proportion which the interest or share he owns in the mine bears to the whole part- nership capital or whole number of shares. Section 8053. Liens of Partners. Each member of a mining partner- ship has a lien on the partnership property for the debts due the creditors thereof, and for money advanced by him for its uses. This lien exists notwithstanding there is an agreement among the partners that it must not. Section 8054. Mine is Partnership Property. The mining ground owned and worked by partners in mining, whether purchased with partnership funds or not, is partnership property. Section 8055. Partnership Not Dissolved by Sale of Interests. One of the partners in a mining partnership may convey his interest in the mine and business without dissolving the partnership. The purchaser, from the date of his purchase, becomes a member of the partnership. Section 8056. Purcliaser Takes Subject to Liens. A purchaser of an interest in the mining ground of a mining partnership takes it subject to the liens existing in favor of the partners for debts due all creditors thereof, or advances made for the benefit of the partnership, unless he purchased in good faith, for a valuable consideration, without notice of such lien. Section 8057. Purchaser Takes With Notice of Lien, When. The purchase of the interest of a partner in a mine when the partnership is SAFETY TO UNDERGROUND MINERS 59 engaged in working it, takes with notice of all liens resulting from the relationship of the partners to each other, and to the creditors of the partnership. Section 8058. How Partnership Bound. No member of a mining part- nership or other agent or manager thereof can, by a contract in writing, bind the partnership, except by express authority derived from the mem- bers thereof. Section 8059. Majority of Shares Governs. The decision of the mem- bers owning a majority of the shares or interests in a mining partnership binds it in the conduct of its business. FRAUD IN SELLING MINES, ETC. Section 11419. Uses of False Pretenses in Selling Mines. Section 11420. Interference With Samples for Assay. Section 11421. Making False Samples of Ore. Section 11419. False Pretenses in Selling Mines. Every person who, with intent to cheat, wrong, or defraud, places in or upon any mine or mining claim any ores or specimens of ores not extracted therefrom, or exhibits any ore, or certificate of assay of ore not extracted therefrom, for the purpose of selling any mine or mining claim, or interest therein, or who obtains any money or property by any such false pretenses or artifices, is guilty of a felony. Section 11420. Interference With Samples for Assay. Every person who interferes with, or in any manner changes samples of ores or bullion producing for sampling or changes or alters samples or packages of ores or bullion which have been purchased for assaying, or who shall change or alter' any certificate of sampling or assaying, with intent to cheat, wrong, or defraud, is guilty of a felony. Section 11421. Making False Samples of Ores. Every person who, with intent to cheat, wrong, or defraud, makes or publishes a false sample of ore or bullion, or who makes or publishes, or causes to be published a false assay of ore or bullion is guilty of a felony. SAFETY TO UNDERGROUND MINERS. REVISED CODES 1921. Section 11269. Section 11270. Section 11271. Section 11273. Section 11274. Section 11275. Section 3434. Stoping Near Shaft. Running Cage at Excessive Speed. Maintaining Buildings Near Mouth of Shaft. Escapement Shaft. To What Mines Act Applicable. Penalty. Protections and Guard-rails in Case of Shafts and Underground Openings. Section 11269. Stoping Near Shaft. It is unlawful for any corporation or person operating any mine in this State worked through a vertical or incline shaft to stope within a less distance than twenty-five (25) feet of the said shaft when other work is being carried on below said stoping. 60 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY Section 11270. Running Cage at Excessive Speed. It is unlawful for any person or corporation operating any mine in this State worked through a vertical or incline shaft, where a cage or other device is used for the purpose of hoisting or lowering men, to run such cage when men are upon the same at a greater speed than eight hundred (800) feet per minute. Section 11271. Maintaining Buildings Near Mouth of Shaft. It is unlawful for any person, company or corporation to erect or maintain any building or inclosure, used for a blacksmith shop or drying room within a distance of fifty (50) feet of the mouth of any tunnel or shaft, unless the same be fire-proof in its construction. Section 11273. Escapement Shaft. It is the duty of any person, company or corporation, who shall have sunk on any mine a vertical or incline shaft to a greater depth than one hundred feet, and who shall have the top of such shaft or hoisting opening covered or enclosed by a shaft or building which is not fire-proof, and who shall have drifted on or along the vein or veins thereof, a distance of two hundred feet or more, after cross cutting to the same, and shall have commenced to stope, to provide and maintain to the hoisting shaft or the opening through which men are let into or out of the mine and the ore is extracted, a separate escape- ment shaft, raise, or opening, or an underground opening or communica- tion between every such mine and some other contiguous mine, provided, that in case such contiguous mine belongs to a different person, company or corporation, the right to use the outlet through such contiguous mine in all cases when necessary, or in cases of accident, must be secured and kept in force. Where such an escapement shaft or opening shall not be in existence at the time that stoping is commenced, work upon such escapement shaft or opening must be commenced as soon as stoping be- gins and be diligently prosecuted until the same is completed, and said escapement shaft, raise or opening shall be continued to and connected with the lowest workings in the mine. The exit, escapement shaft, raise or opening provided for in the foregoing paragraphs must be of sufficient size as to afford an easy passage way and if it be a raise, or shaft, must be provided with good and substantial ladders from the deepest workings to the surface. Whenever the exit or outlet herein provided for is not a direct or continuous course, signboards plainly marked show- ing the direction to be taken must be placed at each departure from the continuous course. Section 11274. To What Mines Act Applicable. This Act shall apply only to quartz mines in which nine or more men are employed under- ground, and shall not apply to mines not actually extracting ores, by stoping, nor to mines in which the shaft or hoisting opening, or hauling way is not covered by a shaft house, and has no building structure within thirty (30) feet of the shaft or opening nor to mines in which the hoisting shaft or opening shall be covered by or enclosed in a fire-proof shaft or building. Section 11275. Penalty. Every person or corporation failing to comply with any of the above sections punishable by a fine of not less than three hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars. CODE OF SIGNALS IN METAL MINES 61 Section 3434. Protections and Guard-rails in Case of Shafts and Underground Openings. Underground workings consisting of chutes, manways, and winzes, or any openings kept for ventilating purposes, or for the removal of ore or waste material, shall when necessary be pro- tected by guard-rails, or by a suitable cover known as a grizzly, made of good, substantial timbers or metal bars. Shafts at stations shall be pro- tected by guard-rails at every level. In vertical manways used by employes exclusively for traveling purposes, in addition to proper ladders there shall be suitable landings, placed not to exceed thirty feet apart, and so far as feasible and practicable all such manways or air-courses used as an escape for men must be kept free from all obstructions. CODE OF SIGNALS IN METAL MINES. REVISED CODE 1921. Section 3429. Code of Signals in Metal Mines. Section 3430. Penalties. Section 3429. Signals of. It is made the duty of the inspector of mines of Montana, and he is hereby required to prepare a complete code of signals for the use in all mines in this state, worked through a shaft of seventy-five feet or more in depth, and employing ten or more men, and cause the same to be made known to each owner or operator of a mine in Montana by printed circular instructions, to the end that a uniform code of mine signals may prevail. The said inspector of mines of Mon- tana may add to or change such code of signals as circumstances may require, but no change of signals shall go into effect until a time specified by him, not less than sixty days nor more than ninety days from the time such change shall be ordered by him ; provided, that the code of signals first prepared by him shall be used in all said shaft mines from and after June 1, 1895. Section 3430. Penalties. Any owner or operator of a mine who shall refuse or neglect to cause the signals provided for in the preceding section to be used in his mine, to the exclusion of all other signals, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction of such refusal or neglect shall be fined in a sum not less than one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars, or by imprisonment in the county jail for a period of not less than thirty days or more than ninety days, in the discretion of the court, for each and every offense. STATE CODE OF MINE SIGNALS. Signal Bells. 1 bell hoist, 1 bell stop (if in motion). 2 bells lower men, 3 bells hoist men. 4 bells blasting signal, engineer must answer by raising bucket a few feet and letting it back slowly. Then one bell hoist men away from blast. 5 bells steam on, 6 bells steam off. 7 bells air on, 8 bells air off. 3-2-2 send down drills. 3-2-3 sencl down picks. 62 MONTANA* STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY 9 bells danger signal (case of fire or other danger), then ring number of station where danger exists. No person shall ring any bell except the station tender, except in case of danger, or when the main shaft is being sunk. Engineers must slow up w T hen passing stations when men are on cage. Station Bells. Bells Pause Bells No. Station Bells Pause Bells No. Station 2 1 1 5 a 4 19 2 “ 2 2 5 a 5 20 2 “ 3 3 6 it 1 21 2 4 4 6 it 2 22 2 “ 5 5 6 if 3 23 3 1 6 6 a 4 24 3 2 7 6 it 5 25 3 3 8 7 it 1 26 3 4 9 7 a 2 27 3 5 10 7 a 3 28 4 1 11 7 a 4 29 4 2 12 7 a 5 30 4 3 13 8 a 1 31 4 4 14 8 a 2 32 4 5 15 8 a 3 33 5 1 16 8 a 4 34 5 2 17 8 a 5 35 5 3 18 9 a 1 36 Where electric bells are used in connection with other bells. If cage is wanted ring station signal. Station tender will answer 1 bell. Reply 1 bell to go up. Reply 2 bells to go below. If station is full of ore and station tender is wanted, ring station signal and do not answer back. If 2-1-2 bells are rung, engineer or station tender does not understand, repeat signal. In case of danger or accident, ring station signal, station tender will reply 1 bell, ring 9 bells. One copy of this code should be posted on the gallows frame and one before the engineer. To be in effect from and after June 1st, 1895. This code is subject to change under certain conditions. . PROCEDURE TO EXAMINE ADJOINING MINING PROPERTIES REVISED CODE 1921. Section 9494. Whenever any person shall have any right to or interest \n any lead, lode, or mining claim which is in the possession of another person, and it shall be necessary for the ascertainment, enforcement, or protection of such right or interest that an inspection, examination, or survey of such lead, mine, lode, or mining claim should be had or made ; or whenever any inspection, examination, or survey of any such lode or mining claim shall be necessary to protest, ascertain, or enforce the right or interest of any person in another mine, lode, or mining claim, and the person in possession of the same shall refuse, for a period of three days after demand therefore in writing, to allow such inspection, examination, or survey to be had or made, the party so desiring the same may present to the district court, or judge thereof, of the county wherein the mine, lead, lode, or mining claim is situated, a petition, under oath, setting out his interest in the premises, describing the same that the premises are in the possession of a party, naming him, the reason why such examination, inspection, or survey is necessary, the demand made on the person in possession so to permit such examination, inspection, or survey, and his refusal so to do. The judge or court shall thereupon appoint a time and place for hearing such petition, and shall order notice thereof to be served upon the adverse party, which notice shall be served at least one day be- fore the day of hearing. On the hearing either party may read affidavits or produce oral testimony and if the court or judge is satisfied that the facts stated in the petition are true, he shall make an order for an in- spection, examination, or survey of the lode or mining claim in question, in such manner, at such time, and by such persons as are mentioned in the order Such person shall thereupon have free access to such mine, lead, lode, or mining claim for the purpose of making such inspection, examina- tion, or survey, and any interference with such person while acting under such order shall be contempt of court. If the order of the court is made while an action is pending between the parties to the order, the costs of obtaining the order shall abide in the result of the action, but all costs of making such examination or survey shall be paid by the petitioner. — 63 — DESTROYING NOTICES---PENALTY REVISED CODES. Section 11491. Every person who intentionally: 1. Defaces, obliterates, tears down or destroys any copy or transcript or extract from or of any law of the United States or of this State, or any proclamation, advertisement or notification set up at any place in this State by authority of any law of the United States or of this State or by order of any court, before the expiration of the time for which the same was to remain set up ; or, 2. Defaces, obliterates, tears or destroys any notice placed or posted on a mining claim, or removes or destroys any stake or monument placed thereon to identify it, Is punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding three months or by a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars, or both. INDEX A Page Abandonment 22 Acquired Interests Under Leasing Act 40 Act of Feb. 25, 1920 - 38 Adjoining Properties, Examination of 63 Advertising Out 21 Adverse Claim - 26 Agent 9 Agricultural Land 8 Aliens 9, 39 Amended Location V 22, 53, 54 Amended Certificate of Location 22, 54 Annual Labor 20, 52 Act of Aug. 24, 1921 20 Affidavit of : j 21, 52 On Group of Claims , 20 On Tunnel Claim 36 Apex 28 Application for Patent , 23 Application for Permits and Leases for Oil, Gas, Coal, etc 40 Area of Coal Lease 1 42 Area of Lode Claim 15 Area of Oil and Gas Leases 46 Area of Oil Shale Lease 48 Area of Phosphate Lease 44 Area of Placer Claim.... 29 Area of Sodium Lease 49 Assessment Work 20 Assigning of Leases 41 Associations - 9 B Boundaries, Marking of 14, 50 Brick Clay 10 C Cancellation of Permits 40 Certificate of Location 17, 51 Certificate of Amended Location 22 Citizens 9, 23, 39 Claims : Coal 42 Gas 45 Lode 10, 12, 50 Oil 45 Oil Shale 48 Phosphate - - 44 Placer 29 Quartz 10, 12 Sodium 49 Stone 12, 56 Tunnel 10, 35, 36 Clay 10 — 65 — 66 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY Coal : Page On State Land 11, 56 Rental of State Coal Land r. 57 On Government Land 38, 42 Coal Lands : Under Act of Feb. 25, 1920 42 Area Leased „ : 42 Consolidation of Leases 43 Leasing of - 42 Leases to Cities * 43 Leases on Land Occupied 43 Method of Leasing 42 Period of Lease 43 Permits and Lease 42 Railroads 42 Royalties and Rentals 43 Code of Montana 1921 50-55 Code of Signals in Metal Mines - 61 Combined Interests in Leasing Act 40 Co-owner 21 Corners of Claims . .— . 14, 50 Destroying of, Penalty 64 Corporations — ~ - - 9, 39 D Defective Locations 53 Definitions : Apex 28 Contiguous - 11 Face 11 Lead ^ - 10 Ledge - - 10 Lode 10 Mineral Land 7 Outcrop 28 Vein 10 Destroying Notices, Penalty .> ~ 64 Discovery 12, 50 Discovery Cut or Tunnel 17 Discovery Shaft 17, 50 Discovery Work 17 E Effect of Patent 54 End Lines : 15 Escapement Shaft 60 Examination of Adjoining Properties..... 63 Extra Lateral Rights -- 27 For Vein in Placer Claim 35 F Forms for : Application for Patent 25 Certificate of Location 18 Certificate of Placer Location 32 Notice of Location 13, 14 Placer Location 31 Survey : 25 Forfeiture - 21 Forfeiture of Co-owners’ Interest 21 Fraud in Selling Mines 59 INDEX 67 G Page Gas (See Oil and Gas), Government Land 38, 45 On State Land 56 Guard-rails for Shafts and Openings 61 Gulch Placers , ' 30 H Helium ; 48 I Indian Reservations 7 Open to Location 4 8 L Labor on Tunnel Claims 36 Lands Subject to Location 7 State Lands 55 Leasing Act of Feb. 25, 1920 : Lands Affected * 38 Permits and Lease 39 Right of Aliens 39 Leasing of Government Coal Lands 42 Leasing of State Coal Lands 56 Leasing of Oil, Gas, Coal, Phosphate, Oil Shale 38 Ledge, Definition of 10 Locations : By Citizens : 9 By Aliens 9 By Agent 9 By Minor p By Government Officials 9 Number Allowed 9 Location on Forest Reserve 7 Location of Lode Claims : 12, 50 On Government Land 7 On State Land 7, 55 On Indian Reservations 7 On School Lands 8 In Public Parks 7 On Agricultural Land 8 Location Notice 13, 50 Location Corners 14, 51 Location of Placer Claim 29 Location of Tunnel Claim 35 Locations, Validation of 53 Lode, Definition of . 10 Lode Claim 10, 12, 50 Lode, on Placer Claim 34 Lode, Size of 15 Lode Claims Over Tunnel 36 M Marking Location 14, 50 Millsites : Definition of 11 Location of 37, 52 Form of Location Notice 37 Patenting of 37 Mine Buildings Near Shaft or Tunnel 60 Mine Cages, Speed of 60 Mine Signals : 61. 62 68 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY Page Mineral Land, Definition 7 Mineral Surveyor 9 Mining Partnerships 1 58 Mining Claims on State Land 55 Mining Laws of Montana, Revised Code 1921 50-57 Montana Code of 1921 as to Claims , 50, 56 N Notice of Location 13, 50 Posting of 14, 50 Destroying of 64 Number of Locations Allowed : 9 O Oil: On Government Land 11, 45 On State Land 11, 56 Oil and Gas Lands 45 Description of Lands 46 Dimensions of Land 45 Discovery of Oil and Gas 46 Helium 48 Lease on Land Having Oil and Gas Reserved 47 Leasing of Lands in Producing Oil and Gas Field 47 Life of Lease 47 Location of Wells - * 46 Permit for Unappropriated Lands 45 Permit in Known Field 45 Preference Right to Permit •. 45 Precautions When Drilling .7. 46 Preference Right of Owner of Surface 47 Reduction of Royalty 47 Royalties and Rentals 47 Royalty Prior to Lease 46 Terms and Conditions of Permit 45 Work Required - 46 Oil Shale Lands 48 Claims Held Under Former Laws 48 Period of Lease - 48 Royalties and Rentals 48 Size of Lease 48 Overlapping Locations 17 Outcrop : Definition of 28 Illustration of 28, 29 P Patent : Effect of 23, 27, 54 Patent : Statute of Limitations 8 Partnerships, Mining - 58 Patenting Lode Claim 23 Permits for Coal, Phosphate, Oil. Gas, Oil Shale, and Sodium 39 Permits for Land with Mineral Right Reserved 40 Phosphate Lands 44 Pipe Lines for Oil or Gas 41 Placer Claim 10, 29, 52 Annual Labor 34 Discovery Work 29, 34 INDEX 69 Placer Location Form for Shape of Size of Page .29, 52 31 30 29 R Railroads Register’s Certificate Relinquishment of Lease Relocation Representation Work Revised Code of Montana Revised Statutes of United States : Section 2319 Section 2320 Section 2322 Section 2323 Section 2324, Amendment to Section 2325 Section 2326 Section 2329^ Section 2331 Section 2333 Section 2336 Section 2337 Rights of Relocator Right of Way for Pipe Lines Right of Way for Road or Ditch Proceedings for 42 20, 24 41 22, 52 20, 52 .50, 55, 56, 58, 59, 61, 63, 64 7 15 29 10 36 24 26 30 30 34 29 11 53 41 54 55 S Safety to Underground Miners, Revised Codes 1921 59 School Lands 8 Selling Mines, Fraud in 59 Shape of Lode Claims 15 Shaft, Discovery 17, 51 Shaft for Escapement....... 60 Shaft, Protection and Guard-rails for 61 Signals in Metal Mines 61 Size of Claims (Lode) 15 Placer Claims 29 Tunnel Claims 10, 35 Sodium Lands 49 Additional Land^.~ 49 Known Deposits 49 Lease 49 Permit - 49 Period of Lease 49 Rental 49 Royalty 49 State Lands 7, 11, 55 Leasing of 56 How Leased 57 Coal on 11, 56 Sale of 56 Statute of Limitations for Patent 8 Stone Claims : 12, 56 70 MONTANA STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND METALLURGY Page Stoping Near Shaft 59 Sub-Leasing Under Leasing Act . 41 Surface Rights on Leased Government Lands 41 T Tunnel Claim . T 10, 35 Labor on . 36 Patent for 36 Timber Act of June 4, 1897 ~ 38 Timber Lands 38 U Unappropriated Land 7 Underground Openings, Protection for 61 Unlawful Rights of Persons or Corporations 39 V Valid Location 7 Validating Locations Heretofore Made 53 Vein, Apex of 28 Vein Defined 10 Vein on Placer Claim 34 Verification of Location Certificate ~ 19 W Working Deposits Covered by Government Leasing Act 41 STATE OF MONTANA M. A. Brannon, Chancellor , The University of Montana BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY Francis A. Thomson, Director Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology Bulletin ISSUED QUARTERLY— PRICE 50 CENTS No. 6 January, 1931 GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA, MONTANA & 2 / Philip J. Shexon OCT 1 7 1932 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS. MONTANA SCHOOL OF MINES BUTTE, MONTANA Entered as second class matter January, 1931. at the postoffice at Butte, Montana, under the Act of March 3, 1879. \ D Lx. CONTENTS Page Preface 6 Summary 7 Introduction 8 Purpose and scope of the report 8 Acknowledgments 8 Geography : 10 Situation 10 Topography - 10 Climate and vegetation 12 Bibliography - - 13 The Bannack area 14 General geology 14 Character and distribution of the rocks 14 Carboniferous system 14 Madison formation 14 Quadrant formation 15 Mesozoic system 16 “Red Beds” ... 16 Tertiary gravels 17 Auriferous gravels 18 Intrusive igneous rocks 18 Granodiorite 18 Petrography 10 Exomorphic contact effects 21 Age 22 Basic dikes 22 Extrusive igneous rocks 22 Distribution and thickness 22 Andesite 23 General character 23 Petrography 23 Dacite 23 General character 24 Petrography 24 Rhyolite 24 Basalt 25 Age of the volcanic rocks 25 Deformation 25 Folding 25 Faulting 25 Ore deposits 26 Historical sketch of mining 26 Production + - 27 Mineralogy of the ore 28 Ore minerals 29 Gangue minerals - 31 Blue Wing mining district 32 Kent mine 32 Del Monte mine - 34 New Departure mine - 36 Huron mine 37 4 CONTENTS The Bannack area (continued) Pomeroy mine Randall mine Z""Z*Z" Silver Star mine Ingersoll mine Charter Oak mine _ Wheal Rose mine Iron Mask mine . Bannack mining district Bannack Gold Mining and Milling Company Excelsior mine Golden Leaf group Blue Grass and Gold Bug mines Hendricks mine Placer deposits * ’ The Argenta area General geology Character and distribution of the rocks Algonkian system S'pokane formation Cambrian system Flathead formation Tilden formation Devonian system Ermont formation Carboniferous system Mississippian series Pennsylvanian series Tertiary gravels Quaternary deposits Glacial moraine Intrusive igneous rocks General features Quartz monzonite Petrography Granodorite Petrography Andesite porphyry Petrography Dacite porphyry Petrography Rhyolite porphyry Contact metamorphic effects Extrusive igneous rocks Rhyolite porphyry Trachyte porphyry Deformation General features Principal folds and faults Ore deposits Historical sketch of mining Classification of the ore deposits Pipe-like ore bodies in limestone Tuscarora Mining and Smelting Co. property Tabular ore shoots along bedding planes in limestone Legal Tender mine ; Spanish mine Tabular ore shoots along fissures in liestone Brownell mine Mauldin mine Pa r \ i I I £ r < p i l 3 p p 5 n fJ 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 6 CONTENTS 5 The Argenta area (continued) Page Anaconda mine 66 Coolidge mine 66 Goldsmith mine 67 Contact deposits in limestone 67 Iron Mountain mine 68 Ermont mine 69 Argenta Mining Co. property 70 Deposits along fissures and shear zones in quartzite 70 Carbonate mine 71 Groundhog mine 71 Deposits along fissures in shale 71 Golden Era mine 72 Rena mine 72 Midnight mine 73 Goldfinch mine 73 Dexter mine 74 Gladstone mine 75 Ore shoots along veins and shear zones in quartz monzonite.... 75 Ferdinand mine 75 Jack Rabbit mine 76 Copper Beli mine 77 Bella mine 77 ILLUSTRATIONS Plate Page I. Topographic and geologic map of the Bannack district In pocket II. Topographic and geologic map of the Argenta district In pocket III. A. Bannack, Montana, looking northeast 14 B. Tilted Flathead quartzite east of French Creek 14 IV. A. Intrusive contact of granodiorite with Madison limestone 15 B. Adjustment of Grasshopper Creek to the tilted “Red Beds” 15 V. Photomicrographs of granodiorite from the Bannack district 20 VI. Photomicrographs of extrusive rocks from the Bannack district 24 VII. A. Madison limestone overlying folded “Red Beds” 26 B. Minor folding developed along fault 26 VIII. Map of the Blue Wing workings of Kent mine 32 IX. Photomicrographs of ores from the Kent and Del Monte mines 34 X. Photomicrographs of ores from the Bannack district 42 XI. A. Glacial moraine at the mouth of Rattlesnake Creek canyon 46 B. Steeply inclined limestone beds 46 XII. 1. Ripple marks in Spokane formation 47 2. Mud cracks from near the top of the Spokane formation 47 3. Oolitic limestone from near the top of the Tilden formation 47 4. Black magnesian limestone from base of Ermont formation 47 XIII. Photomicrographs of intrusive rocks from the Argenta district 54 XIV. Map of the Tuscarora and Gov. Tilden mines 60 Figure 1. Index map of Montana showing Bannack and Argenta 10 2. Map showing intrusive relations on Wallace level of Wadams mine 41 PREFACE Bannack and Argenta are part of the Old West. Bannack was the first placer camp of significance in Montana and the scene of the first successful gold dredging operations in America, whereas it was at Argenta that the first successful lead-silver mining and smelting operations in Montana were begun. At Bannack the wave of civilization sweeping eastward from the Pacific met the west- ward advancing wave from the Atlantic. It was here that the gap between the two frontiers was closed and that “forty-niners” from California taught men from the “states” to use the pan, the rocker, and the sluice-box. But the history of the past is only an incidental feature of this publication. The prime purpose is to illustrate the application of the new geology to the old camps in the hope that by careful scien- tific analysis of the causes which have led to the formation of the bonanzas of the past, stimulus may be given to the revival of pro- ductive activity in the future. Bannack and Argenta are typical of the numerous and more or less deserted mining camps which are dotted as a group of satel- lites about the Boulder batholith and from which, in the aggregate, several hundred million dollars in gold and silver have been pro- duced. A mine is a wasting asset, and it is doubtless true that cer- tain of the richly productive ore-bodies of the Boulder batholith have been exhausted. On the other hand, it is doubtless equally true that certain mines of the past were abandoned either because of failure to understand the genesis and structure of the ore-bodies, or because of inability to deal successfully with the refractory and complex ores by the metallurgy then current. To the solution of the problems — geological and metallurgical — presented by these formerly productive areas, the Bureau hopes to make a substantial contribution through such studies as are typi- fied by this publication, “The Geology and Ore Deposits of Bannack and Argenta.” It has been the endeavor throughout the prepara- tion of this report to make it easily understood by the intelligent miner, prospector, and layman; but at the same time to include the essential basic scientific facts needed by the trained geologist or engineer in order that he may make an intelligent detailed ex- amination of a specific property, for without a favorable report from a competent engineer there is no hope of interesting capital in mining development. Francis A. Thomson, Director. THE GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA, MONTANA By Philip J. Shenon SUMMARY The areas described in this report include 30 square miles near Bannack and 20 square miles in the immediate vicinity of Argenta, Montana. The Argenta area lies 5 miles northeast of the Bannack area. These two districts include the first important placer and lode mines in Montana, and many of them have been worked intermit- tently up to the present time. The mines have produced gold, silver, lead, zinc, and copper in considerable quantity. The* total production of the Bannack area is estimated at $12,000,000 and that of the Argenta area at $1,500,000. The oldest known rocks of sedimentary origin exposed in the Bannack district are limestones of Mississippian age. The youngest stratified rocks exposed in the vicinity are “Red Beds” of probably Triassic age. Consolidated sedimentary rocks ranging in age from pre-Cambrian to Pennsylvanian are found in the Argenta area. They include thick deposits of limestones, quartzites, and shales. The un- consolidated materials include terrace gravels and glacial moraine. Because of their positions the terrace gravels have been classified into “Upper Bench Gravels” and “Lower Bench Gravels”. Former igneous activity manifests itself in both areas as flows, tuffs and intrusives. The ore deposits are closely related to intru- sive rocks of intermediate composition. All of the consolidated rocks have been folded and displaced by overthrust faulting. Normal faults have caused displacements on a smaller scale. Valuable ore deposits occur in both sedimentary and intrusive rocks but are everywhere located at or near the intrusive contacts. Most of the deposits were small or moderate in size but practically all were high grade. The deposits with obvious exposures have been largely exhausted but it is altogether possible that additional dis- coveries may be made. INTRODUCTION PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE REPORT The first part of the field work for the Bannack report was done during the summer months of 1925. Another month was spent at geological investigation in 1928. The field work for the Argenta report covered a period of nearly two months during the summer of 1929. The report on the Bannack area was first assembled at the University of Minnesota 1 during the winter and spring of 1925-26 and, except for condensation and rearrangement and the added description of the Hendricks mine, remains essentially as originally written. The Argenta report was prepared during the spring and summer of 1930 at the Montana School of Mines. Section corners served as the principal horizontal control for the construction of the topographic maps whereas the secondary points were located by Brunton intersections and by pacing. The plane-table was used for part of the work in the Bannack area but all of the elevations in the Argenta area were determined by aneroid barometer. The formation boundaries were followed out and mapped and are delineated as accurately as the topography. Broken lines are used where the contacts are doubtful. Fifty mines and prospects were visited during the course of the work but due to the pressure of time only a few of them were mapped. However, the characteristics of each have been described in more or less detail. A CKNO WLED GHENT S It is a pleasure to acknowledge the numerous courtesies which have facilitated the field work. Among many others, Messrs. William Dunn, C. H. Stallings, Frank Sinnott and F. L. Graves (now deceased) of Bannack; George Metlen, John Coppin, J. B. Somers, D. V. Erwin, William Corbett and G. V. Elder of Dillon; A. H. French, George W. French, W. J. Cushing and George Knapp of Argenta; and Alexander Leggat and Samuel Barker, Jr., of Butte, were generous in giving time and information. 1. A report on the geology of the Bannack district was submitted by the writer to the Gradu- ate School of the University of Minnesota in partial fulfillment for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. 8 GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 9 During the preparation of the Bannack report the writer re- ceived assistance and many suggestions from the members of the Geology Department of the University of Minnesota. Special ac- knowledgment is due Dr. W. H. Emmons and Dr. F. F. Grout for helpful suggestions and criticisms. Mr. It. J. Leonard identified the fossils that served to correlate the sedimentary rocks. Acknowledg- ment also is due Dr. G. M. Schwarts for assistance and advice ren- dered during the study of the polished sections. Mr. W. S. Yarwood made one complete rock analysis and Dr. R. J. Leonard one incom- plete analysis. The writer wishes to express his thanks to President Francis A. Thomson of the Montana School of Mines for his help and criti- cism throughout the preparation of the report. Thanks are also due Dr. E. S. Perry for his criticism and for assistance in photog- raphy. Mr. L. H. Hart of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company was generous with information and comments on the geology of the Tuscarora and Governor Tilden mines. Mr. George H. Girty of the U. S. Geological Survey identified the fossils from the Ar- genta district. Credit is due Mr. Romer H. Guenther and Mr. S. F. Hornbeck of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company for the draft- ing of the maps. GEOGRAPHY SITUATION The Argenta and Bannack areas (fig. 1) are centrally located in Beaverhead County, southwestern Montana, and for the most part lie within the Dillon Quadrangle 2 . The Argenta area is in T. 9 S., Rs. 11 and 12 E., and comprises an area of 20 square miles; the Bannack area is in Tps. 7 and 8 S., R. 11 W., and includes an area of 30 square miles. The Blue Wing mining district occupies ap- proximately the northern half of the Bannack area and the Bannack mining district the southern half (PI. I) . FIGURE 1. INDEX MAP OF MONTANA SHOWING BANNACK AND ARGENTA Dillon is the nearest railroad shipping point for the Argenta and Blue Wing districts which lie, respectively, 14 and 18 miles west of Dillon. Ore from Bannack is shipped from Grant, 12 miles to the west, on the Gilmore and Pittsburgh railroad. A direct water-grade highway to connect Bannack with the Oregon Short Line railroad at Barratt Station, a distance of about 14 miles, is under consideration. TOPOGRAPHY The Bannack and Argenta areas lie in a section of the Rocky Mountain province characterized by a series of north-south trend- ing mountain ranges which are separated by broad intermontane troughs. The main mountain masses are well rounded and charac- 2. Winchell, A. N'., U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 574, 1914. 10 GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 11 terized by flat summit areas which Umpleby 3 has described as an old erosion surface. The smooth mountain slopes are, however, dissected by steep V-shaped valleys that have locally been widened by glaciation. The maximum relief within the mapped areas is approximately 1800 feet. The highest point in the region, Robbers’ Roost, is lo- cated in the northern part of the Bannack district; it attains an altitude of 7600 feet (PI. I) and because of its prominence was used as a lookout station by the early-day road agents, and hence the name. The lowest point is just south of the junction of Spring Gulch and Grasshopper Creek at an elevation of 5800 feet. The high range, composed largely of tilted limestones and quartz- ites, running north and south through the Bannack and Argenta areas weathers into sharp cliffs and jagged gulches in marked con- trast with the more rounded topography developed in the gravels to the west and the lavas and gravels to the east of this central highland. The region described in this report is drained by Rattlesnake and Grasshopper Creeks, both of which flow into Beaverhead River, a large tributary of the Missouri. Rattlesnake Creek has its head- waters in a series of wide glaciated valleys south of Mt. Torrey. Thence it flows southeastward, partly through glacial debris, to a point about 4 miles from Argenta, where the creek leaves the nar- row V-shaped valley to enter a wider valley through which it travels the remainder of its course to Beaverhead River, four miles south of Dillon. Near Argenta, Rattlesnake Creek has carved a well-defined terrace into gravel beds deposited by an ancient drainage system 4 . Grasshopper Creek rises near the base of Baldy Mountain and flows southward through a wide, alluvial-filled valley for about 20 miles and then, west of Bannack, turns almost at right angles and flows the remainder of its course through a narrow gorge, whereas the ancient gravel-filled stream channel continues southward to Horse Prairie Creek. According to Atwood 5 , the early Tertiary drainage of southwestern Montana was to the southwest instead of to the northeast as it is today. After the early Tertiary drainage was blocked by lava flows and warping, there followed a long period of deposition in the intermontane basins while the headwaters of the Missouri were advancing westward. By active headward erosion the Missouri finally captured the drainage of southwestern Mon- tana; and yet, for the most part, the present drainage, although 3. Umpleby, J. B., Jour, of Geol., vol. 20, pp. 139-147 (1912). 4. Atwood, W. W., Economic Geology, vol. 11, No. 8, pp. 698-732, 1916. 5. Op. cit. 12 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY reversed in direction, still follows the ancient stream valleys. Im- mediately west of the mapped area, Grasshopper Creek follows one of these old valleys to a point not far from Bannack where the stream is sharply diverted eastward through a youthful valley to Beaverhead River. The apparent entrenchment meandering in the NW .14 of sec. 16 is due to the adjustment of the stream to the rock structures during headward erosion and is entirely local (PI. IV-B) . CLIMATE AND VEGETATION The climate is semi-arid, the annual precipitation ranging from 15 to 20 inches. The summers are warm and pleasant but the winters are usually cold. The mean average temperature is about 42 degrees F. and the extreme maximum and minimum tempera- tures are about 90 degrees F. and 30 degrees F., respectively. The following tables give precipitation and snowfall data for Dillon but can be considered as representative of Bannack and Argenta 6 : Monthly and Annual Precipitation, in Inches, at Dillon, Montana (1920) Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Annual .35 1.40 1.71 1.95 3.41 2.44 2.70 0.91 1.26 0.88 0.51 0.40 17.92 Monthly and Annual Snowfall, in Inches, at Dillon, Montana (1920) Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Annual 3.0 8.0 4.1 11.0 Tr. 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.0 2.0 5.0- 3.5 39.6 Medium-sized evergreen trees are quite abundant although in certain sections of the area the timber has been nearly depleted. The remaining timber is practically limited to the highland area extending north and south through the region. Only isolated patches of timber grow in the areas occupied by the volcanic rocks and much of the accessible timber in the lowlands has been utilized. Sufficient timber for extensive mining operations is, however, still available. Most of the untimbered country is covered with grease- wood and sagebrush. Bunch grass is abundant so that the region supports a considerable number of sheep and cattle during the grazing season. 6. Report of the Chief of the U. S. Weather Bureau for 1920-21. BIBLIOGRAPHY The large scale topographic map of the Dillon Quadrangle pre- pared by Frank Tweedy in 1887 and 1888 for the United States Geological Survey, includes the Argenta district and the eastern part of the Bannack area, as mapped by the writer. The scale of the map is 1 to 250,000 or about four miles to the inch, and the contour interval is 200 feet. The following publications relate to the geology and mining industry of the Argenta and Bannack districts : 1868. BROWNE, J. ROSS, Mineral resources of the United States for 1866, Montana, pp. 498-506. 1868. KEYES, W. S., Mineral resources of the United States for 1866, Appendix, pp. 38-56. 1869-1877. RAYMOND, R. W., EATON, A. K., WHEELER, W. F., etc. Mineral resources of the region west of the Rocky Mountains, for 1869, pn. 134-152 ; for 1870, pp. 204-217 ; for 1871, pp. 261-273; for 1872, pp . 216-221; for 1873, pp . 367-374; for 1874, pp . 323-327; for 1875, pp. 237-245. 1885. LEESON, M. A., History of Montana, 1739 to 1885, Chicago, 1885, 1867 pages. 1885. EMMONS, S. F., Geological sketch of the Rocky mountain division : Tenth Census, vol. 13, pp. 94-100. 1890. BANCROFT, H. H., History of Washington, Idaho, and Montana, 1848 to 1889, San Fran- cisco, 1890, pp. 589-808, particularly pp. 620-627, and pp. 721-728. 1897. BARREL, R. W., The mineral formation of the Golden Leaf mines (Beaverhead County, Montana) : Eng. and Min. Jour., vol. 64, p. 64. 1903. WEED, W. H., Ore deposits near igneous contacts : Trans. A. I. M. E., vol. 33, p. 732. 1905. DOUGLAS, E., Some notes on the geology of southwestern Montana : Carnegie Museum Memoir 3, pp. 407-428. 1914. WINCHELL, A. N., Mining districts of the Dillon Quadrangle, Montana and adjacent areas: U. S. Geol. Sur. Bull. 574. 1915. BILLINGSLEY, PAUL: The Boulder Batholith of Montana: Trans. A. I. M. M., vol. 51, pp. 31-56. 1915. NOYES, A. J., Dinsdale’s Vigilantes of Montana, Montana State Publishing Co., Helena, Montana. 1916. ATWOOD, W. W., The physiographic conditions at Butte, Montana and Bingham Canyon, Utah, when the copper ores in these districts were enriched: Econ. Geol. vol. 11, No. 8, pp. 697-740. 1916. BILLINGSLEY, PAUL, and GRIMES, J. A., Ore deposits of the Boulder Batholith of Mon- tana: Trans. A. I. M. E., vol. 58, pp. 284-361. 1916. JENNINGS, HENNEN, The history and development of gold dredging in Montana: U. S Bureau of Mines Bull. 121. 1927. SHENON, P. J., Gold at Bannack, Montana: Eng. and Min. Jour., vol. 123, p. 326. 1930. FRENCH, G. W., Argenta, first lead-silver camp in Montana, still shipping ore: Mining Truth, Spokane, Wash., April 3, 1930, p. 23. 13 THE BANNACK AREA GENERAL GEOLOGY CHARACTER AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE ROCKS The prevailing rocks of the region are igneous and are most abundant in the eastern half of the area. They include granodiorite, andesite, dacite, rhyolite and basalt. Of these the extrusive rocks greatly predominate. The sedimentary section in the Bannack district is far from complete, although over 2000 feet of sediments are included, rang- ing in age from Lower Mississippian to unconsolidated Quaternary gravels. Limestones of Mississippian age are widespread, but Juras- sic and Cretaceous sediments were not observed. Erosion has re- moved the consolidated post-Carboniferous sedimentary rocks ex- cept where they have been protected by overthrust faulting. The distribution of the rocks is shown on the geologic map forming Plate I. CARBONIFEROUS SYSTEM MADISON FORMATION The Madison formation, consisting mainly of grayish-blue lime- stone, is very well developed in the Bannack region where it attains a thickness of about 1200 feet. Although the base of this formation was not definitely fixed, fossil evidence indicates the presence of the basal beds. Some grayish-green and maroon-colored shales, immediately west of the fault in the SE.14 of sec. 8, were tentatively mapped with the Madison although no fossils to fix their age were found. About 200 feet of the lowest exposure of the Madison forma- tion is comprised of alternating grayish-blue, bluish-white, and pinkish crystalline limestone. Above this comes about 200 feet of bluish-gray limestone with abundant organic remains. Then fol- lows about 150 feet of dark grayish-blue limestone with numerous lenses and nodules of grayish-black and black chert. This is fol- lowed by about 400 feet of massive grayish-blue limestone, while nearer the top the formation becomes predominantly red in color and the rocks are more arenaceous. A peculiar grayish-blue con- glomerate composed of limestone fragments was noted near the top of the formation. It is exposed on the high point in the W. 1 /^ sec. 17. Although the red arenaceous limestones were mapped with the Madison formation it is quite possible that they correspond with 7. Peale, A. C., U. S. Geol. Survey Folio 24, p. 2, 1896. 14 MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY Bulletin 6, Plate III A. BANNACK, MONTANA, LOOKING NORTHEAST. TERTIARY GRAVELS IN LEFT BACKGROUND AND TILTED LIMESTONE IN RIGHT BACKGROUND. B. TILTED FLATHEAD QUARTZITE (center) JUST EAST OF FRENCH CREEK, ARGENTA DISTRICT. THE QUARTZITE BORDERS SPOKANE SHALE WHICH OCCUPIES THE CENTER OF A BROAD ANTICLINAL FOLD. MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY Bulletin 6, Plate IY A. INTRUSIVE CONTACT OF GRANODIORITE WITH MADISON LIMESTONE JUST EAST OF BANNACK. NOTE APOPHYSIS OF INTRUSIVE EXTENDING INTO LIMESTONE IN LEFT FOREGROUND. B. ADJUSTMENT OF GRASSHOPPER CREEK TO THE TILTED “RED BEDS” IN THE N.W.% OF SEC. 16 GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 15 north of Mann Gulch where it occupies two synclinal troughs, the “red” limestones of the Three Forks area 7 where they are in- cluded with the Quadrant formation. Fossils from the Argenta dis- trict identified by G. W. Girty of the U. S. Geological Survey, in- dicate that limestones of both Brazer (upper Mississippian) and Wells (Pennsylvanian) age are present in that district, and a more complete fossil collection from the Bannack region will, no doubt, prove the same thing to be true in that area. The fossils collected from the Madison formation were identified by Dr. R. J. Leonard and are listed below: The Quadrant, which overlies the Madison formation, is ex- posed mainly in the extreme northern and southern ends of the area. It consists predominantly of quartzite which grades upward into a fine-grained sandstone. Talus developed on the steep slopes by the weathering of these rocks usually conceals the contacts with the other formations. The top of the formation has been re- moved by erosion but the base is well exposed in the saddle just south of Bannack Point where it rests upon a bed of woody-appear- ing shale about two feet in thickness. Beneath this woody-appear- ing shale is a thin layer of black organic shale, less than an inch in thickness, which in turn rests upon a massive blue limestone. Beneath this blue limestone are the red and pink arenaceous lime- stones. The vitreous quartzite which comprises the lower part of the Quadrant formation is white or pinkish-white in color but weathers to reddish-brown on exposed surfaces. Bedding was not recognized. Because of the intense fracturing and jointing the quartzite has a hackly appearance. Microscopic examination proved this to be an unusually pure quartzite composed largely of rounded quartz grains, showing marked secondary growth, with some in- terstitial silica and a few isolated grains of biotite. The quartz grains are uniform in size and average about 0.15 mm. in diameter. The thickest section of the Quadrant formation is exposed just Amplexus sp. Camarotechia metallica Camarotechia sp. Cleiothyris roissyi Crania laevis Crino.d stem fragments Cyathophyllum sp. Derbya crassa? Eumetria marcyi Fenestella sp. Murchisonia sp. Nodosinella Orthotetes inflatus ? Pleurophorus sp. Productella concentrica ? Productus arcuatus Productus cora Productus laevicostus Productus semireticulatus Rhombopora sp. Schizophoria swallovi Spirifer centronatus Spirifer (Delthyris) cf. tullius Spiriferina cristata Spirifer rockymontanus Straparollus luxus ? Straparollus cf. similis Syringopora sp. Zaphrentis excentrica Zaphrentis stansburyi QUADRANT FORMATION 16 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY The synclinal trough occupied by Robbers’ Roost, the highest point, in the region, includes a section over 500 feet in thickness. The age of the formation correlated with the Quadrant is prob- ably Pennsylvanian. Calkins 8 obtained Pennsylvanian fossils from the Quadrant formations in the Philipsburg quadrangle and Girty 9 regards the fossils found in the Quadrant formation of the Snow- crest mountains, southwest of Virginia City, as of early Pennsyl- vanian age. No fossils were obtained from this formation in the Bannack district, but those found in the red arenaceous limestones beneath it were identified as upper Madison. Fossils of probable Wells (Pennsylvanian) age were found in limestone beds beneath the quadrant quartzite in the Argenta district. MESOZOIC SYSTEM “RED BEDS” The “Red Beds” are exposed for the most part in the southern end of the area, disconformably underlying Madison limestones. Their preservation is due largely to the fact that the overthrust Madison limestones have protected them from erosion. The “Red Beds” consist largely of alternating beds of red con- glomerate and sandstone with some beds of grayish-blue conglom- erate. The beds are persistent and range in thickness from about 1 to 20 feet. The pebbles in the conglomerates vary considerably in composition, size, and angularity. Although blue limestone- pebbles often containing organic remains typical of Madison lime- stone predominate, brown and white quartzite, pink, buff, and black chert, brown sandstone and white quartz pebbles are common. The largest pebbles observed were less than a foot in diameter, but the average size is probably less than an inch. The quartzite, sand- stone, quartz, and chert pebbles are usually well rounded, whereas those of blue limestone are frequently angular. Both sandstone and conglomerate are well cemented, the latter usually with a brownish- red to brick-red sandy material. Several beds of volcanic rocks, purplish to pinkish in color, are present in the lowest exposed por- tions of the “Red Beds”. They are in well defined beds and are clearly members of the strata that comprise the “Red Beds”. The microscope shows these rocks to be made up largely of volcanic glass, some with marked flow structures (PI. VI, 3) . Although these rocks are greatly altered, several feldspars showing carls- bad twinning could be seen and one with albite twinning showed 8. Emmons, W. H., and Calkins, F. C. : U. S. Geol. Sur. Prof. Paper 78, pp. 70-74, 1913. 9. Condit, D. Dale : U. S. Geol. Sur. Prof. Paper 120, p. 116, 1919. GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 17 an extinction angle of 10 degrees. As quartz was observed, the rocks are probably trachyte or latite, porphyry and tuff. Neither the top nor the bottom of the “Red Beds” are exposed. Erosion has removed the upper members while the lower beds are in fault-contact with the Madison limestone. The thickness from the contact with the Madison limestone to the exposed top on the south side of Grasshopper Creek was measured roughly and ap- proximates 700 to 800 feet. Cross sections indicate a thickness of at least 1500 feet. No fossils were found in the “Red Beds” except those included in Madison pebbles. They probably correspond, however, with the Chugwater formation (Permian and Triassic) of southwestern Montana 10 and Wyoming 11 and, to the north, of the Pryor Moun- tains near Billings, Montana 12 . TERTIARY GRAVELS The extreme western part of the region is occupied by Tertiary gravels, and terrace gravels are found above Grasshopper Creek in several places (plate I). The predominating rock is red quartzite, but light-colored quartzite comes next in order. The pebbles are well rounded and although usually about two inches in diameter, they vary from less than an inch to about a foot. Lesser amounts of angular lime- stone fragments, as large as three feet in diameter, and some sand- stone and lava pebbles are present as are a few rounded pebbles of magnetite. The gravel is cemented with coarse sandy material and is quite well indurated. The gravels are later than the volcanic rocks of Tertiary age and antedate the advent of stream piracy in the region. According at Atwood 13 the closed drainage of southwestern Montana was opened by stream piracy during middle Pliocene. AURIFEROUS GRAVELS Most of the auriferous placer gravels are in the present stream channel, although some of the older “bench gravels” were also mined for their gold content. The stream gravels include pebbles of all the rock formations of the region as well as some not found in the vicinity but red quartzite pebbles predominate. 10. Condit, D. Dale, op. cit. p. 119. 11. Darton, N. H„ U. S. Geol. Sur. Prof. Paper 40, p. 140, 1906. 12. Kemp. J. F. and Billingsley, Paul, Bull. Geol. Soc. America, vol. 32, p. 466, 1921. 13. Atwood, W. W., op. cit. p. 706. i.8 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY INTRUSIVE IGNEOUS ROCKS GRANODIORITE Granodiorite, the characteristic intrusive rock of the Bannack area, is exposed in both the Bannack and Blue Wing mining districs. In all, the exposures aggregate less than two square miles. These small outcrops are probably isolated exposures of the main Boulder batholith 14 . The Boulder batholith 15 is exposed over an area of 1100 square miles in the mountainous region of western Montana. This batho- lith is probably a satellite of the Idaho batholith which is situated 150 miles to the west and covers and area of 20,000 square miles 16 . Between the two are many smaller exposures of intrusive rocks. Field work indicates a genetic relationship between the isolated ex- posures of granitic rocks in Montana so that Billingsley 17 has en- larged the term “Boulder Batholith” to include the outlying tracts. The prevailing rock of the Bannack district is a fine-grained, medium-to-dark-colored granodiorite. It is more basic and notice- ably finer than the prevailing rocks of the greater portion of the Boulder batholith 18 and quartz is not readily discernable in the hand speeiman. In the Bannack mining district there are three distinct out- crops of the granodiorite but in the Blue Wing mining district, with the exception of several small exposures, it occurs as a continuous mass. Although a number of apophyses extend out into limestone, the exposures are more or less elliptical in outline. The intrusive nature of the granodiorite is made evident by the marked contact metamorphism in the sediments about the edges, by the projection of apophyses into the sedimentary rocks, and by the manner in which the granodiorite truncates the upturned beds of Madison limestone. Garnetization is common along the contact between the granodiorite and the limestone in the Blue Wing dis- trict and extensive in the Bannack vicinity. Apophyses of grano- diorite can be observed extending into the limestone in the Barton drift at the Kent mine and in a prospect hole just northwest of the Del Monte shaft. Some of the important ore deposits at Bannack occur along apophyses that cut across bedded limestone ; the Excel- sior mine furnishes a splendid example. The upper surface of the intrusive masses are rudely dome- 14 . Billingsley, Paul, Trans. A. I. M. E., vol. 51, pp. 31-56, 1915. Winchell, N. H. : U. S. Geol. Sur. Bull. 574, p. 55, 1914. 15. Weed, H. W., U. S. Geol. Sur. Butte Special Folio, 1897. 16. Umpleby, J. B., Jour, of Geology, vol. 20, p. 145, 1912. 17. Billingsley, Paul, op. cit. 18. Weed, W. H., op. cit . ; Knopf, Adolph, op. cit. GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 19 like but they cut across the bedding and are not laccoliths in the strict sense of the term. The outcrops lack the more rugged fea- tures developed in the tilted limestone and are eroded into well rounded topographic forms (PI. IV. 1). The rock is traversed by pronounced systems of closely spaced joints and tends to break into small rhomboidal-shaped blocks upon weathering. Because of this pronounced jointing the granodiorite has no economic value as a building stone. In the Bannack mining district all the contacts are sharp and boundaries were easily mapped, but in the Blue Wing mining dis- trict the intrusive rocks are in contact, on the east, with an altered grayish-green rock of slightly porphyritic or fine texture which closely resembles the granodiorite, and, as a result, considerable difficulty was experienced in mapping. Microscopic study proved this green porphyry to be an altered phase of a volcanic rock. PETROGRAPHY The granodiorite is prevailingly fine-grained and grayish to grayish-green in color. Feldspars constitute about 75 per cent of the rock and biotite, hornblende and magnetite make up the greater part of the remainder. Quartz is not readily discernible in the hand specimens. Pyrite commonly occurs along joint planes. In thin sections the microscope shows the bulk of the rock to be made up of lath-shaped plagioclase feldspars, usually striated which show very marked zoning and usually, reaction rims (PL V) . The extinction angles on the twinned plagioclase indicates a com- position of Ab 63 An 37 , whereas the composition calculated from the norm is Ab 58 An 42 . The andesine crystals vary in size from about 0.03x0.05 millimeters to 0.28x0.70 millimeters and average about 0.14x0.20 millimeters. Optically abnormal orthoclase is present largely as interstitial material but generally constitutes about 15 per cent of the rock. The feldspars are usually fresh but occasion- ally have a dusty appearance. The central zones of the plagioclase show the most alteration, largely to sericite and kaolin. Smal* amounts of interstitial quartz are present, generally less than 15 per cent. Biotite is the commonest dark constituent and makes up about 10 per cent of the rock. It frequently shows alteration to chlorite. The biotite often includes magnetite, plagioclase and zir- con poi kil itically , the zircon showing pleochroic haloes. Green horn- blende is usually present in amounts ranging from 5 to 10 per cent. Sometimes brown biotite takes the place of hornblende, especially around the borders. The hornblende is usually somewhat altered 20 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY to chlorite, epidote, limonite and calcite. Augite is generally present in small amounts. Magnetite, apatite, zircon, and titanite occur as accessory minerals. Magetite grains, commonly square in out- line, are disseminated through the sections but are most abundant in or near the ferromagnesian minerals. Magnetite usually com- prises from 1 to 5 per cent of the rock but apatite, zircon, and titan- ite generally make up less than 1 per cent. A complete chemical analysis of the Bannack intrusive and a partial analysis of a contact phase are given below. Analysis of rocks from the Elkhorn intrusive and from the main Boulder batho- lith are included in the table for comparison. Analysis of intrusive roclcs from Bannack and adjacent areas 1 A B C 2 SiO. 61.21 60.84 63.87 64.17 46.65 ALO, 15.20 16.36 15.39 15.25 13.79 FeoO-i 2.49 2.40 1.93 2.16 10.17 FeO 3.30 3.23 3.08 2.98 MgO 4.12 3.85 2.23 2.60 6.75 CaO 6.05 4.96 4.30 4.24 19.42 Na,0 3.32 2.90 2.76 2.62 KO 2.31 4.10 4.18 4.34 H ,0 92 1.03 .69 .65 ILO 24 .48 .19 .16 TiO.. 62 .65 .67 99.78 iOO.15 99.28 99.84 96.78 1 . Bannack, Mont., W. S. Yarwood, analyst, Biotite hornblende granodiorite. A. Elkhorn district, Montana, E. C. Sullivan, analyst, Mica diorite. B. Butte, Mont., Alice Mine, W. F. Hillebrand, analyst. Quartz monzonite. C. Helena, Mont., Frohner Mine, H. N. Stokes, analyst, Quartz monzonite. 2 . Bannack, Mont., R. J. Leonard, analyst. Contact phase of granodiorite. The normative mineral composition as calculated from the chemical analysis according to the rules proposed by Cross, Iddings, Pirrson and Washington 19 may be stated as follows: 1 A B C Quartz 15.18 11.10 18.84 19.38 Orthoclase 13.34 24.46 25.02 25.58 Albite 27.77 24.63 23.06 22.01 Anorthite 20.02 19.19 17.23 16.96 Diopside 7.97 4.48 2.72 2.69 Hypersthene 9.41 11.27 7.57 7.84 Magnetite 3.71 3.48 2.78 3.25 Ilmen ite 1.22 1.22 1.22 Comparison of chemical analysis and normative calculations brings out a marked relationship between the main Boulder batho- lith and the satellites exposed at Bannack and Elkhorn. Although the intrusive rock near the contact is essentially the same as the central masses certain changes were noted. At some places along the main contact, and particularly where blocks of limestone were included in the granodiorite, the intrusive rocks were greenish-black to almost black in color or in some cases of a salt and pepper appearance with greenish-black orbicular segre- gations, generally about an inch in diameter. Under the microscope 19. Washington, H. S., U. S. Geol. Sur. Prof. Paper 99, 1917. MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY Bulletin 6, Plate V 3 4 - PHOTOMICROGRAPHS OF GRANODIORITE FROM THE BANNACK DISTRICT, MONTANA. 1. Typical granodiorite from the main intrusive south of Grasshopper Creek, Bannack mining district. Andesine feldspar (a), biotite (b), magnetite (m), quartz (q). Polarized light. Magnification 45 times. 2. Same showing zonal growth in andesine feldspars. Polarized light. Magnification 45 times. 3. Typical granodiorite from the Blue Wing mining district. Andesine feldspar (a), biotite (b), magnetite (m), quartz (q). Polarized light. Magnification 45 times. 4. Granodiorite from near limestone contact. Hedenbergite (h), andesine feldspar (a), quartz (q). Polarized light. Magnification V 'times. GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 21 these dark-colored rocks were found to be made up largely of iron- bearing pyroxene (hedenbergite 70 per cent, diopside 30 per cent) with lesser amounts of plagioclase. No biotite or hornblende was observed in the thin sections studied (PL V, 4). This type of varia- tion was observed in the Golden Leaf mine. However, here the in- trusive contained noticeable amounts of chalcopyrite and pyrite. In some places on the surface it was possible to trace the gradation from the hedenbergite phase into a light green garnetized limestone which the microscope showed to be made up almost entirely of isotropic garnet. The absence of biotite and hornblende and the very marked increase in hedenbergite confirms the data of the analysis which shows that there was an addition of lime, magne- sia, and iron. The relationships of the hedenbergite rock with the limestone contacts and particularly with the blocks of limestone included in the intrusive would suggest the limestone as the source of the lime and possibly some magnesia. The additional iron and magnesia must have been derived from the intrusive itself because an analysis shows the white crystalline limestone, some distance from the contact, to be very pure. The results of the analysis of the crystalline limestone are given below. This variation is there- fore considered to be largely an endomorphic contact effect. * $r: • exomoRPhic Contact effects r - jji , Contact effects of the gr^bthprite were observed only in the limestone so that the alterations produced were quite similar from place to place. The most marked metamorphism was observed along the apophyses where the contacts were exposed by mining opera- tions, as at the apex of the arm-like extension of the granodiorite into the limestone at the Excelsior mine. A common effect observed was the marmarization of the lime- stone near the contacts with the intrusive rock. The recrystalliza- tion may be due in part to movement because white marble is at places found away from the intrusive contacts. An analysis of a specimen of the white marble from just west of the Bannack Gold Mining Company mill gave the following analysis : CaC0 3 97.14 MgC0 3 1.17 Impurities (Fe, Si0 9 , Al) 1.12 99.43 Garnetization is common near the contacts of the intrusive with the limestones. At the surface the garnetized limestone has a citron color but the garnets observed underground were predomin- 22 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY antly brownish or reddish-brown. Several other minerals were noted with the garnet but epidote is probably the most common. AGE The age of the granodiorite in the Bannack district has not been definitely fixed. These intrusive rocks are known, however, to be later than the folding and probably later than the thrust fault- ing. The “Red Beds” are the youngest rocks of the district known with certainty to be involved in the folding and thrust faulting; therefore the granodiorite in this region is at least as late as Mesozoic. Although Weed 20 assigned a Miocene age to the Boulder batho- lith, more recent work indicates it to be Eocene or late Cretaceous in age. 21 Some of the larger exposures are known to intrude rock of Livingston (late Cretaceous) age 22 and the main Boulder batho- lith is overlain by Oligocene sediments west of Cliff Mountain 23 and at Pipestone Springs, near the southwest portion of the mass. 24 Since it is believed that the outlying granitic masses in west- ern Montana are isolated exposures of the main Boulder batholith, the granodiorite at Bannack can be tentatively assigned to late Cretaceous or Eocene. BASIC DIKES Only two dikes were noted cutting the limestone. A grayish- black, fine-grained dike with glassy borders cuts the garnetized limestone immediately east of the open pit at the Gold Bug mine. It strikes N. 50 degrees E., and dips 60 degrees N. Another dike was noted in the Norman stope of the Wadams mine. It is fine- grained and somewhat lighter colored than the one at the Gold Bug mine. It strikes N. 40 degrees E., and dips 70 degrees S. The microscope proved the specimen from the first dike to be a basalt. The second was not studied under the microscope. EXTRUSIVE IGNEOUS ROCKS DISTRIBUTION AND THICKNESS Volcanic rocks consisting of varieties of andesite, dacite, rhyo- lite, and basalt occupy half of the mapped area. The lavas extend from the level of Grasshopper Creek, at an elevation of 5,800 feet, to an elevation of 7,100 feet on the high point in sec. 11, but no 20. Weed, W. H. : U. S. Geol. Sur. Prof. Paper 74, p. 29, 1912. 21. Knopf, Adolph, : U. S. Geol. Sur. Bull. 527, p. 34, 1913. 22. Emmons, W. H. and Calkins, F. C. : U. S. Geol. Sur. Prof. Paper 78, p. 83, 1926. 22. Stone, R. W. and Calvert, W.R. : Econ. Geol. vol. 5, pp. 551-557, 662-669, 744-764, 1910. 23. Douglas, Earl : Annals Carnegie Mus. Pittsburg, vol. 5, pp. 197, 263, 1909. 24. Mathew, W. D. : Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. vol. 19, p. 197, 1903. GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 23 remnants of them were found above that elevation. The relation- ship of the volcanic rocks was not studied in detail nor could the distance to which they extend below the present drainage lines be determined, but it is certain that they accumulated to a great thickness. ANDESITE GENERAL CHARACTER Andesite, consisting largely of unbroken flows but with lesser amounts of breccias and tuffs, is the commonest volcanic rock of the Bannack region. Although, when examined in detail, they comprise a number of varieties, two types predominate. The com- monest variety is a grayish-green, fine-grained rock which usually shows well-developed flow banding and prominent, rhombic-shaped, white phenocrysts. The other common variety of andesite is a pur- plish, fine-grained rock with very prominent white feldspar pheno- crysts commonly about 1 millimeter in length, showing striations. Greenish and purplish andesite breccias occur in lesser amounts. Fragments ranging in size from 5 millimeters to 3 or 4 centimeters Are abundant in these rocks. PETROGRAPHY The green andesite contains phenocrysts of feldspar in an altered, fine-grained groundmass. The feldspar phenocrysts which comprise about 70 per cent of the rock are usually altered but even those showing the greatest change are visibly striated. Quartz is absent in most of the sections. Residual patches of epidote and calcite, commonly including grains of magnetite, probably repre- sent former ferromagnesian phenocrysts. One of the fresher speci- mens contained the following minerals in approximately the amounts indicated : Andesine ( Ab 6 An 4 ) 60 per cent, orthoclase 15 per cent, quartz 1 per cent, magnetite 1 per cent, titanite and apatite 1 per cent, epidote 12 per cent, calcite 5 per cent, chlorite and sericite 5 per cent. The purplish andesite contains phenocrysts of feldspar, augite, hornblende, and small amounts of magnetite in a microcrystalline groundmass which is stained a brownish-red color with hematite dust. (See Fig. 2, PI. 7). Although the groundmass is consider- ably altered, flow-structure is apparent. The feldspar phenocrysts average about 1 millimeter in length and 0.5 millimeters in width, and comprise about 50 per cent of the rock. A few rhombic-shaped feldspars with marked zoning occur here and there. The plagioclase phenocrysts, which have the composition of andesine (Ab G An 4 ) are 24 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY prominently twinned according to the albite and carlsbad laws and frequently contain numerous tiny inclusions. Orthoclase comprises less than 5 per cent of the feldspar. Phenocrysts of light green augite and hornblende with black reaction rims occur in less amounts. Magnetite, titanite and zircon occur as accessory minerals, the first usually altering to limonite around the borders. DACITE GENERAL CHARACTER Dacite occurs in the Bannack district but not as abundantly as the andesitic rocks. The most common variety is a grayish- green, medium to fine-grained porphyritic rock. Feldspar, biotite, and quartz phenocrysts can readily be distinguished with the naked eye. Some breccias also apparently contained enough quartz to be classed as dacite but were not studied in thin section. PETROGRAPHY Phenocrysts of feldspar, quartz, biotite, hornblende and magne- tite occur in a fine-grained groundmass (PL VI, 1). The phenocrysts comprise about 65 per cent of the rock. Striated andesine plagio- clase (An 4 Ab 6 ), averaging about 1 millimeter in length and 0.5 millimeters in width, comprise about 65 per cent of the phenocrysts. They are somewhat dusty in appearance due to alteration. The rounded quartz phenocrysts, which are clear and glassy, show corrosion and embayment. Quartz sometimes almost entirely sur- rounds lath-shaped feldspars and poikilitic inclusions of feldspar, magnetite and biotite are common. The average size of the quartz phenocrysts is about 0.5 millimeters. Orthoclase comprises less than 10 per cent of the phenocrysts. Biotite and hornblende, con- stituting less than 5 per cent of the phenocrysts are the predomin- ant dark constituents. Magnetite, commonly showing alteration to limonite, is the commonest accessory mineral. It occurs dissemi- nated through the groundmass and as square-shaped crystals about 0.2 millimeters across. Apatite and titanite occur also as accessory minerals. Calcite is abundant as a secondary mineral. Because of the abundance of quartz the rock is classified as a dacite. RHYOLITE Rhyolite is relatively rare in the region. It is commonly frag- mental in structure and white or pink in color. A pink breccia is the most widespread (PL VI, 4). The fragments, contained in the breccia, frequently show flow structures, and range in size from 1 MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY Bulletin 6, Plate VI 3 + PHOTOMICROGRAPHS OF EXTRUSIVE ROCKS FROM THE BANNACK DISTRICT. 1. Dacite porphyry showing phenocrysts of quartz (q), biotite (b), plagioclase (p). Polarized light. Magnification 7 times. 2. Andesite porphyry showing plagioclase phenocrysts in a microcrystalline groundmass. Polar- ized light. Magnification 7 times. 3. Tuff from lower portion of “Red Beds” showing glass shards. Ordinary light. Magnification 7 times. 4. Rhyolite tuff showing fragmental texture. Light colored mineral is quartz. Darker fragments are mostly rock material. Polarized light. Magnification 7 times. GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 25 millimeter to several centimeters. A white fine-grained lava with conspicuous phenocrysts of quartz and altered biotite occurs in lesser amounts. It contains small vesicles and solution cavities. A very fine-grained white rhyolite tuff occurs in some abundance. It contains some rounded pebbles of foreign material and in most places is noticeably banded. BASALT Basalt is rare. A few basaltic rocks were noted but because of their infrequent occurrence they were not studied in thin section. Winchell 25 mentions the occurrence of a basalt-capped mesa about 5 miles south of Bannack. AGE OF THE VOLCANIC ROCKS No evidence definitely fixing the age of the volcanic rocks was found within the region. It is quite probable that there were two periods of volcanic activity. The andesite rocks may have shared in the deformation of the region which, in part at least, pre-dated the intrusion of the granodiorite. The intense hydrothermal alter- ation of the andesite suggests that they may have been intruded by the granodiorite. These rocks may correspond in age with the andesitic rocks in the Butte and Helena regions which Knopf 26 has assigned to the late Cretaceous. The basalt in the Bannack region and to the south is probably of Tertiary age. DEFORMATION FOLDING Several major folds are developed in the area and minor fold- ing is pronounced. Immediately east of Bannack the sedimentary rocks have been folded into a broad overturned anticlinal dome. Intrusive rocks occupy the core of this dome and may have caused the increase in dip in their immediate vicinity. A series of well- developed folds occurs in the northern end of the region. Quadrant quartzite occupies the synclinal troughs and the older Madison limestones are exposed at the crests of the anticlines (PI. Ill, 1). In the vicinity of the Kent Mine, about two miles northeast of Bannack, an anticlinal dome is exposed and its crest eroded. Minor folding is pronounced in the vicinity of thrust faults, especially on the hanging-wall side (PI. VII, 2). It is usually com- plex and can only be represented on the cross sections in a general way. 25. Op. cit. p. 50. 26. Knopf, Adolph : op. cit., pp. 23-29. 26 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY FAULTING East of Bannack the Madison limestone can be seen resting discordantly upon folded “Red Beds”. The discordance is due to overthrust faulting, the fault having a general northerly strike. The fault zone is present in the Blue Grass and Pioneer mines 27 and was observed in the main tunnel of the Ingersoll mine. This tunnel was run its entire distance (150 feet) in a white limestone gouge. In sec. 9, an outlier of blue Madison limestone rests upon the “Red Beds” and contains abundant fossils. It caps the high point just northwest of Bon Accord. Considerable evidence points to the fact that the thrusting was not limited to one surface but occurred along a number of surfaces. The fault exposed in secs. 9 and 14 is the best example of this minor faulting (PI. VII, 2). Normal faults were observed throughout the district. The thrust faulting at Bannack is of more than local interest because it probably belongs to the great system of overthrusting faults which extend at least from Canada on the north, well into Utah on the south. The Philipsburg Quadrangle 28 north of the Bannack area, is traversed from north to south by an overthrust or zone of over- thrusts bringing Algonkian rocks into contact with Carboniferous and Jurassic rocks. Still farther north, the Lewis overthrust, with a displacement of about 7 miles, brings Algonkin rocks into dis- cordant contact with Cretaceous rocks. 29 The Bannack overthrust in Idaho, south of the Bannack area, has been described by Richards and Mansfield. 30 Rocks from Cambrian to Mississippian age have been thrust on Triassic to Cretaceous formations and involve ver- tical displacements of 8,000 to 12,000 feet or more while the hori- zontal displacement is estimated at not less than 12 miles. ORE DEPOSITS HISTORICAL SKETCH OF MINING Although gold was found in Deer Lodge county as early as 1852, the first important discovery of metallic wealth in Montana was the discovery of placer gold at Bannack in August, 1862. Be- fore the end of the year over 400 people had rushed to the new “diggings”. However, after the discovery of the rich gulch near Virginia City, Montana, in 1868, placer mining was practically abandoned at Bannack until after the completion of the Smith and 27. Dunn, William, personal communication. 28. Emmons, W. H., and Calkins, F. C., op. cit. p. 146. 29. Willis, Bailey, Bull. Geol. Soc. American, vol. 13, pp. 305-352, 1902. 30. Richards, R. W., and Mansfield, G. R., Bull. Geol. Soc. America, vol. 23, p. 675, 1913. MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY Bulletin 6, Plate VII A. MADISON LIMESTONE OVERLYING FOLDED “RED BEDS.” B. MINOR FOLDING DEVELOPED ALONG FAULT IN THE S.W. 1 ^ OF SEC. 9. T *L L 'toiHr HMsJrt m nf tolH9ll GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 27 Graeter ditch in 1866. This company furnished water to the miners at the high rate of 75c per miner’s inch. This ditch proved inade- quate to work the bench gravels, so the Bannack Mining and Ditch Company constructed a 30-mile ditch at a cost of $35,000; and shortly afterward, the Pioneer ditch, 10 miles long, was constructed to work the bench gravels north of Bannack. By 1870 two other ditches had been completed: White’s ditch, which took water out of Grasshopper Creek to work the bars below Bannack, and, the Canyon ditch, also from Grasshopper Creek, to work the Bon Accord placers. The construction of these ditches renewed the placer mining activities for awhile, but it was cnly a matter of time until all the suitable ground was worked over. The placer production gradually declined until the spring of 1895, when a gold dredge, the Fielding L. Graves, was launched near Bannack. This was the first success- ful gold dredge launched in the United States. 31 It was electrically operated and had a capacity of 600 yards per day. In the richest ground this dredge took out $22,000 in one week and $38,000 the following week. 32 The Molly A. Gibson, the second successful dredge, was launched in the fall of 1895, just north of the Excelsior mine. The A. F. Graeter was launched May 23, 1896. It recovered about $200,000 in the first year, which paid for itself and the placer ground on which it operated. A fourth dredge was launched at Bon Accord a short time later. The fifth dredge, the Coast, was built 2 or 3 miles below Bon Accord but capsized when it was launched. The first quartz mine in Montana, the Dakota, was located in 1862. The claims were located according to the local mining rules and regulations of 1862 33 , which provided that the claims be limited to 100 feet along the lode and 25 feet on either side. The numerous small claims and divers ownerships led to confusion, and inefficient mining. The Wadams, Excelsior, Wallace and numerous other gold properties were located shortly after the Dakota. The first quartz mill was built in 1862-63, by Allen and Arnold to treat the Dakota ore. It was a 6-stamp mill, entirely hand-made, and was driven by water power. The first steam-operated stamp- mill, with 24 stamps, was built by Butterfield and Hopkins in 1864, at a cost of $25,000. Three other mills were built before 1870. The cost of treating ore in these mills was about $4 per ton. All these 31. Jennings, Hennen : The history and development of gold dredging in Montana. U. S. Bureau of Mines, Bull. 121, 1916. 32. This information was kindly furnished by Mr. F. L. Graves of Bannack. 33. Noyes, A. J. : Dimsdale’s Vigilantes of Montana, p. 222, 1915. 28 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY mills have been dismantled. In 1914 a cyanide mill of 200 tons capacity was constructed by the Bannack Gold Mining and Milling Company. It ran only for a short period and has since been idle. A stamp-mill was built on the Hendricks property in 1920, and operated for about two years. The silver mines of the Blue Wing mining district were dis- covered in 1864. Although rich, the ore was not free milling. Some of it was shipped to Wales for treatment, but after the construction of the smelters at Argenta and Bannack most of it was treated locally. In 1868 three smelters were in operation: one at Ban- nack, one at Argenta, and a third on Taylor Creek, between Ban- nack and Argenta. Eaton 34 estimates that the smelting cost was at least $38 per ton, and Keyes 35 estimates that ore of less value than $100 per ton could not be profitably smelted. The mines at Bannack have been worked intermittently in recent years, largely by lessees, and have produced considerably from time to time. Thus within the last 15 years Mr. William Dunn has mined about $200,000 worth of ore and shipped about $100,000 from the old dumps. PRODUCTION The total production of the region including the yield in placer gold, lode gold, and silver is not accurately ascertainable but is estimated to be about $12,000,000. Mr. William Dunn, 36 who is prob- ably most familiar with past production records, estimates the total placer production of the Bannack region to be roughly $8,000,000. Mr. Carl Hand, 37 who was associated with mining activities at Ban- nack, both as mine superintendent and private operator, for a num- ber of years, estimates the lode gold production, excluding that of the Hendricks mine, to be over $2,000,000. The silver production, chiefly from the Blue Wing mining district, probably did not exceed $2,000,000. 08 Placer mining in the region is now insignificant, probably yielding not over $1,000 yearly, while lode production varies from a few thousands yearly to as much as $100,000, de- pending largely upon the activity of the lessees. MINERALOGY OF THE ORES Gold and silver minerals are the most important in the ores of the Bannack region, although minor amounts of lead, zinc and 34. Mineral Resources of the States and Territories we6t of the Rocky Mountains for 1868, p. 496. 35. Op. cit. Appendix, p. 55. 36. Personal communication. 37. Private report. 38. This figure is considerably less than Winchell’s estimate, but is believed by the writer to be a reasonable one. GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 29 copper are produced. Practically all the gold has come from the Bannack mining district. The Blue Wing district has produced most of the silver. ORE MINERALS The following minerals which occur in the Bannack district are arranged according to Dana’s classification: Gold , native gold is found throughout the Bannack region. It occurs both in the placers and lode deposits at Bannack and is found in small amounts in the ores of the Blue Wing district. Silver , native silver has been reported as occurring in the Golden Leaf mines and probably occurs associated with the silver ores of the Blue Wing district. 8 tib >iitc . antimony sulphide, is found at the Del Monte mine, where it occurs as needle-like crystals in a quartz gangue. Tetrad y mite, bismuth telluride, is found in the gold ores of the Ban- nack district. It is particularly abundant in the Excelsior and Gold Bug ores where it has been known as a gold telluride. In appearance it resembles graphite. Metallic gold can usually be seen scattered through it, even in hand specimens. Galena , lead sulphide, is widely distributed but rarely occurs in amounts sufficient to constitute a valuable lead ore. A good grade of galena ore was encountered on the lower level of the Kent mine. Argentite. silver sulphide, has been recognized in both the Bannack and Blue Wing districts. Jalpaite . a finely disseminated mineral with microchemical reac- tions corresponding with those of jalpaite was noted in the ores from the Kent mine. Jalpaite is a copper-bearing silver sulphide. Sphalerite, zinc sulphide, is found in considerable amounts in the silver ores of the Blue Wing district. Covcllite, copper sulphide (CuS), occurs in small amounts as a secon- dary mineral at the Kent mine. Clialco pyritc, copper iron sulphide, is found in most of the sulphide ores in the Bannack region. Pyrite , iron sulphide, is probably the commonest sulphide mineral in the Bannack region. It is found in all the mines. Jamesonite. lead antimony sulphide, occurs at the Kent and New Departure mines. Pyrargyrite, silver antimony sulphide, has been noted in the sulphide 30 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY ores at the Del Monte and Kent mines. It was an important ore mineral at the Del Monte mine. Tetrahedrite, copper antimony sulphide, (gray copper) , occurs in considerable amounts at the Kent, Del Monte and New De- parture mines. Polybasite, silver antimony sulphide, was noted in polished sections of the Del Monte ore. Cerargyrite, silver chloride, (horn silver), is found in the oxidized silver ores of the Blue Wing district. * Bromyritm, silver bromide, and embolite, silver chloro-bromide, have been reported in association with cerargyrite, but their occur- rence has not been proved positively in the oxidized ores of the Blue Wing district. Stibiconite, yellowish antimony oxide, is found as an oxidation prod- uct in the antimony ores at the Del Monte mine. Melaconite, black copper oxide, is found in the ores of the Golden Leaf mines. Considerable amounts of it occur in a stope near the collar of the Priscilla winze in the Golden Leaf mine. Psilomelane, a small deposit of this hard black manganese dioxide occurs at the New Departure mine. Some of the material has been shipped as a manganese ore. Smithsonite, zinc carbonate, is known to occur in the oxidized ores of the Kent and Del Monte mines. Cerussite, lead carbonate, is a common mineral in the oxidized ores of the Blue Wing district. It is an important ore mineral at the Kent mine. Malachite , the green basic copper carbonate, is a common oxidation product in nearly all of the mines of the region. Azurite , the blue basic copper carbonate, was noted at the gold mines at Bannack and at the Kent and New Departure mines in the Blue Wing district. Calamine, zinc silicate, was noted as drusy coatings and as aggre- gates of needle-like crystals in the oxidized ores of the Kent mine. Chrysocolla, copper silicate, ranging in color from light green to dark brown, occurs in the oxidized ores of the Bannack mines. Bindheimite, a hydrous antimonate of lead, is found as yellowish or greenish-yellow waxy and earthy material at the Kent and New Departure mines. *The time-worn myth of silver “bromides” dies hard. Unless the presence of bi-omine can be established beyond a doubt, it is safe to assume that these greenish-stained silver-bearing minerals are derived from ai'gentiferous tetrahedrite, and are merely silver chloride colored by copper carbonate. — F. A. T. GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 31 Anglesite, lead sulphate, is found in the oxidized ores of the Blue Wing district. It is an important ore mineral at the Kent mine. Caledonite, a basic sulphate of lead and copper, was noted as a light blue waxy material at the Kent mine. Li norite , an azure blue basic sulphate of lead and copper, occurs in small amounts at the Kent mine. Wulfenite, lead molybdate, occurs sparingly in vugs as orange-red crystals at the New Departure mine. GANGUE MINERALS Sulphur in the native form is found in the Golden Leaf mines where it occurs massive and as drusy coatings. Quartz is the most wide spread and abundant gangue mineral. It is found in all of the mines in the region. Hematite , the specular iron oxide, occurs as a primary mineral in the gold ores at Bannack. Red earthy hematite is found in the outcrops of the ores throughout the region. Magnetite , magnetic iron oxide, occurs in considerable amounts in the contact metamorphic deposits in the Bannack vicinity. Pyrolusite, the soft black manganese dioxide, is found in all of the oxidized outcrops of the Blue Wing district. It also occurs as needle-like crystals in veinlets cutting psilomelane at the New Departure mine. 1 Anionite, the name limonite is here applied to all of the brown earthy iron oxides of the district. It is the most widely dis- tributed mineral in the oxidized outcrops. Galcite, calcium carbonate, is one of the most common gangue min- erals in the region. It is found in the ores of all the mines. Sidcrite , iron carbonate, occurs as a gangue mineral in the ores of the Blue Wing district. Rhodochrosite , manganese carbonate, was observed in the sulphide ores at the Kent mine. Garnet , garnets are common gangue minerals in the gold ores at Bannack. Vesuvianite > a basic silicate of calcium and aluminum, is found in the contact metamorphic deposits at Bannack. Epidote, a dark green complex silicate, is a common mineral in the gold deposits at Bannack. Chlorite , the fine-grained green mica is a common gangue mineral in the gold ores at Bannack. Gypsum, hydrous calcium sulphate, is found in the Golden Leaf mines as a secondary mineral. 32 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BLUE WING MINING DISTRICT The Blue Wing mining district is in the northern part of the Bannack area (PL I). The ore bodies of this district occur pre- dominantly as replacement veins 39 in limestone and granodiorite. Most of the production has come from the deposits in limestone. All the deposits in limestone lie close to the contact of the limestone with the granodiorite. The close proximity of the intrusive contact and the replacement silver deposits suggests the granodiorite as the source of the ore in the Blue Wing mining district. The ore minerals in the Blue Wing mining district include gold, silver, stibnite, galena, argentite, jalpaite, sphalerite, covellite, chal- copyrite, pyrite, pyrargyrite, tetrahedrite, polybasite, ceragyrite, bromyrite (?), stibiconite, pyrolusite, hematite, limonite, psilome- lane, smithsonite, cerussite, malachite, azurite, chrysocolla, cala- mine, mimetite, bindheimite, anglesite, linarite and wulfenite. The commoner gangue minerals are calcite, quartz, rhodochrosite and siderite. KENT MINE The Kent mine is located near the head of Spring Gulch, about three miles northeast of Bannack. The claims lie within secs. 28 and 33, T. 7 S., R. 11 W., and are about one-half mile south of the old Bannack-Dillon stage road. The property comprises one unpat- ented and four patented claims. The Kent veins were located in 1864 40 and were known as the Blue Wing, Kent, and Bannack Chief. These were the first silver deposits located in Montana. John F. O’Leary, who worked the mines successfully during the ’sixties and ’seventies, shipped the ore by ox-team to the Central Pacific railroad at Corrinne, Utah, thence by rail to San Francisco, and from there by water to smelters at Swansea, Wales. In the early ’eighties lessees mined ore worth $68,000 within a period of fourteen months. A short time later. Philip Shenon* acquired a two-thirds interest in the property. Mr. Shenon ran an 850-foot tunnel from the Edith claim into the hill between the Blue Wing and Kent. This adit, which is the main entry to the mine, intersected a body of lead-zinc ore near the con- tact between the intrusive and limestone which averaged 25 ounces in silver per ton. This sulphide deposit is known as the “blind lead”. In 1910, S. P. Burr, operating under a bond and lease, exposed a 39. Lingren, Waldemar : Mineral Deposits, McGraw-Hill Pub. Co., N. Y., pp. 69, 604, 1919. Also Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., vol. 36, pp. 247-262, 1925. 40. O’Leary, John F. : From a report written in 1908. * Father of the writer, F. A. T. MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY Bulletin 6, Plate YIII MAP OF BLUE WING WORKINGS OF KENT MINE rut GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA small body of ore in the Blue Wing workings which netted approxi- mately $10,000. Mr. John O’Leary estimates the production of the Kent property to be approximately $750,000. The ores of the Kent mine occur as shoots along fissures in white crystalline limestone and as veins in granodiorite but the deposits in limestone alone have been worked. The fissures in lime- stone strike N. 80 degrees E. and dip 70 degrees N. and all the de- posits in limestone occur a short distance from the granodiorite contact. The Kent and Whopper ore bodies were tabular deposits along well-defined fissures. The Kent ore-body which raked to the west at an angle of about 20 degrees was the largest in the mine. The Whopper ore body was an irregular deposit along the Whopper fissure, and its downward extension has not yet been found. The Hayes and Ewing ore-shoot was a pipe-like deposit occurring at the intersection of the Blue Wing fissure with the contact of a white marble and a dense bluish-gray limestone (PL VIII). Above the tunnel a small seam of ore extended out along the fissure to the portal. The Burr ore shoot was a peculiar winding pipe extending away from the Hayes and Ewing ore body. The Kent and the Hayes and Ewing stopes average from 8 to 10 feet in width, but the Whopper was considerably narrower. The walls of the ore bodies are usually well defined although the ore is sometimes ‘‘frozen” to the walls. The limestone for several feet adjacent to the larger ore shoots is frequently altered to a chocolate-brown color and sometimes a gray clay-like casing is found next to the ore. The veins in granodiorite have well-defined walls which are frequently slicken-sided. The ore in the Shenon tunnel, known as the “blind lead”, is exposed by crosscuts for a distance of 170 feet. It strikes east and dips about 30° to the south. The ore band is associated with two or three feet of gouge impregnated with pyrite on the foot- wall side. The ore itself is cut by slicken-sided fractures, the result of post-mineral movement. The relationship between the veins in granodiorite and those in the limestone could not be ascer- tained because of the condition of the old workings. The chief gangue minerals of the ores in limestone are quartz and calcite and the ore minerals include galena, tetrahedrite, jame- sonite, sphalerite, covellite, pyrite, jalpaite ( ?), cerargyrite, bind- heimite, linarite, caledonite, cerussite, anglesite, malachite, azurite, chrysocholla, smithsonite, calamite, limonite, and manganese oxides. Much of the ore, particularly in the Kent vein, is soft porous ma- terial predominantly brown in color, but containing green and yellow 34 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY “splotches” of lead, copper, and silver minerals. The ore from the Blue Wing and Whopper veins is predominantly greenish and yel- lowish in color, usually well indurated, and sometimes waxy in ap- pearance. Because the harder ore is sometimes “frozen” to the walls skillful mining is required to prevent heavy losses. Residual remnants of sulphide, known locally as “black metal- lies”, occur in the oxidized ore. Pyrite and galena are the oldest minerals in the residual patches. The pyrite is partly oxidized to limonite and the galena .shows typical alteration to anglesite along cleavage planes (PI. IX, 2). The tetrahedrite and jalpaite (?) ac- count for the very high silver content of the sulphide patches. The jalpaite (?) is commonly seen replacing pyrite. Covellite in turn replaces jalpaite (?), showing splendid intergrowths and replace- ment borders (PI. IX, 1). Although the evidence is not complete it is believed that the jalpaite (?) and covellite are both supergene minerals. Neither are known in the sulphide ore of the “blind lead.” The sulphide ore in the granodiorite is in a gangue of quartz and calcite. Galena, sphalerite and pyrite are the commonest ore minerals and chalcopyrite was noted as inclusions in sphalerite. Pyrargyrite is visible locally and probably accounts for the high silver content shown in some of the assays. Both gangue and ore minerals have been brecciated and re-cemented but the galena is sometimes deformed without fracturing. The sulphide ore shows no oxidation, and secondary enrichment only locally. In 1908 lessees made a shipment of the “blind lead” ore from near the contact with the limestone which gave the following smelter returns: Gold Silver Lead Zinc Silica Iron Sulphur 0.09 oz. 29.7 oz. 1.5% 3.6% 40.2% 5.8% 11.8% Samples from the ore-body in No. 2 crosscut 230 feet east of the limestone contact gave the following assays: Silver Lead Zinc 17.4 oz. 30.1% 8.5% 20.0 20.0 38.5 32.4 19.0 The veins in the limestone which were readily seen at the surface have been mined at a handsome profit, nevertheless, little search has been made for new deposits. The most favorable place to prospect for high-grade ore is along the contact of the white marble and the bluish-gray limestone. DEL MONTE MINE The Del Monte mine is in sec. 28, on the old Bannack-Dillon stage road, about a mile northwest of the Kent mine. The property MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY Bulletin 6, Plate IX PHOTOMICROGRAPHS OF ORES FROM THE KENT AND DEL MONTE MINES 1. Covellite (dark gray) replacing jalpaite (?) (white). Fracture filled with quartz. Magnifica- tion 540 times. 2. Galena (white) being replaced along cleavage planes by anglesite (gray). Black spots are holes. Magnification 50 times. 3. Tetrahedrite (white) partly replaced with polybasite (etched with cyanide). The gray mineral with euhedral outlines is quartz. Polished section. Magnification 14 times. 4. Stibnite (black) in quartz cut by a veinlet of later quartz. Thin section. Ordinary light. Magnification V times. m GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 35 comprises six patented claims, and is owned by the West Butte Min- ing Company. Very little was learned of the history and production. Some early-day shipments were made 41 but records of the returns are not available. Lessees who took out considerable ore in the late ’nineties are said to have netted a profit. One of the cars shipped averaged over 500 ounces in silver per ton. Since these lessees sank a shaft to a depth of over 250 feet, and handled considerable water, besides doing a good deal of drifting, it is estimated that they must have taken out at least $30,000 and probably not over $50,000. The West Butte Mining Company purchased the property from the Graves estate of Bannack, in 1922 and, after cleaning out and re- timbering the Del Monte shaft, ran a number of prospect drifts, chiefly on the upper levels. Prospecting was abandoned after a year’s work, and the property has since been idle. The underground workings 42 with the exception of a few tunnels and open cuts, are all driven from the Del Monte shaft, which reached a depth of 253 feet. At present the shaft is full of water below a depth of 50 feet. The ores in the Del Monte mine occur chiefly in well-defined veins in granodiorite which strike about N. 80° E. and dip at steep angles to the south. Veins in the limestone usually have a low silver content but some contain small deposits of high-grade an- timony ore. According to F. M. Wichman 43 faulting has been ex- tensive in the neighborhood of the Del Monte mine. The faults trend in all directions but the northerly and northeasterly ones are the most prominent. Two veins in the granodiorite have been mined, the Del Monte and the Bonaparte. The Bonaparte is the larger but is lower grade than the Del Monte vein, and is said to assay from 20 to 40 ounces in silver per ton. It is about six feet wide on the surface. The Del Monte vein ranges in width from 4 to 14 inches on the bottom level and averages 60 ounces of silver per ton. Some assays run as high as 450 ounces. Near the surface these veins are much oxidized and are filled with brownish to black porous material consisting largely of quartz with oxides of manganese and iron. Casts of the original minerals are plainly visible. The sulphides appear about 50 feet beneath the surface and in the lower levels no evidence of oxidation is visible Sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, pyrite, polybasite, tetrahedrite and 41. Raymond, R. W. : Mineral resources west of the Rocky Mountains for 1872, 1873, and 1874. 42-43. Wichman, F. M. : Letter of May 17, 1925. 36 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY pyrargyrite occur in a gangue of calcite, rhodochrosite and quartz (PI. IX, 3). Small deposits of high-grade antimony ore occur on the Francis H. claim along vertical fissures which strike N. 60° E. in crystalline limestone. Stibnite is found in quartz gangue (PL IX, 4) , and is associated with about two feet of a reddish-brown gouge. Slicken- sided fractures cutting the stibnite give evidence of post mineral movement. NEW DEPARTURE MINE The New Departure mine is situated about 16 miles southwest of Dillon, in the NW.14 of sec. 26. The property comprises seven pat- ented claims but the Signal and Quien Sabe produced all the ore. The property was located in 1871 by George W. Stapleton 44 who sold it to Lawrence A. Brown and Joshua E. Clayton in 1880 for the sum of $2,500. Brown purchased Clayton's interest seven years later for $3,500, and operated the mine continuously until the time of his death in 1905. The mine was then sold to the New Departure Mining Company for $50,000. This company operated for two years, having as many as forty miners working at one time. The property was then operated by lessees until 1918, when it was sold to O. M. Best of Dillon. John Coppin of Dillon worked it under a bond and lease agreement until 1928, when it was sold to J. L. Templeman of Butte. The mine is credited with a production of over a million dollars. The ore bodies at the New Departure mine, which strike east- erly and dip south, occur chiefly along fractures in massive bluish- gray Madison limestone. Some of the largest deposits are found along the intersections of fractures. The FarrelLstope rakes down the intersection of two fractures. Intersecting northwest and north- east fractures are also responsible for the large ore body at the head of the incline in the Homeside tunnel. The ore shoots com- monly terminate on the lower side of flat slips which are usually slickensided and striated by movement. Thus in the Badger work- ings the ore which stood at an angle of about 45° flattened and pinched out after reaching a flat slip. Some large ore bodies have been mined just beneath the slips, after the ore shoot flattened. Cerargyrite, cerussite, bindheimite and other oxidation prod- ucts with residual patches of sulphides composed chiefly of sphale- rite, galena, and tetrahedrite occur in a gangue of quartz and cal- cite. Argentite (?), smithsonite, anglesite, malachite, azurite, gyp- 44. Historical date was supplied by John Coppin of Dillon. GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 37 sum and oxides of manganese and iron occur in lesser amounts, and assays indicate the presence of gold. Wulfenite occurs in small amounts. A small deposit of high-grade manganese ore occurs just be- low the Stapleton tunnel. It strikes northeast and dips to the south. Psilomelane is cut by small veins filled with fibrous pyrolusite. A small deposit of oxidized gold ore said to carry $10 per ton in gold was found just north of this deposit. HURON MINE The Huron mine is just north of the Kent and comprises seven claims all of which are in sec. 28. The claims were located in the ’sixties by a man named Batchelor who mined considerable ore, some of the early shipments being sent to Swansea. The prop- erty was later acquired by John Costello who sold a half interest to Frank Sinnott in 1910. The latter became the sole owner after Costello’s death. Mr. Sinnott estimates the total production to be about $30. 000. 45 The deposits at the Huron mine occur as replacements along fissures in white crystalline limestone. The principal fissures strike east and dip about 70° to the south. The ores are similar to those of the Kent mine. Cerargyrite with patches of residual sulphides occur in a gangue of quartz and calcite. POMEROY MINE The Pomeroy mine is northwest of the Del Monte mine and com- prises three claims. The property was located in the ’sixties and pro- duced considerable ore in the early ’seventies. 46 The main workings consist of an incline shaft with open stopes which reach the sur- face. The ore which occurs in a bluish-white limestone is in well- defined fissures which strike N. 80° E. and dip 60° N. The chief ore mineral is lead carbonate which carries silver. A red gouge varying in thickness from 2 to 4 feet is associated with the ore. RANDALL MINE The Randall mine adjoins the Kent mine on the south. It in- cludes one claim and is owned by Mr. H. C. Paddock of Bannack. The property was located in the ’sixties and has produced consid- erable ore which has been mined chiefly for its silver content, al- though considerable galena is associated with it. The ore occurs as replacement deposits along fissures in a white crystalline lime- stone which strike east. The shoots terminate against a massive bluish-gray limestone. 45. Sinnott. P. F.. Personal communication. 46. Raymond. R. W.. Mineral resources west of Rooky Mountains for 1872. p. 267. 38 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY SILVER STAR MINE The Silver Star mine is in SW.% of sec. 33, T. 7 S., R. 11 W., just west of the limestone-granodiorite contact. It is owned by the Monroe Mann estate. The ores occur as replacements in veins which strike N. 50° W. and dip 60° to the south and along bedding planes in flat-lying Madison limestone. The ore is chiefly oxidized ma- terial and is reddish-brown in color with occasional green and yel- low patches of copper and silver minerals. INGERSOLL MINE The Ingersoll mine lies just south of the Silver Star in sec. 4, T. 8 S., R. 11 W. and includes three claims. It is owned by the Amede Bessette estate of Bannack. The property was discovered in the ’sixties and is credited with considerable early-day production, from open cuts and tunnels. In 1912 Phillip Lonergran, working under a bond and lease, sank a winze to a depth of about 200 feet. This winze crossed the contact between the limestone and granodiorite and was extended into the granodiorite for some distance/' A tun- nel 150 feet in length connects the Lonergran winze with the sur- face. This tunnel was driven its entire length in a white limestone gouge. The ore deposits occur as replacement veins in a white lime- stone and strike east. The ore minerals which occur in a quartz and calcite gangue include cerussite, cerargyite, bromyrite (?), and malachite. CHARTER OAK MINE The Charter Oak mine, which is south of the Ingersoll, was located in the ’sixties and has produced considerable ore. It is owned by Foy Herr of Bannack. The ore occurs as replacement veins in a white crystalline limestone and includes oxidized silver and lead minerals in a quartz and calcite gangue. WHEAL ROSE MINE The Wheal Rose property is in sec. 27, T. 7 S., R. 11 W., and is owned by Archie Gibson and the Graves’ estate of Bannack. It is credited with some production. The ore occurs along fissures in Madison limestone which strike east. The ore minerals include cerargyrite and cerussite in a gangue of quartz and calcite. IRON MASK MINE The Iron Mask mine is in the SW .14 of sec. 28, T. 7 S., R. 11 W. Little was learned of the history and production, although it is known that ore was shipped in the early days. The main entrance is a shaft which is said to have reached a depth of 200 feet. The ore is in well-defined veins in granodiorite which strike east. Near GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 39 the surface the ore is composed largely of black porous material consisting predominantly of quartz and calcite with oxides of man- ganese and iron. Sulphides are reported in the lower workings. On the surface the Iron Mask vein resembles those of the Del Monte, but no specimens were secured from the lower levels. BANNACK MINING DISTRICT The Bannack mining district is in the southern part of the Bannack area (PI. 1). The ore deposits are at or near the contact between granodiorite and limestone and occur chiefly along or near the apex of apophyses (granodiorite outliers) which extend into the limestone. Well-defined fracturing appears above and in front of the apophyses, as illustrated by the mineralized fractures in the Excelsior mine and in the Dollar winze and Green raise of the Wadams mine. The fact that ore bodies are present along or at the apexes of the apophyses suggests that the apophyses were intruded along zones of weakness or that their intrusion caused the fractur- ing, which permitted ready access to mineralizing solutions. Al- though some rich deposits distant from the contact have been mined, the largest and most important ones occur as irregular bodies in limestone near the contact with the granodiorite. These deposits which are almost entirely oxidized in some of the mines, are found in greater abundance on the limestone side of the garnet zones. According to Umpleby 48 this relationship is a general one. Since fractures containing ore were observed cutting both limestone and garnet rock it is believed that the ore minerals were introduced after the garnetization. Bodies of magnetite and some pyrite and chalcopyrite were observed in the garnet zone. Lindgren 49 states that the silicates and magetite are earlier than the sulphides in contact deposits but that the periods of deposition overlap. The presence of garnet, vesuvianite and certain other minerals suggests that the deposits at Bannack were formed under conditions of high temperature and pressure 50 although specularite is present the favorable temperature for the formation of which in contact de- posits is supposed to be about 490°. 51 The ore minerals in the Bannack mining district include : native gold, tetrahedrite, argentite, cerargyrite, tetradymite, galena, cerus- site, anglesite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, tenorite, chrysocolla, azurite, melanconite, native sulphur, pyrite, specularite, magnetite, iron and 47. Sinnott, F. F. : Personal communication. 48. Umpleby, J. B., Univ. of Calif. Pub. in Geol., p. 25, 1916. 49. Lindgren, Waldem&r : Mineral deposits, p. 718, McGraw-Hill Pub. Co., N. Y., 1919. 50. Emmons, W. H. : Principles of Economic Geology, p. 44. McGraw-Hill Pub. Co., N. Y., 1918. 51. Butler, B. S. : Economic Geology, vol. 10, p. 400, 1923. 40 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY manganese oxides. The gangue minerals include quartz, calcite, chlorite, garnet, siderite, epidote and vesuvianite. THE BANNACK GOLD MINING AND MILLING COMPANY The Bannack Gold Mining and Milling Company owns 14 lode claims and five placer claims in the Bannack mining district. Most of the production has come from the Excelsior, Blue Grass, and the Golden Leaf group, (which includes the Wadams, Wallace and Gold- en Leaf claims). All of the claims were located in the 'sixties and ’seventies, most of them under the early-day mining regulations which provided that claims be limited to 100 feet along the lode and 25 feet on either side. All have since been relocated in accord- ance with the Federal laws. Philip Shenon, who operated the mines for a number of years, sold the properties to the Golden Leaf Co., Inc., in the ’nineties. This company in turn sold to the Great West- ern Mines & Exploration Co., and the latter sold to the present own- ers in 1910. The Bannack Gold Mining and Milling Co. did consid- erable exploration work and constructed a 200-ton cyanide mill. This mill operated for but a short time. In 1930, the I. B. Mining Co. was operating the Golden Leaf group under a bond and lease agreement. EXCELSIOR MINE The Excelsior mine is near the eastern border of the granodio- rite intrusive. The ore shoot has been mined to a depth of about 300 feet and has produced approximately $300, 000. 52 The old shaft is now inaccessible. The Excelsior ore body occurred at the contact between crystalline limestone and granodiorite ; at the apex of a granodiorite aphophysis. The limestone granodiorite contact at the mines strikes N. 35°W. and dips about 45°W. The stope at the tunnel level extends for about 30 feet along the contact and is about 8 feet in width. Intense garnetization had taken place near the contact. The garnet is clear citron-brown in color, in contrast to that in the Golden Leaf mine, of a dull reddish-brown color. Coarse crystalline calcite and speeularite are associated with the garnet. The gold is either free or in tetradymite and is found in a light green gangue composed chiefly of calcite, chlorite, garnet, specu- larite and some quartz. The ore shoot occurring chiefly on the limestone side of the garnet zone was offset to the southwest by a series of step faults 53 in the lower workings. 52. Hand, Carl : Private report. 53. Dunn, William : Personal communication. GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 41 GOLDEN LEAF GROUP The Golden Leaf group, including the Wadams, Wallace, and Golden Leaf claims, is at the western border of the granodiorite contact. The mines are all connected by raises and ore can be de- livered to the mill from any of the workings through the tunnel known as the Priscilla level. The difference in elevation between FIGURE 2. MAP SHOWING INTRUSIVE RELATIONS ON WALLACE LEVEL OF WADAMS MINE. the Priscilla level and the upper workings of the Wadams mine is about 475 feet. The Dunn level, which is reached through an in- clined winze is about 140 feet below the Priscilla level. Mr. Hand estimates the production of the Golden Leaf group to be about $1,320,000. 54 The ore deposits are in a white or bluish-white crystalline lime- 54 . Hand, Carl : op. cit. 42 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY stone at or near the contact with the granodiorite. Some of the best deposits occur along apophyses which extend out into the lime- stone. The deposits in the Wadams and Wallace mines are of this type (Fig. 2) . The limestone is usually intensely garnetized near the contact with the granodiorite. The ore, which lies predominantly outside of the garnet zones, is almost entirely oxidized in the upper levels but the sulphides become more prominent in the lower levels. A large body of sulphide ore, about 15 feet wide, consisting largely of pyrite with lesser amounts of chalcopyrite, occurs in an intensely garnetized limestone in one of the crosscuts off the Priscilla level. The relative insolubility of the garnet gangue may account for the fact that these sulphides are quite fresh, although ore bodies in limestone on the same level are highly oxidized. Chalcopyrite and pyrite occur on the Dunn level in a dark green gangue composed largely of calcite and chlorite with lesser amounts of quartz, epidote and specularite (PI. X, 4) . Native gold with calcite was observed along fractures in the chalcopyrite (PI. X, 3). Partly oxidized ga- lena ore carrying silver occurs on the Priscilla level and deposits of magnetite were noted in several places along the limestone- diorite contact. The ore minerals include native gold, tetrahedrite, chalcopyrite, malachite, azurite, chrysocolla, tenorite, galena, cerussite, anglesite, sphalerite, smithsonite, native sulphur, pyrite, specularite, magne- tite, limonite, and manganese oxides. 55 The gangue minerals include calcite, quartz, siderite, garnet, epidote and vesuvianite. BLUE GRASS AND GOLD BUG MINES The Blue Grass mine is owned by the Bannack Gold Mining and Milling Company and the Gold Bug is owned by the Graves’ estate of Bannack. The claims include a number of the earliest locations in the Bannack district. The Gold Bug embraces the original Dakota locations. Mr. Hand estimates the production of these properties to be about $550, 000. 56 The ore deposits are at or near the contact of a white crystal- line limestone with a small tabular body of granodiorite. The lime- stone, which is intensely garnetized near the contact, contains abundant specularite. The ore is found predominantly outside of the garnet zone. These deposits occur in a region of minor folding and faulting. Gold in a quartz and calcite gangue or in tetrady- mite, (PI. X, 1 and 2), is the most important metal but assays show the presence of silver. In 1925 Mr. Austin Hale opened a pipe-like 55. Shenon, P. J. : Gold at Bannack, Montana, Eng. & Min. Jour., vol. 123, p. 326, 1927. 56. Hand, Carl : op. cit. MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY Bulletin 6, Plate X 3 4 PHOTOMICROGRAPHS OR ORES FROM THE BANNACK DISTRICT, MONTANA. 1 and 2. Native gold (white) in tetradymite (gray) showing tendency of the gold to follow part- ing planes. Tetradymite etched with nitric acid. Note structures developed by etching. (Gold Bug mine.) Magnification 14 times. 3. Gold (white) occurring along fracture in chalcopyrite (light gray). Surface etched with nitric acid. Calcite associated with the gold along fracture (black) was removed by the acid. (Dunn level, Golden Leaf mine.) Magnification 110 times. 4. Specularite (with radiating structure) in quartz (dark gray) terminating against pyrite. (Dunn level, Golden Leaf mine.) Magnification 14 times. GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 43 deposit of granular pyrite which carried about $30 in gold, and in 1927 some work was done by C. W. Stalling. This deposit strikes N. 50° W., and rakes to the north at an angle of about 25 degrees. HENDRICKS MINE The Hendricks mine is about a quarter of a mile south of Ban- nack and on the opposite side of Grasshopper Creek. Two claims are included in the group, the Hendricks and the Suffield. Although the property was first located during the early days of Bannack, little ore was produced until 1918, when the Bannack Mining and Milling Company, operating under a bond and lease, put up a 5-stamp, amalgamation mill. A small ball-mill, a classifier and two cyanide tanks were added in 1919. In 1920 a new 10-stamp mill was built. It contained a ball-mill, a classifier, two agitators, four thick- eners and six cyanide tanks and had a capacity of 50 tons in 24 hours. This mill was closed down in 1921. The underground work- ings include about 1,500 feet of drifts and one 50-foot winze. The property is now owned by the Graeter Park Realty Company of Dillon. The ore occurs as shoots along bedding planes in limestone of Madison age which has undergone considerable minor folding. The ore of milling grade was in six different shoots within a distance of 200 feet, although the mineralization was continuous through- out. 57 Only one of the ore bodies came down as far as the working level. The shoots raked about 7° N. and dipped from 65° W., to less than 20° W., depending upon the bedding of the limestone. Ore occurred along at least two different bedding planes. The wall rock next to the ore bodies is considerably altered and some gouge was noted along bedding planes. Altered garnet was ob- served in the wall rock of one stope but no intrusive rocks are known underground. The ore is almost entirely oxidized and be- cause of the oxidation about 50 per cent of the gold was saved by amalgamation. C. W. Stallings estimates the total production of the property at $40,000. PLACER DEPOSITS The first important placer deposits discovered in Montana were those at Bannack in 1862. They produced $600,000 within the first year. Although some of the bench placers have been worked, the most productive were those in the stream bed of Grass- 57. Stallings, C. W. : Personal communication. BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY hopper Creek or along tributary gulches. Mr. Dunn 58 estimates the total placer production of the Bannack district to be about $8,000,- 000 distributed as follows: Bannack Creek Placers — 6,000,000 yd. @ $1 per yd $6,000,000 Bannack Gulch and Bench placers — 4,000,000 yd. @ 30c per yd 1,200,000 Bon Accord Placers — 3,000,000 yd. @ 30c per yd 900,000 Total $8,100,000 Winchell estimates that Grasshopper Creek produced $3,000,- 000 in gold during the ’sixties. The lode gold deposits are undoubtedly the source of the placer gold since no valuable deposits are found in Grasshopper Creek above Bannack and the gold content decreases downstream. 58. Dunn, William : Personal communication. THE ARGENT A AREA GENERAL GEOLOGY CHARACTER AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE ROCKS The prevailing rocks in the Argenta area are sedimentary. Consolidated sediments ranging in age from Algonkian to Penn- sylvanian are found in the region, and Permian and Mesozoic rocks and Tertiary “Lake Beds” have been described in the Melrose and McCarthy Mountain areas, which are situated a few miles north- east of Argenta. 59 The unconsolidated rocks in the Argenta area include terrace gravels and glacial moraine. The total outcrop of intrusive igneous rocks aggregates hardly more than one square mile and but few isolated outcrops of extru- sive rocks are exposed within the map limits. This is in sharp con- trast with the Bannack area where extrusive rocks prevail. Quartz monzonite, granodiorite, andesite porphyry, and dacite porphydy occur as intrusives and trachyte and rhyolite are the predominating extrusive rocks. The distribution of the various rocks is shown on the geologic map comprising Plate 1. ALGONKIAN SYSTEM SPOKANE FORMATION The rocks assigned to the Spokane formation crop out for several miles along the crest of an anticlinal fold which strikes about N. 25° E. Only the uppermost part of this formation is ex- posed and consists of shales, quartzitic sandstones and at least one well-defined conglomerate bed. The shales are thin-bedded and fissile and characteristically have a high luster along the parting planes. The color is predominantly dark red, but beds of pale olive-green are abundant. Dark or brick-red colors prevail in the sandstones which show well-preserved ripple marks and mud cracks (PI. XII). On the steeper slopes the top of the Spokane forma- tion is difficult to delineate because of the thick talus of Flathead quartzite and, in other places, because of the difficulty in dis- tinguishing the lower beds of the Flathead quartzite from similar appearing beds in the Spokane formation. The rocks beneath the Flathead quartzite have been correlated with the Spokane formation, described by Calkins in the Philips- burg quadrangle, because of the marked resemblance to them and 59. Richards, R. W. and Pardee, J. T. : U. S. Geol. Sur. Bull. 780, pp. 1-32. 45 46 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY because of their position directly beneath the Flathead quartzite. No estimates have been made of the thickness of these beds in the Argenta district owing to the incomplete exposures, but Calkins estimates the formation to be over 10,000 feet thick in the vicinity of Philipsburg.* CAMBRIAN SYSTEM Two lithologically different formations have been tentatively assigned to the Cambrian system. The lower member is correlated with the Flathead quartzite because of its lithologic similarity to that well-defined horizon and because of the stratigraphic sequence of dark-red fissile shales and quartzitic sandstones beneath the vit- reous pink and white Flathead quartzite in other parts of south- western Montana. The beds above the Flathead quartzite are comprised princi- pally of gray sandy limestone. They are termed the Tilden forma- tion in this report and are tentatively assigned to the Cambrian sys- tem. No angular discordance was noted between the Flathead quartzite and the Tilden limestones, where these beds were known to be in normal contact, although folding and faulting have caused a marked apparent non-conformity in several places. The Tilden limestone has about the same position in the stratigraphic columi- as the Gallatin formation of the Three Forks region 60 and the beds embraced by the Silver Hill, Hasmark, and Red Lion formations of the Philipsburg quadrangle. 61 The absence of shales at the top of the Flathead quartzite and throughout the Tilden formation is, however, in marked contrast with the Three Forks and Philipsburg regions where shales make up a considerable part of the Cambrian system. FLATHEAD FORMATION The beds assigned to the Flathead formation are largely pink to red medium-grained quartzite. The darker colors predominate toward the bottom of the formation and, in general, the grain size increases. The bedding is distinct, the beds usually being several feet thick. Some indurated conglomerate beds occur interbedded with the quartzite. One well-defined conglomerate horizon is ex- posed near the base of the formation and another pebbly quartzitic sandstone, composed largely of rounded quartz grains from one to 5 millimeters in diameter, occurs 60 feet below the top of the for- mation. * Emmons, W. H. and Calkins, F. C. : U. S. Geol. Sur. Prof. Paper 78, p. 45, 1913. 60. Peale, A. C. : U. S. Geol. Sur. Geol. Atlas, Three Forks folio (No. 24). 61. Emmons, W. H., and Calkins, F. C., op. cit. MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY Bullerin 6, Plate XI A. GLACIAL MORAINE AT THE MOUTH OF RATTLESNAKE CREEK CANYON IN SEC. 15. B. STEEPLY INCLINED LIMESTONE BEDS IN THE N.E.% OF SEC. 34. MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY Bulletin 6, Plate XII 3 4 1* p urren t ripple marks, characteristically developed in the quartzitic sandstone beds near the top ot the Spokane formation. (1/6 natural size.) 2. Mud cracks from near the top of the Spokane formation. (1/3 natural size.) 3. Oolitic limestone from near the top of the Tilden formation. (3/5 natural size.) 4. Black magnesian limestone with twiglike bodies from base of Ermont formation. (1/3 natural GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 47 The bottom limit of the Flathead formation could not every- where be accurately fixed because of the resemblance of some of the lower beds to some of the upper beds of the Spokane formation. The top of the formation is, however, very definite where it is in contact with Tilden limestone. The maximum thickness of the Flathead formation in the Argenta district is believed to be about 500 feet. TILDEN FORMATION The Tilden formation which lies directly above the Flathead quartzite is composed principally of gray to pinkish-gray sandy limestone. The more sandy beds occur near the base. Several of the most important ore deposits of the Argenta region occur in this formation. It is best exposed northwest of the Ermont mine where the following section was measured: Section of Tilden formation in canyon northwest of Ermont mine Black thin-bedded Devonian limestone Feet Muddy-colored sandy limestone. Beds 1 to 4 feet thick. Oolitic limestone bed, 8 inches thick, 10 feet up from base 102 Light-gray thin-bedded sandy limestone. Weathers buff 12 Massive crystalline bluish-gray sandy limestone 190 Fine-grained pinkish-gray limestone. Weathers tan 10 Gray sandy limestone 20 Thin-bedded white siliceous limestone 12 Gray sandy limestone with 6 outstanding beds. Mostly massive. Pebbly limestone at base contains angular quartz fragments mostly 5 milli- meters across 75 421 Flathead formation. No fossils were found in the Tilden formation at Argenta. Trilobite remains and other fossils have been found, however, in the Upper Cambrian beds of the Three Forks region 62 and a number of fossils have been collected in the Philipsburg district. 63 A sill of dark green andesite porphyry closely parallels the contact between the Flathead quartzite and the Tilden formation for some distance north of Rattlesnake Creek. DEVONIAN SYSTEM ERMONT FORMATION The rocks assigned to the Devonian system include a series of limestone beds about 1,500 feet thick. This formation is termed the Ermont formation in this report and correlates fairly well with the Jefferson formation of the Three Forks region 64 although no shale beds corresponding in position with the Three Forks shale are present in the Argenta district. Mr. George H. Girty of the 62. Peale, A. C. : op. cit. 63. Emmons, W. H. and Calkins, F. C. : op. cit., p. 63. 64. Peale, A. C. : op. cit. 48 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY United States Geological Survey identified Devonian fossils from near the top of the formation. Cup corals have since been found in the basal beds just south of the Coolidge mine. The color contrast between the Ermont beds and the under- lying Tilden beds clearly marks the base of the Ermont formation. In addition, the basal beds contain twiglike bodies that give the rock a peculiar mottled appearance (PI. XII, 4). The top of the Ermont formation is not definite but was fixed at a cherty horizon in rocks that resemble the Madison formation. Devonian fossils were found 230 feet below this horizon and Madison fossils a short distance above it. Section of Ermont formation in vicinity of Ermont mine Massive bluish-gray limestone with black chert beds Feet Poor exposures but probably bluish-gray limestone. Devonian fossils from dense bluish-gray limestone bed at base 230 Poor outcrop. Probably gray shale 100 Dense light-gray massive limestone. Effervesces readily with dilute acid .... 30 Sill of dark-green andesite porphyry 80 Dark-colored magnesian limestone with buff-colored patches which may be due to alteration 248 Black shaly limestone beds similar to basal beds 80 Sill of dark-green andesite porphyry 228 Black shaly magnesian limestone with sugary appearance. Beds mostly less than 6 inches thick. Bed 2 feet thick with twiglike bodies 10 feet from base 490 1,486 Tilden formation. The Ermont beds strike about N. 20° E., and have a fairly con- stant dip of from 20° to 25° southwest near the Ermont mine. A few hundred feet eastward from the top of the section, however, there is considerable minor folding. CARBONIFEROUS SYSTEM MISSISSIPPIAN SERIES Mississippian rocks are the most widespread of the consolidated formations in the Argenta area. Fossils indicate the presence of both Madison and Brazer beds, but these have not been differen- tiated. The Madison formation is made up largely of massive bluish- gray limestone but black chert becomes abundant toward the top of the formation. Fossils were found throughout but are most abundant in the upper horizons. The most common organic remains are white cylindrical crinoid stems. Some beds appear to be made up almost entirely of them. Cup corals are the next in abundance. They are shaped like a cornucopia and in cross section the vertical partitions resemble somewhat the spokes of a wheel. Other fossils occur in less abundance. The Brazer formation does not differ GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 49 greatly in appearance from the Madison beds. It likewise includes numerous fossils and, like the Madison, contains beds made up almost entirely of crinoid stems. No outcrop in the Argenta vicinity is suitable for the measure- ment of a section across the Mississippian beds, principally because of the faulting and folding. Faulting has caused an apparent thick- ening, particularly in the westerly part of the area. About 1,300 feet of Madison beds are exposed in the Melrose region 65 and about 1,200 feet were measur 2 d in the Bannack district. PENNSYLVANIAN SERIES The Pennsylvanian series embraces two distinct rock types in the Argenta district, a lower limestone formation and the quartz- ite and sandstone which overlie it. The lower Pennsylvania beds (Wells) resemble the Upper Mississippian (Brazer) beds in litho- logic appearance and were not mapped as separate units. Fossil collections, however, indicate that both formations are present. Wells fossils were collected about 300 feet stratigraphically beneath the quartzite beds. The Quadrant quartzite, which overlies the Wells formation, is exposed in several places within the map limits. The largest out- crops are in secs. 15 and 34 and a smaller remnant occupies a syn- clinal trough in sec. 20. Several other small patches have been mapped. Quadrant quartzite crops out continuously from the north- ern end of the Bannack district into the Argenta area and is every- where similar in character. The lower beds are composed largely of white and pink vitreous quartzite which changes to sandstone toward the top of the formation. The upper part of the forma- tion has been removed by erosion but the remaining beds are over 500 feet in thickness. TERTIARY GRAVELS The older gravel deposits of the Argenta district have been designated as “Upper Bench Gravels” and “Lower Bench Gravels” because of their relative positions. The “Upper Bench Gravels’’ reach an elevation of 6 ; 800 feet. The lower terrace has been cut into the upper gravels and is best represented by the flat upon which the town of Argenta is built. Still more recently, Rattle- snake Creek has cut a deep channel into the lower bench and is now actively engaged in the process of degradation. The formations underlying the terraces are not well exposed, 65. Richards, R. W. and Pardee, J. T. : op. cit. 50 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY although Rattlesnake Creek has cut through beds of sandstone and gravel east of Argenta. The surface of the terraces is nearly everywhere covered by a mantle of coarse, unconsolidated gravel. This loose material may have come from the weathering of the underlying beds or it may have been deposited by more recent streams. The superficial material is composed largely of rounded quartzite pebbles and boulders ranging from less than an inch to over a foot in size. They are mixed with some sand and black chert. The quartzite pebbles are predominantly pink or white and many show bedding plainly. Fossil remains found by Douglas 66 in beds similar to the terrace deposits indicate an Oligocene age. QUATERNARY DEPOSITS The Quaternary deposits are represented by recent stream gravels and glacial moraines. Rattlesnake Creek is depositing gravels in its present channel and, part of the superficial gravel covering the terraces may have been deposits by recent streams. GLACIAL MORAINE A well-developed glacial moraine has been deposited by a valley glacier at the mouth of the narrow canyon of Rattlesnake Creek in sec. 15 (PL XII, 1 ). Erosion has also left a small remnant of a moraine on a bench in the SE.*4 of sec. 15 . These moraines repre- sent the lower limits of the mountain glaciers that have moved down the present canyons. The boulders in the moraines consist mainly of granite or quartz monzonite with lesser amounts of quartzite and limestone. A moraine has been utilized to form a reservoir about a half-mile north of the map limits where Rattle- snake Creek cuts a narrow canyon through a glacial deposit. INTRUSIVE IGNEOUS ROCKS GENERAL FEATURES The intrusive rocks of the Argenta district include quartz mon- zonite, granodiorite, andesite porphyry and dacite porphyry. The former two have been intruded into older rocks as large irregu- lar bodies whereas the latter two occur as sills and dikes. The quartz monzonite and granodiorite rocks, like the intrusive rocks of the Bannack district, are, no doubt, genetically related to the “Boulder batholith” 67 and probably represent the high points or cupolas of a much larger body which erosion has not yet exposed to view. The most recent work indicates that the Boulder batholith 66. Douglas, Earl : Carnegie Mus. Annals, vol. 4, pp. 278-281, 1908. 67. Billingsley, Paul : Trans. A. I. M. E., vol. 51, pp. 31-56. GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 51 is of late Cretaceous or early Eocene age. 68 The andesite porphyry dikes cut the larger intrusive masses so that they were evidently intruded at least after the outer portions of the latter had cooled. QUARTZ MONZONITE Two exposures of quartz monzonite occur in the Argenta region. One mass crops out west of the town of Argenta and another is ex- posed near the southeast corner of sec. 17. Both outcrops resemble each other closely in lithologic appearance. PETROGRAPHY The rock is gray and medium to coarse-grained, but the light- colored minerals predominate over the dark ones. Quartz is clearly discernible in the hand specimens. The microscope shows the rock to be made up largely of light-colored minerals with biotite, horn- blende and magnetite constituting the bulk of the dark minerals. The plagioclase crystals are lath-shaped and vary from 0.2 to over 2 millimeters in length and average about 0.5 by 1.0 millimeters in cross sections. They show very little alteration. Extinction angles show the plagioclase to be andesine (Ab G -An 4 ) in composition. It constitutes about 45 per cent of the rock. Orthoclase is present in smaller amounts, estimated at 30 per cent. It occurs as tabular crystals or irregular masses and is characteristically zoned. Some of it is partly altered to sericite. Quartz is present as interstitial material and makes up about 15 per cent of the rock. The ratio of biotite to hornblende varies from place to place. In the sections studied the biotite was estimated at 7 per cent and the hornblende at about 3 per cent. The biotite commonly contains feldspars as poikolitic inclusions. Magnetite, titanite and zircon occur as ac- cessory minerals. Magnetite comprises about 1 per cent of the rock, and apatite and zircon together constitute a still smaller amount. GRANODIORITE Two outcrops of granodiorite are exposed near the Dexter mine in sec. 17. They are separated by a narrow belt of altered limestone and are, no doubt, a continuous body beneath it. The exposures ag- gregate about a quarter of a square mile. No direct relationship was found between the granodiorite and the quartz monzonite. It seems probable, however, that they have had a common origin and that the latter represents a stage of deeper erosion. Some assimila- tion near the top of the cupolas may account for the lower silica content in the granodiorite. 68. Knopf, Adolph : U. S. Geol. Sur. Bull. 527, p. 34, 1913. Stone, R. W. and Calvert, W. R. : Ec. Geol., vol. 5, pp. 551-557, 662-669, 744-764, 1910. 52 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY PETROGRAPHY The granodiorite is a medium to fine-grained rock in which the light and dark minerals appear to be in about equal proportions. No quartz can be observed in the hand specimens. Thin sections show the rock to be composed principally of plagioclase, orthoclase and hornblende with little or no biotite. The boundaries of the mineral grains tend to coalesce, especially in the dark finer-grained phases. This same characteristic is marked in the quartz monzonite near the contacts with limestone. The lath-shaped plagioclase crys- tals have an average cross section of 0.5 by 0.2 millimeters and a maximum extinction angle of about 25 degrees which would classify it as andesine (Ab 6 -An 4 ). The plagioclase is decidedly zoned and shows considerable alteration, particularly along fractures. An- desine constitutes about 50 per cent of the rock. Orthoclase is present as interstitial material and as rounded grains, some of which are over 2 millimeters across. The larger orthoclase crystals show zoning but it is not as marked as in the quartz monzonite. The amount present is estimated at 20 per cent. Green hornblende makes up about 25 per cent of the rock. It is variable in size and shape but averages about 1.3 by 0.4 millimeters in cross section. Basal sections show very perfect amphibole cleavage (PI. XIII, 2). The hornblende commonly includes grains of magnetite and feld- spar and some of it is partly altered to chlorite and limonite. In general, however, the hornblende is fairly free from alteration. Quartz makes up less than 5 per cent of the rock and occurs as interstitial grains. Magnetite constitutes about 3 per cent and titanite and zircon less than 1 per cent of the rock. ANDESITE PORPHYRY The andesite porphyry intrusions in the Argenta district occur chiefly as sills although some andesite porphyry was found to occur as dikes. The largest outcrops of andesite porphyry are exposed near the Ermont mine, in secs. 26 and 35. The Ermont intrusives have the general characteristics of sills and in places they clearly cut across the bedding planes of the limestone. It is possible that the sills north of Rattlesnake Creek, in sec. 24, are the northward extensions of the intrusives near the Ermont mine. They are similar in appearance although, in general, the Rattlesnake sills are more intensely altered. A. H. French found andesite porphyry in a tunnel on the Tuscarora property. Thin sections show some of the dikes across the creek from Argenta in sec. 29, to be andesite por- GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 53 phyry, although most of these dikes usually contain considerable quartz. PETROGRAPHY Two types of andesite porphyry prevail in the Argenta region. One type is a dense grayish-green rock that does not show marked porphyrytic characteristics in hand specimens and the other is a grayish-green rock with very evident lath-shaped phenocrysts of black augite in a dense groundmass. No doubt, both have come from a common source. The microscope shows the former to be comprised of a micro- crystalline groundmass with phenocrysts of altered plagioclase and orthoclase and alteration remnants of ferromagnesian mineral (PL XIII, 3). Magnetite grains are disseminated throughout the entire rock. Extinction angles indicate that the plagioclase has the com- position of andesine. Most of it is wholly or partly altered to cal- cite and sericite and the orthoclase largely to sericite. Only the alteration remnants of the ferromagnesian minerals remain. They consist chiefly of chlorite, talc, and limonite. Patches of calcite occur throughout the rock. Quite a little secondary silica is present in the groundmass. Little primary quartz was noted. Although alteration makes the classification of the rock uncertain, evidence indicates that it is an andesite porphyry. The andesite porphyry with the abundant augite phenocrysts is not so highly altered as the dense rock. Feldspar and augite phenocrysts occur in a microcrystalline groundmass composed large- ly of small lath-shaped feldspars and constitute about one-third of the rock. The plagioclase phenocrysts range in length from about 0.5 to 1.0 millimeters and the average augite crystal is about 1.0 millimeters long by 0.3 millimeters wide.' Occasional augite pheno- crysts are over* 1 centimeter in length. The plagioclase feldspars have the composition of andesine and are considerably altered but many still retain the twinning striae. Orthoclase phenocrysts are less abundant than andesine. The augite is light-green in ordinary light and most of the crystals are twinned. Calcite occurs along fractures but, in general, the augite is only slightly altered. It commonly includes magnetite and irregular patches of groundmass material. Augite constitutes about 50 per cent of the phenocrysts. Magnetite constitutes about 2 per cent of the rock. Little or no quartz was noted in the thin sections. This rock is classified as an augite-andesite porphyry. DACITE PORPHYRY A number of dikes cut the quartz monzonite west of Argenta. 54 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY They are similar in appearance to andesite porphyry, some con- tain considerable quartz. They range in color from almost white to grayish-green, depending upon the degree of alteration. All con- tain some quartz but only those containing it in appreciable amounts are termed dacite porphyries. All are probably phases of the same intrusive. PETROGRAPHY The dacite porphyry is almost white to grayish-green in color and is noticeably porphyritic. Phenocrysts of bleached feldspar and glassy quartz are clearly visible in the hand specimens. Small patches of limonite give the rock a spotted appearance. Thin sections show the rock to contain phenocrysts of feldspar, augite and quartz in a felted groundmass. The phenocrysts make up about one-third of the rock. Except for the presence of more quartz, the dacite porphyry does not differ greatly in appearance from the andesite porphyry. Both phenocrysts and groundmass are considerably altered but the twinning striae are still visible on the plagioclase crystals. All of the quartz phenocrysts observed were rounded in outline and most of them showed marked embay- ments (PI. XIII, 4). RHYOLITE PORPHYRY A highly altered igneous rock occurs across the creek from Argenta. It is a white porous rock with numerous casts, some lined with limonite. The rock has a sugary appearance and is character- ized by a high porosity. The square shape of the cavities and the fact that many are entirely free from limonite indicates that they may once have been occupied by pyrite. This rock is said to con- tain gold in small amounts. It is tentatively classified as an altered rhyolite porphyry because of the light color and fhe presence of quartz phenocrysts. CONTACT METAMORPHIC EFFECTS The most intense metamorphic effects have been observed in the limestone beds near their contact with granodiorite and quartz monzonite. Granodiorite has intruded shale beds near the Dexter mine but the contact effects are much less noticeable than in the limestones near by. The shales have been silicified and are rust- brown in color — apparently due in part to the weathering of in- cluded iron-bearing minerals. The most common effects in the limestones are recrystalliza- tion and garnetization. Vesuvianite, epidote and tremolite were ob- served in association with the garnet but epidote is much less com- MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY Bulletin 6, Plate XIII PHOTOMICROGRAPHS OF INTRUSIVE ROCKS FROM THE ARGENTA DISTRICT 1. Quartz monzonite from N.E.% of sec. 20. Quartz (white), biotite (b), andesine (a). Polarized light. Magnification 23 times. 2. Diorite from N.W.% of sec. 17. Andesine (a), hornblende with well-developed amphibole cleavage (h), black mineral in center of hornblende is magnetite, irregular black patch is hornblende at extinction. Polarized light. Magnification 28 times. 3. Andesite porphyry from the larger intrusive body in N.E. 1 /] of sec. 35. Shows partly altered andesine crystals in silicified microcrystalline groundmass. Polarized light. Magnification 28 times. 4. Dacite porphyry dike from N.W.% of sec. 29. Shows microcrystalline groundmass and partly resorbed quartz crystal (white). Ordinary light. Magnification 14 times. GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA mon than in the Bannack district. The most widespread contact metamorphic product is a dense greenish-yellow greasy-appearing rock. It is well-developed around the northern border of the quartz monzonite mass across the creek from Argenta. Thin sections show T this rock to be composed largely of isotropic garnet. In addition to the garnet, the ore bodies around the contacts afford further evi- dence of introduced material. The granodiorite and quartz monzonite also show a difference near the limestone contacts. They are darker-colored and notice- ably finer-grained. Thin sections show a lower quartz content and a marked tendency to coalescence of the feldspar grains. Analyses of the intrusive rocks near the limestone contacts in the Bannack district show an increase in lime, magnesia and iron. 69 The contact metamorphic effects of the andesite porphyry are much less intense than those of the granodiorite and quartz mon- zonite. Silicification of the limestone beds is the most evident re- sult. The andesite porphyry itself is denser in appearance near the contact. EXTRUSIVE IGNEOUS ROCKS RHYOLITE PORPHYRY A patch of dense light-gray porphyritic rock occurs near the southeast corner of sec. 36. It contains in a highly altered ground- mass, many phenocrysts of angular quartz and numerous patches of calcite, which may be the decomposition product of feldspar. Be- cause of the abundant quartz and light color this rock is classified as a rhyolite porphyry. TRACHYTE PORPHYRY A dense gray rock with well-developed phenocrysts of ortho- clase occurs on top of the Quadrant quartzite in the southeast cor- ner of sec. 34 and a similar appearing rock was found on the top of the ridge in the NE.l/4 of sec. 22 and another outcrop on the high ridge near the center of sec. 14. The microscope shows the rock to be composed of orthoclase phenocrysts, aggregating about 25 per cent of the rock, in a dense, partly silicified groundmass. Very little primary quartz was noted. The orthoclase phenocrysts are slightly altered to sericite. 69. Idem, p. 16. 56 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY DEFORMATION GENERAL FEATURES The structure of the Argenta region is complex and only the broader features are shown on the map and sections. The sedi- mentary beds have been compressed into a series of folds with a northerly trend. In places these folds have been broken and displaced along fault surfaces. Two distinct types of faults have been developed. East-west compressional forces have caused older rocks to be shoved over younger rocks along thrust faults, and later, other forces resulted in the further breaking of the forma- tions by normal faults. The faults are made evident by the cutting out of beds, the severe folding and tilting that interrupt their continuity and in places by the direct observation of the fault sur- faces. The deformation in the Argenta district is merely the local expression of a great system of folding and overthrust faulting which is known to extend from Canada into Utah. It has been de scribed in the Philipsburg district by Calkins, 70 by Richards and Pardee 71 in the Melrose district, by Richards and Mansfield 72 in Idaho, and by Willis 73 in northern Montana, and in the Bannack area elsewhere in this report. PRINCIPAL FOLDS AND FAULTS The most prominent structural feature is the broad anticlinal fold which occupies much of the Argenta area and extends to the north beyond the limits of the map. It is around this fold that the best records of the sedimentary rocks are available. The fold is not intact but has been broken by faults. A smaller anticlinal fold separates two small synclines in the eastern part of the district. North of Argenta the eastern syncline is occupied by Quadrant quartzite which erosion has not entirely removed. Another less conspicuous fold is developed near the western border of the mapped area. Minor folds are abundant. Intense minor folding can be ob- served from the road just northeast of the southwest corner of sec. 19. Thrust faults account for much of the deformation. One has shoved Madison beds over Quadrant quartzite in the western part of the area and another fault of less displacement has moved Spo- kane beds into contact with Tilden limestone in the vicinity of 70. Emmons, W. H. and Calkins, F. C. : U. S. Geol. Sur. Prof. Paper 78, 1913. 71. Richards, R. W. and Pardee, J. T. : U. S. Geol. Sur. Bull. 780, 1925. 72. Richards, R. W. and Mansfield, G. R. : U. S. Geol. Sur. Bull. 577, 1914. 73. Willis, Bailey: Geol. Soc. of America, Bull. vol. 13, pp. 305-52, 1902. GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 57 the Midnight mine. A major normal fault trending north and south with several splits has dropped upper Madison beds into contact with Ermont limestones in the western part of the area. Numer- ous small normal faults were noted in many places but because of the scale these are not shown on the areal map. Folding evidently took place before intrusion of the igneous rocks in the Argenta district because they can be observed cutting across the folds. As the late Tertiary lavas have been folded and faulted also, it is evident that there were at least two periods of deformation or else the process was continuous. The most intense folding probably occurred in the Cretaceous period. Billingsley 74 has placed the beginning of the deformation in western Montana in the late Cretaceous. ORE DEPOSITS HISTORICAL SKETCH OF MINING After most of the available claims had been staked in the Bannack district numerous prospectors spread over the nearby hills in search of new “diggings”. Some placer ground was dis- covered near Argenta but it was not until the spring of 1865 that A. M. Esler of Bannack discovered the Legal Tender, the first important mine in the Argenta district. 75 The ore was rich but as the shipment charges to Swansea, Wales, the nearest smelter, con- sumed most of the profit, Mr. Esler decided that same year to build a smelter, the first in the State of Montana. It had a capacity of six tons per day. 76 Subsequently a refining furnace or cupel was added because the freight charges prohibited the shipment of the lead. Mr. Esler sold his smelter to S. H. Bohm and Company of Helena, Montana, who operated it as a custom plant. They also acquired the Ferdinand and Brownell mines. A second smelter was built in 1866 by Tootle Leach & Co. of St. Louis, for the treatment of the Tuscarora ore. This smelter was purchased by W. A. Clark, in 1869. The third smelter was built in 1867 by the St. Louis & Montana Mining Co., principally for the treatment of the Iron Moun, tain ore. It was afterward owned and operated by E. S. Ball, who in turn sold to the P. J. Kelly Placer, Quartz & Reduction & Smelt- ing Co. A fourth furnace, constructed of inferior fire-brick, melted upon the first heating. For a number of years the various smelters continued to treat 74. Billingsley, Paul : Trans. A. I. M. E., vol. 51, pp. 31-56, 1915. 75. French, G. W. : Mining Truth, Spokane, Wash., p. 23, April 3, 1930. 76. Browne, J. Ross, Mineral Resources of the United States for 1866. Montana, pp. 310, 1868. 58 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY ore mainly from Argenta, though some ores from the Blue Wing and other district were treated also. In later years the ores have been hauled to the railroad at Dillon and shipped to various smelters and mills in Montana and Utah. Like those in the Bannack district, the mines at Argenta have been worked at intervals in recent years. In 1928 the Ferdinand, Iron Mountain and Brownell shipped considerable ore, although little activity was evident during the summer of 1929. In general, the activity follows the trend of the metal market. Lead and silver are the most important metals produced in the Argenta district. The gold production is next in importance and considerable copper and zinc have been mined. Of 30 or more mines and prospects in the district, 15 account for nearly all the production. Seven account for most of the lead and silver pro- duced, four for most of the gold, two for much of the copper and one for most of the zinc. Practically all the production has come from the lode mines. Some placers were worked but no figures are available as to the amount of gold produced. Many of the lode mines were operated before statistics were recorded so that the production figures for a number of them are merely estimates based largely upon the size of the underground excavations and the grade of the ore. Messrs. A. H. and George French, who are familiar with the history of most of the mines, have contributed much information. The total production of the Argenta district is estimated at $1,500,000. CLASSIFICATION OF THE ORE DEPOSITS Ore deposits are commonly classified for descriptive purposes according to their metal content; according to the enclosing wall rock ; according to their genesis ; or according to the forms of the ore bodies. A combination of the latter three is used in the follow- ing description and comparison of the deposits: 1. Pipe-like ore bodies in limestone: Tuscarora Gov. Tilden Florida 2. Tabular ore shoots along bedding planes in limestone: Legal Tender Spanish mine Fraction (in part) Wooley “ “ Coolidge “ “ 3. Tabular ore shoots along fissures in limestone: Brownell Mauldin Anaconda GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 59 Coolidge (in part) Goldsmith “ “ Fraction “ “ Wooley “ “ 4. Contact deposits in limestone: Iron Mountain Argenta Mining Company Ermont 5. Deposits along fissures or shear zones in quartzite: Carbonate Ground-hog Goldfinch (in part) Lookout 6. Deposits along fissures in shale: Golden Era Rena Midnight Goldfinch (in part) Dexter Gladstone 7. Ore shoots along veins and shear zones in quartz monzonite: Ferdinand Jack Rabbit Copper Bell Bella PIPE-LIKE ORE BODIES IN LIMESTONE Pipe-like ore bodies in limestone have been the source of much of the lead and silver produced in the Argenta district. The de- posits of this type usually consist of pipe-like shoots which com- monly split and rejoin as they are followed along the dip of the limestone beds. The mineral-bearing solutions, no doubt, followed lines or zones of weakness, but control fissures are usually not obvious. The shoots are usually continuous except where they are interrupted by faults. Prescott 77 has clearly described the under- lying principles of deposits of this type in Mexico. In prospecting this type of deposit the ore should be followed as closely as possible for even with a thorough knowledge of the stratigraphy and the principles involved it is extremely hazardous to run long explora- tion tunnels for the intersection of the ore shoots. TUSCARORA MINING AND SMELTING CO. PROPERTY The Tuscarora Mining and Smelting Co., property includes two of the most important mines in the Argenta district. The group embraces the Tuscarora, Gov. Tilden, Florida, Wooley, Fraction, Fraction Placer, Reform, Burleigh, and Spring claims, all in sec. 18. Most of the work and production has been confined to the first two. The B. F. White estate of Dillon, Montana, owns one-half interest 77. Prescott, Basil : Eng. and Min. Jour. vol. 122, pp. 246-253, 289-296, 1926. 60 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY and the Anaconda Copper Mining Co., one-half interest in the Gov. Tilden, Florida, Wooley, Fraction, Fraction Placer, Reform, Bur- leigh, and Spring claims. The Anaconda Copper Mining Co., has the entire ownership in the Tuscarora. The Tuscarora was discovered in 1865, by Amede Bessette and Wash Stapleton. The Gov. Tilden was discovered a short time later. W. G. Gallagher and LaFayette Scott acquired the mine from the locators and extracted considerable ore in the late ’seventies. W. A. Clark bought LaFayette Scott’s interest in the early ’eighties and continued to run the smelter partly with ore from the Tuscarora and partly with custom ores. During this time the incline was run from the Tuscarora into the Florida, where a fault is said to have terminated the ore. Clark shipped several cars of ore from the Tuscarora and the Gov. Tilden in 1895-96, following which Gallagher made several shipments. Frank Benton leased the property in 1898-99, and shipped 195 tons of ore from a pipe-like shoot in the Gov. Tilden which ran south and west along the bedding and then turned and crossed over the incline. None of his workings are now open. During the period from 1914-21, Messrs. A. H. French and W. G. Graeter shipped ore and some concentrates from the Gov. Tilden, which had a gross value of $30,000. The concentrates were made by jigging the dumps. With the exception of two cars washed by McKay and Ross these are the only concentrates that are known to have been shipped from the property. The size of the excava- tions indicate that the Tuscarora and Florida produced from 5.000 to 7,000 tons of ore and the Gov. Tilden from 2,000 to 3,000 tons. These figures are in accordance with estimates made by A. H. French. 78 Most of the ore from the Tuscarora claim was extracted from open cuts although considerable ore is said to have been taken out of the incline extending from the Florida shaft which ran directly beneath the open cuts. This incline, which is no longer accessible, connected with the Tuscarora shaft to the west and with the Shesser Bros, and McKay shaft to the east. Old maps from the files of W. A. Clark show several stopes just north of the Florida shaft. This shaft was 80 feet deep, the Shesser Bros, and McKay shaft 130 feet, and the Tuscarora shaft about 120 feet deep. All of the ore from the Gov. Tilden claim was mined by underground methods. About 300 feet of inclined workings were opened on ore and, in addition, about 600 feet of exploration drifts were driven. 78. Personal communication. MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY Bulletin 6, Plate XIV MAP OF THE TUSCARORA AND GOV. TILDEN MINES GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 61 The ore deposits at the Tuscarora and Gov. Tilden mines are in the gray crystalline Tilden limestone just beneath the contact with the black thin-bedded Ermont limestone. The limestone beds strike, in general, N. 20° E., and have an average dip of about 25° SE. The principal ore shoots were pipe-like in cross section and followed the bedding planes of the limestone. The inclined work- ing beneath the open cuts indicates that there are at least two productive horizons. The shoots, although commonly splitting around blocks of limestone, have a definite east-west trend. This trend may be controlled by fissures, but, if so, they are not clearly defined. The ore is displaced by a series of normal faults, striking north and northeast. These faults have steep dips which vary from 70° to 90° and are characterized by well-defined walls, usually sev- eral inches of gouge and, in some cases, by several feet of breccia- tion. The Gov. Tilden ore shoot is terminated on its eastward ex- tension by one of these faults which strikes north and dips about 90°. The black limestone bed with the twig-like bodies serves as an excellent horizon marker for structural correlation. The ore was almost entirely oxidized, although residual patches of galena still remain along the walls of the deposits. A. H. French 79 describes the ore from the Tuscarora as a “sand carbonate” which he says was reported to assay as high as 60 per cent lead and 60 ounces silver. The average metal content was probably con- siderably lower. The ore was shipped directly to the smelter with- out concentration and with very little sorting. Ore shipped from the Gov. Tilden in 1898-99 gave gross smelter returns of $27.60 per ton. The average quotations for lead and silver for those years were $4.12 and 59c, respectively. Assays indicate that the ore car- ried $3 to $5 per ton in gold and that the ratio of silver was less than one ounce to the unit or per cent of lead. On the basis of this ratio, these shipments must have averaged about 20% lead. This figure is in accordance with the metal content of the ore shipped from the Gov. Tilden by Messrs. A. H. French and W. G. Graeter at a later date. Practically no commercial ore is exposed in either the Tusca- rora or Gov. Tilden at the present time. Some low-grade jasperoid wall-rock remains but it has no commercial value at present. A careful study of the normal faulting should lead to the discovery of segments of the faulted ore bodies. Although the ore shoots occasionally split around limestone blocks, there is little doubt that 79. Personal communication. 62 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY they were continuous on the dip of the limestone beds, except where displaced by faults. No exact measurements were secured on the throw of the faults so that the position of the ore indicated as probable in the longitudinal projection through the Gov. Tilden ore body is arbi- trarily placed (PL XIV). Any work contemplated in these proper- ties should be carefully planned and all available sources of infor- mation should be consulted in order to determine the position and extent of the older workings. The Wooley claim overlaps parts of the Gov. Tilden and Tusca- rora claims. Practically all of the work on the Wooley has been confined to a 30-foot inclined shaft and an open cut along a fissure striking N. 10° W., and dipping about 90°. Most of the ore occurred along the fissure although some mineralization is evident along the bedding planes. The production from the Wooley has been small. The Florida claim is situated south of the Gov. Tilden and over- laps much of the Tuscarora. It is 1,500 feet long by 550 feet in width and was located with the long direction almost at right angles with the Tuscarora. Most of the work has been confined to the Shesser Bros, and McKay shaft, the Florida shaft, and the incline mentioned above. Some pits, a shallow inclined shaft and a short tunnel have been opened near the southern boundary of the claim. The production, which could not have been large, came mostly from the incline south of the Tuscarora. The Fraction is situated south of the Florida and Wooley and overlaps portions of each. Practically all of the work has been con- fined to the extreme southwest corner of the claim where two shafts, one inclined, and several cuts have been opened. Drifts have been run from the bottom of the shaft. Small stopes indicate that the property has produced some ore. The ore apparently was along bedding planes in limestone and also along a well-defined fissure cutting across the limestone beds. The ore resembles that from the Tilden and probably had about the same metal content. Little or no work has been done on the Fraction Placer, Bur- leigh, Reform or Spring claims. The buildings are located on the last-named claim. TABULAR ORE SHOOTS ALONG BEDDING PLANE IN LIMESTONE Only one important property in the Argenta district, the Legal Tender, has produced ore solely from tabular ore shoots along bed- ding planes in limestone. The mineral-bearing solution may have followed fissures in its course upward, but development work has GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 63 thus far shown the ore in the Legal Tender to occur only along the bedding planes. The ore follows one horizon but is not continuous along it for it pinches out laterally and is displaced by faults. In prospecting ore deposits of this type, unless there are good rea- sons to suspect that other bedding planes are mineralized, it is ad- visable to follow the horizon of known production. LEGAL TENDER MINE The Legal Tender mine, which is located in the SE .14 of sec. 24, was discovered in 1865 by A. M. Esler of Bannack. It was one of the first silver-lead mines discovered in Montana and had the dis- tinction of supplying ore for the first smelter built in the state. 80 The ore was at first shipped to Omaha by ox-teams, from there by train to New York and thence across the Atlantic to Swansea, Wales. George M. Brown bought the property from Mr. Esler and leased to Cornelius Bray, who mined ore worth $10,000 from a small pocket. Bray also shipped some ore from the Colin McDonald property, just south of the Legal Tender. George Dart of Dillon and J. A. Brown of Melrose later acquired an interest in the prop- erty. It is now owned by James Eddy, a nephew of George M. Brown, and the J. A. Brown estate. The production of the Legal Tender is estimated at $150, 000. 81 The ore occurs along the bedding in Tilden limestone not far beneath the contact with the Ermont formation. The beds in the vicinity of the mine strike N. 15° E., and dip 45° S. Most of the ore was mined through an inclined shaft over 100 feet in depth which is now only partly accessible. The stopes average about four feet in width, but the fresh appearance of the walls suggests that the ore body may have been narrower. The ore was a soft “sand carbonate” which ran about 300 ounces in silver per ton. A few residual patches of galena remain along the walls near the termina- tion of the ore shoots. SPANISH MINE A small ore shoot was mined on the Spanish claim about 500 feet north of the Legal Tender ore body. The workings consist of a shallow shaft and some small stopes. The property is owned by the Anaconda Copper Mining Company. The ore occurs along a bedding plane in Tilden limestone which here strikes N. 30° E., and dips 48° S. The ore appears to be along the same bed as the Legal Tender ore shoot, but it has been offset 50 feet to the west 80. French, George W. : Mining Truth, Spokane, Wash., April 3, 1930, p. 23. 81. French, A. H., personal communication. 64 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY by steeply-dipping faults which strike N. 60° W. The production of the Spanish Lode has been small. TABULAR ORE SHOOTS ALONG FISSURES IN LIMESTONE Tabular ore shoots along fissures in limestone have accounted for a considerable part of the production in the Argenta region and therefore warrant consideration. The ore bodies are found along steeply dipping fissures and are usually not far distant from igne- ous rocks. The fissures are well-defined and can be easily traced. The mineral-bearing solution of course, followed the fissures. Cross fractures are common but most of them appear to bear no relation to the ore deposition. The junction of two splits in the Anaconda vein tended to localize the ore and it is probable that pre-mineral cross-fractures were also effective. To that end, no important cross- fractures were noted in the short time spent in the examination of these mines but a more thorough examination of these mines would probably reveal them. The most significant structural feature noted, and one that might assist in the search for ore, is the “slickensided” fissures and slump fractures developed in the vicinity of the ore bodies. It seems quite clear that slumping is an important post- mineral process which should be a significant aid to prospecting along the fissures. BROWNELL MINE The Brownell claim is long and narrow and lies partly in sec. 19 and partly in sec. 30. It was located in 1865 by Harry Griffiths, and was the second mine discovered in the Argenta district. Con- siderable ore was shipped to the St. Louis & Montana smelter in the late ’sixties and early ’seventies by E. S. Ball and others. S. H. Bohm & Co., of Helena bought the Brownell in 1871, and shipped ore to their smelter. A. J. Shoemacher shipped 1,000 tons of ore to the St. Louis & Montana smelter during the years 1882-85. The property lay idle until 1890, when lessees took out ore worth sev- eral thousand dollars. J. E. Oppenheimer of Butte, Montana, bought the property a short time later and it is still owned by the Oppen- heimer estate. James and George Knapp shipped 20 cars from the west vein in 1922 and George D. Spafford has since shipped eight cars from the same vein. The production is estimated at 5,000 tons. The Brownell ore bodies were worked through a shaft which was sunk to a depth of 150 feet, but which is now open only for 110 feet. Part of the old workings are no longer accessible. The principal working, the 80-foot level, is open for but 50 feet south of the shaft. The ore occurs in shoots in limestone along a well- GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 65 defined fissure which strikes north and dips 80° W. The vein splits on its downward course into the east and west (“Knapp stope”) veins. A short shoot about 15 feet wide was mined at the junction of the splits on the 80-foot level. Stopes with an average width of three feet and a south rake extend to the surface on the north side of the shaft. The “Knapp stope” pinched and swelled but averaged about two feet in width. The hanging wall is slickensided and highly altered, whereas the foot-wall is usually a hard crystal- line limestone with numerous vugs. The “slickensided” walls have irregular rolling surfaces and in places show copper carbonate. The ore was almost entirely oxidized and was predominantly a “sandy” lead carbonate. Hard jasperoid ore is found near the walls. The ore shipped from the Knapp stopes averaged 28 per cent lead, and shipments by Mr. Spafford averaged 31 per cent lead, 6 ounces per ton in silver, 0.8 per cent copper and 90 cents per ton in gold. 81 A small car of ore from the top of the large stope on the 80-foot level contained 11 per cent copper. MAULDIN MINE The Mauldin property includes two claims, the Rittenhouse and the Louis Philip, which are located in the NWT /2 sec. 29. James Mauldin located the property and did considerable prospecting. He and E. S. Ball had an early-day lawsuit over ownership which was decided in favor of Mauldin. The Mauldin estate has recently sold the property to Frank Wilson. Four shafts and a long tunnel are the principal openings, but only part of them are now accessible. The deepest shaft was sunk in limestone to intersect the quartz monzonite contact, but was abandoned because of the heavy flow of water. No ore was encountered. Another shaft was sunk to a depth of 30 feet on a 50° incline and then 20 feet vertically. Ore was encountered near the bottom and about 150 tons were mined. The Eaton shaft, which was named after Professor Eaton, who was probably the first mining geologist in the district, encountered an ore body at a depth of 100 feet. The shaft was sunk on a fissure striking N. 10° W., which dipped 80° W. The wall rock next to the ore body is strongly “slickensided” and brecciated material resem- bling an old filling occupies fractures near the top of the stope. The slickensides and brecciated material are believed to have formed from slumping due to the shrinkage which resulted from the re- moval of material during oxidation of the sulphide ore. Smith Ball mined the ore and shipped it to the Stapleton smelter. No 81. Spafford, George D., personal communication. 66 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY figures are available as to the production from this ore body, the old stope is partly filled and none of the old smelter records are available. Soft lead carbonate was the principal ore mineral. The silver content was about 3 ounces per ton and the ore carried about $1.00 to the ton in gold. The ore resembles that of the Brownell and probably had a similar metal content, although the average copper content is said to have been higher. ANACONDA MINE E. S. Ball located the Anaconda property after he had lost his lawsuit with James Mauldin. He sank a 30-foot shaft and en- countered an ore body, and later he sank a working shaft 60 feet deep. The ore was treated at the St. Louis & Montana smelter. Before the ore body was worked out the property was sold to the P. J. Kelly Placer, Quartz & Reduction & Smelting Company, who continued to ship ore to the smelter. This concern finally went into receivership. The property was later acquired by J. E. Oppenheimer of Butte, Montana. The ore occurred as an irregular tabular body along the Maul- din fissure, a short distance north of the Mauldin incline. The ore was largely a soft lead carbonate with a low silver content. The property produced about 500 tons of ore. COOLIDGE MINE The Coolidge mine, formerly known as the St. Joseph, was located in the early ’seventies by Thomas E. Tuttle, and is situated in the SE.^i of sec. 18. It was taken over by E. S. Ball who shipped considerable ore to the St. Louis & Montana smelter. The Golden Era Company then sank an inclined shaft to a depth of 170 feet, but made no shipments. Alfred Graeter shipped 200 tons of ore from the dumps in 1898. The property was later located by Messrs. George W. and A. H. French, who are the present owners. The ore at the Coolidge mine is enclosed in the basal beds of the Ermont formation, and for the most part followed along a well- defined fissure. Near the surface the fissure parallels the bedding but steepens and leaves the bedding at a depth of 40 feet. A sill of andesite porphyry forms the hanging-wall of the ore to the point where the vein steepens. The ore shoot was about 10 feet high and from two to seven feet wide. It extended for about 100 feet beneath the surface and raked to the south at an angle of 35°. The stopes indicate a production of about 500 tons. The ore is largely oxidized but contains residual patches of GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 67 galena. The average metal content is about 10 per cent lead, 20 ounces in silver, and $1.80 in gold per ton. GOLDSMITH MINE The Goldsmith mine is in the NE.% of sec. 30. It was located in the late ’eighties by Thomas Judge and Thomas Fox, who made no shipments. Mark Bray relocated the property and shipped a little ore, but soon sold a half interest to a Mr. Smeed. Mr. Bray’s half interest was shortly afterward purchased by W. A. Clark, who mined most of the ore produced. J. E. Oppenheimer of Butte, Mon- tana, bought the Smeed interest, which is still owned by the Oppen- heimer estate. In the transfer of 1928, the Anaconda Copper Mining Company acquired the Clark interest. A. H. French 82 estimated the production of the Goldsmith at 300 tons, which is corroborated by the size of the stopes. Access to the property is gained through three short tunnels and a shallow incline. One tunnel is 120 feet long, another 60 feet and a third 25 feet long. The second and third and the incline in- tersect the ore body, but the first has encountered only brown- stained marble. The ore was mined in underhand stopes which are now, for the most part, closed. The ore, found along a well-defined fissure in a coarse-grained white marble, strikes N. 80° W., and dips 70° N. The ore is pre- dominantly hard and siliceous and is irregular in width, although it is never wide. The principal minerals of commercial importance are chrysocolla, malachite, tenorite, cuprite, copper pitch, native copper and gold. Near the ore bodies the marble is stained a choco- late-brown color, a fact which should prove a helpful guide in pros- pecting for further ore, particularly as the outcrops are covered by gravel. According to Mr. French, 83 his shipments from the Gold- smith had a gross value of $75 per ton. CONTACT DEPOSITS IN LIMESTONE Two types of contact deposits in limestone are found in the Argenta district. Silver-lead deposits at the contact between quartz monzonite and Upper Mississippian limestones are represented by the Iron Mountain and the Argenta Mining Company’s property, and gold deposits at the contact between andesite porphyry and limestone are represented by the Ermont mine. The Iron Mountain mine which belongs to the first group has been one of the important producers in the district. The Argenta Mining Company’s property 82, 83. French, A. H. personal communication. 68 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY was not sufficiently developed, in 1929, to determine its worth. The Ermont mine is probably the newest mine in the Argenta district, and has a tonnage of low-grade gold ore partly tested. The work on the property is being directed toward proving a low-grade ore deposit large enough to justify a mill. IRON MOUNTAIN MINE The Iron Mountain mine was discovered in 1869, and was worked by the St. Louis & Montana Mining Co., and later by E. S. Ball, who purchased both the mine and smelter from the original company. Mr. Ball sold the property to P. J. Kelly Placer, Quartz & Reduction & Smelting Company, and it was finally acquired by Oppenheimer estate. No figures are available as to the production of the Iron Mountain mine, but the size of the stopes indicates that considerable ore was produced. Much of the ore was shipped to the local smelters in the early days. The mine is located in the NE.ti of sec. 30. Two tunnels and two inclined shafts are the principal openings into the Iron Mountain mine. The longer incline started in quartz monzonite, intersected the limestone at 100 feet and continued down the contact another 200 feet. Near the bottom the shaft be- comes very flat. The upper part of the incline is no longer access- ible but the stopes can be entered through the lower tunnel. The lower tunnel starts near the level of Rattlesnake Creek and runs northward about 700 feet to connect with the longer inclined shaft. A considerable head of water, most of which comes from near the contact, flows from this tunnel. Another incline, called the No. 1, is caved near the surface but access can be gained to the old stopes through the Knapp tunnel, which is about 250 feet long. The ore in the Iron Mountain mine is found in limestone at the contact with quartz monzonite. The contact is usually sharply marked by a band of white altered material from six inches to a foot wide. The ore shoots, where observed, were more or less tabular bodies paralleling the contact but varying considerably in size both vertically and horizontally. The stopes on the 100-foot level of the main incline have a maximum width of about 20 feet. These stopes are said to have reached the surface. Steeply-dipping fractures appear to have localized the ore in the vicinity of the Knapp stope. The No. 1 incline intersects the same fissure that cuts the most productive part of the Knapp ore body. The enrichment along the north-south fissures may not have been primary. The ore is almost entirely oxidized although residual patches GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 69 of galena and unaltered pyrite cubes are scattered through the ore on the lower levels. The richer ore is massive brown cerussite and limonite with patches of dark-gray anglesite and irregular green disseminations of malachite. Malachite stains are found through- out the ore and usually a band of it is found along the hanging wall of the deposits. Dark gray anglesite of a greasy luster is the pre- dominating ore mineral among the specimens collected from the lower level. Native copper is found in the lower stopes and was observed in lumps as large as 6 inches across. It is mixed with cuprite and malachite. The average metal content 83 of the ore ship- ped from the Knapp stope was 18 per cent lead, 12 oz. silver, and $3.00 in gold per ton. Three cars shipped from the lower workings had a similar metal content. The contact in the vicinity of the Iron Mountain mine rarely carries commercial ore. Nevertheless the contact merits careful prospecting. The heavy flow of water at the contact should be seriously considered before attempting work below the level of the lower tunnel. ERMONT MINE The Ermont mine property includes 31 claims which lie, for the most part, in sec. 30, T. 6 S., R. 11 W. The claims were located in 1926 by D. V. Erwin and W. J. Corbett, who prospected the ground until 1927, when the property was bonded to the Standard Silver & Lead Company of Spokane, Washington. This company dug several trenches and sank several shallow shafts and one in- cline to a depth of 110 feet. A drift over 100 feet long was run southward from the bottom of this shaft. In 1929 the property was bonded to James Kidwell of Portland, Oregon, who was oper- ating the property during the period the field work was being done for this report. Some ore of good grade has been shipped from the Yellow Bird claim where the ore occurs along a fissure in limestone. But the main prospecting at the Ermont mine has been directed toward developing a tonnage of low-grade ore sufficient to justify the construction of a mill. Andesite porphyry has been intruded into the Ermont lime- stone in the vicinity of the mine. It tends to follow the bedding planes of the limestone, but in some places clearly cuts across the bedding. Two sill-like bodies of andesite porphyry crop out east of the mine but, as exposed at the surface and in the prospect holes, these appear to join and form a nearly circular southern boundary. 83. Knapp, George, personal communication. 70 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY The ore is found in limestone at the contact with the andesite porphyry, which is usually highly altered and may be brown or almost white in color. Next to the ore the limestone is also apt to be stained a brown color and to have a peculiar mottled appear- ance, which has caused it to be locally termed “zebra limestone”. Fracture zones in the vicinity, of the mine strike north of east. The limestone in the vicinity of these fractures has been highly silicified and in places carries gold and silver. The ore in the vicinity of the main shaft also is frequently siliceous, though it is more often a soft porous non-siliceous material. Large irregular bodies of a low-grade ore have been prospected near the surface. A sample of the oxidized ore from the lower tunnel assayed 25 oz. in silver and $2.00 in gold per ton. This sample, which was taken by the writer, was higher in silver and lower in gold than the average. ARGENTA MINING CO. PROPERTY The Argenta Mining Co. property consists of five patented claims and six unpatented claims. The company was organized in 1928 by Judah Judah of Argenta, G. V. Elder and Ralph Rowlands of Dillon, Montana. The upper tunnel, which intersects an oxidized ore body, is 60 feet long and a winze 55 feet deep has been sunk at the end of this tunnel. A lower level, 100 feet below the upper level, has been driven 180 feet toward the ore body exposed in the upper tunnel but had not reached it in 1930. All of this work has been done on the Sir Walter Scott claim. The ore occurs at the contact between quartz monzonite and limestone. All the limestone except a small outcrop is covered with the “upper bench gravels” on the surface. The ore is entirely oxi- dized and consists largely of a soft porous limonite said to carry considerable gold. Bismutite (hydrous basic bismuth carbonate) is found with the oxidized material. Some ore has been shipped. DEPOSITS ALONG FISSURES AND SHEAR ZONES IN QUARTZITE The deposits along fissures and sheer zones in quartzite have not accounted for much of the production in the Argenta district. The Carbonate has been the most important mine of this group, but thus far the ore has not been continuous. Deposits of the Groundhog type where quartz and gold have been introduced into brecciated quartzite along a well-defined fault fissure warrant more attention, provided the sampling proves the ore to be of commercial grade. GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 71 CARBONATE MINE The Carbonate mine is in the NW .14 of sec. 18, and was located by Phil M. Brown in 1890. He shipped about 10 cars to the local smelters and then sold the property to the St. Louis & Montana Co., who sank a shaft to a depth of 75 feet near the south end-line of the Rena claim. The property was relocated by W. M. McMannis and Alfred Graeter, and was finally acquired by A. H. French and George W. French of Argenta, who are the present owners. Mc- Mannis and Graeter mined some ore but practically all of the pro- duction is credited to Mr. Brown. The main shaft is 90 feet deep and several shallower shafts have been sunk besides the 75-foot shaft sunk by the St. Louis & Montana Co. The ore is found in a well-defined vein in Flathead quartzite. The vein strikes N. 70° W., and dips 70° S., at the surface but re- verses to a northerly dip at 40 feet depth. A grayish-green ande- site porphyry dike follows along the hanging-wall of the ore and in one place a segment of the vein is offset 50 feet to the west. The ore occurs in lenses and is broken and associated with gouge. Most of the ore shipped was a dark-gray lead carbonate. GROUNDHOG MINE The Groundhog mine is southeast of the Carbonate, in sec. 18. A. H. French and George W. French located the property in 1895, and have shipped one car of ore which assayed $20 per ton in gold. Shallow shafts have been dug along the vein at intervals for over 1,100 feet, and a shaft 100 feet deep has been sunk near the portal of the principal tunnel which is 75 feet long. The ore occurs in Flathead quartzite along a fault fissure which strikes N. 30° W., and dips 80° N. The quartzite has been brecciated for a width of three feet along the fault, and this brecciated ma- terial has been re-cemented with quartz carrying gold and pyrite. The vein is strongly marked by slickensides, and horizontal stria- tions are very well defined. DEPOSITS ALONG FISSURES IN SHALE Deposits along fissures in shale have probably produced ore valued at $200,000. They have been the source of a considerable part of the gold production of the district as well as much of the lead and silver. Because of the nature of the wall-rock, most of the underground openings are now caved, and little information can be gained regarding the underground geological conditions. A con- siderable expenditure would, in most cases, be necessary to recon- dition the old workings for a development program. 72 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY GOLDEN ERA MINE The Golden Era mine, which is in the NE.^4 of sec. 13, was discovered in 1880, by W. D. Booth. It was afterward re-located by A. I. Watts, but neither locator shipped ore. George W. French and Henry Laughlin bought the property in 1884 and shipped a small tonnage to local smelters. The St. Louis & Montana Mining Co. purchased the mine and shipped considerable ore besides taking out about 1,000 tons of second-class material which was later milled by a Mr. Taylor. The prospect is now owned by the J. F. Imbs estate. An inclined shaft 300 feet deep is the principal entry into the mine. The shaft starts in thin-bedded quartzite but enters green and red shales at a depth of 10 feet. The shaft is now closed 20 feet below the collar. The ore occurs in a well-defined vein, striking about N. 5° E., and dipping 60° S., at the surface. The shale beds dip at flat angles to the south in the vicinity of the mine. The vein has been stoped to the surface near the shaft and was from one to four feet wide. The best ore consisted principally of galena and pyrite in a quartz gangue and, although water was encountered at a depth of 60 feet, the ore was partly oxidized on the bottom level. Five carloads of the ore had an average metal 84 content of 25 per cent lead, 21.54 oz. silver, and 4.35 oz. gold per ton. RENA MINE The Rena mine is in the NW.Vi of sec. 18, and was located by Homer Lawrence and John Miles in 1884. They sank a shaft to a depth of 70 feet and shipped considerable ore to smelters in Omaha, Nebraska. They sold the property to the St. Louis & Montana Mining Co., who sank a shaft to a depth of 300 feet and made a crosscut to the vein. The St. Louis & Montana Co. shipped only a small amount of ore, but lessees later made some shipments. A. H. French acquired the property in 1922. He estimates a production of 250 to 300 tons. The ore occurred as a shoot 60 feet long in a well-defined vein which is in flat-dipping Spokane beds. Caved stopes indicate that ihe vein had a strike of about N. 40° W., and a dip of about 60° S., but according to Mr. French 85 the vein turned and dipped to the north near the bottom of the deeper shaft. A fault is said to have terminated the ore shoot on the south. The primary ore minerals include principally pyrite and galena with gold and silver in a 84. From smelter returns given to A. H. French by J. F. Imbs. 85. French, A. H., personal communication. GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 73 quartz gangue. Much of the sulphide ore on the dump is in brecci- ated quartzite, which has been recemented with quartz and sulphide minerals. Very little oxidation was found below water level at 40 feet. Shipments by Mr. French 86 assayed 20 per cent lead and 2.0 oz. in gold per ton, but the oxidized ore shipped by Lawrence and Miles is said to have had an average gold content of about 5 oz. per ton. MIDNIGHT MINE The Midnight mine is in the SE .14 of sec. 13. The mine was located by Robert Wing in the early ’seventies. He sank a shaft to a depth of 60 feet, but made no shipments. H. R. Paddock and Fred Randolph later relocated the property and shipped some ore. A. V. Clark bought the mine and worked it for several years. He shipped considerable ore and then sold to the Monida Trust Co., which still retains the ownership. The property has probably pro- duced 87 50 cars of ore with a gold, silver and lead value of about $40 per ton. The principal openings at the Midnight mine consist of five shafts, one 265 feet deep, another 180 feet, one 150 feet, one 80 teet, and a fifth 60 feet deep. The ore in places has been stoped to the surface. Most of the workings are now inaccessible. The vein is in flat-lying Spokane shales and quartzites and strikes N 40° W., and dips 70° N., at the surface. It varies considerably in width and in some places splits around “horses” of shale. The prin- cipal primary ore minerals are galena and pyrite in a quartz gangue. Oxidation has extended downward for a distance of about 200 feet. GOLDFINCH MINE The Goldfinch property, which includes five claims, is in the NW .14 of sec. 24. The original location was made in the late ’eigh- ties by A. V. Clark. He dug a number of surface pits, sank one shaft to a depth of 60 feet and shipped several cars of ore. The property was purchased in 1890 by George W. French and A. H. French, who are the present owners. Since 1890 owners and lessees have worked the mine intermittently. The total production is about 250 tons. An inclined shaft at the north end of the Dolphin claim is th<; principal entry into the mine. Stopes have been opened on the north and south sides of the shaft for a distance of 120 feet. The ore is in shoots along a well-defined vein in Spokane shale. A highly altered porphyrytic dike follows along the vein. The dike is irregu- 86, 87. French. A. H. , personal communication. 74 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY Jar in width and the walls are considerably “slickensided”. The vein varies from about one to seven feet in width. The ore is in shoota in the vein and is partly oxidized even on the lower level. The pri- mary minerals are principally pyrite and galena in a quartz gangue. Shipments of the ore ran from 0.8 to 1.20 oz. in gold, from 7 to 15 oz. in silver per ton, and about 7 per cent lead. A tunnel has been run for 200 feet along a shear-zone in Flat- bead quartzite on the south end of the Dolphin claim. The quartzite is sheared and brecciated for a width of 12 feet. No shipping ore has been encountered in the quartzite. DEXTER MINE The Dexter mine is in the NW .14 of sec. 17. The nearest ship- ping point, Bond, is on the Oregon Short Line railroad, seven miles to the west. The property consists of six claims and was being operated in 1929 by the Continental Divide Mines Company, under the direction of W. J. Cushing. The old workings are no longer accessible but according to Mr. Cushing 88 the ore was exceptionally high-grade in silver. William Dudley shipped most of the ore in the early ’eighties but considerable work was later done by the St. Louis & Montana Co. Following this very little work was under- taken until 1929, when the Continental Divide Mines Co. started an exploration program. Several shafts were sunk, one by the St. Louis & Montana Co., to a depth of 317 feet. It is connected with the surface by a tunnel 260 feet long. A crosscut from this tunnel enters the old stopes, now inaccessible. The principal ore deposits were found in veins in shale not far from the contact with granodiorite. Almost the entire length of the tunnel passes through brecciated rocks cut by a number of well-defined fault surfaces. The old stopes are situated to the southwest of the tunnel. Fragments of the ore on the dump are composed mainly of partly oxidized galena, pyrite and tetrahe- drite. Some contact metamorphic deposits in limestone have been ex- plored in the flat northeast of the St. Louis & Montana Co. shaft. The limestone is garnetized and contains much recrystallized cal- cite. In 1929 the principal operations consisted in sinking the Galena shaft, which is about 2,000 feet southeast of the old mine. The shaft had been sunk to a depth of 60 feet on a vein striking S. 20° E., with a dip of 70° S. The enclosing rock is largely garnetized limestone with granodiorite along the hanging-wall at a depth of 20 feet. 88. Cushing, W. J., personal communication. GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 75 The vein had widened from a few inches near the surface to about two feet near the bottom of the shaft. The ore consists mostly of galena, pyrite and some tetrahedrite. It is partly oxidized on the bottom level. GLADSTONE MINE The Gladstone and Argenta claims comprise the Gladstone group. They are in the SE.}4 of sec. 13, T. 6 S., R. 11 W., and were located in the late ’eighties, the Gladstone by Mark Bray and the Argenta by James McKay. The Argenta produced 150 tons but the Gladstone has had little or no production. The J. E. Morse estate of Dillon, George W. French of Argenta, and the Amede Bessette estate of Bannack, Montana, own the property. A shaft 200 feet deep has been sunk on the Argenta and a few drifts were run from it. The principal working on the Gladstone claim is a 50-foot shaft. Neither shaft is now accessible. The vein, which strikes N. 45° W., and dips 80° N., is in the shale and thin- bedded quartzite of the Spokane formation. Much brecciated ma- terial cemented with calcite is found on the dumps of the Argenta claim; the vein is said to have entered “clay” near the bottom. The principal value of the ore was in gold, although it carried con- siderable lead. The ore from the Argenta claim carried $50 per ton in gold, but that in the Gladstone shaft was of much lower grade. A vein five to six feet wide and carrying $12 per ton in gold is said to exist at the bottom of the Gladstone shaft. ORE SHOOTS ALONG VEINS AND SHEAR ZONES IN QUARTZ MONZONITE The most recent notable production in the Argenta region has come from the Ferdinand mine, a deposit in quartz monzonite. The ore was of shipping quality and occurred in a good-sized deposit. Prospecting is made difficult at present by the condition of the shaft. Little water was found in the Ferdinand, but water became a serious problem in the lower level of the Jack Rabbit mine. FERDINAND MINE The Ferdinand group is in the SE.i/4 of sec. 29, and consists of 11 small claims 100 by 200 feet in size. The mine was discovered in 1868 by Thomas Harrison, who shipped some ore to Swansea, Wales; later the Ferdinand ores were treated at local smelters. Mining ceased when the sulphide ores were reached and the prop- erty lay idle for 20 years, until the St. Louis & Montana Mining Co. were able to treat the sulphide ore by giving it a preliminary 76 BULLETIN 6, MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY roast. The mine supplied ore to the Argenta smelters for two years at this period. LaFayette Scott acquired the property from the St. Louis Co., and it was owned by his estate until 1909, when his ad- ministrator sold it to the Argenta-Dillon Mining Company. This company opened up the shaft and shipped some ore. In 1925 G. A. Decker and Roy B. Herndon of Dillon secured a lease and stoped ore from the 80-foot level. In 1927-28 Mr. Decker and Harry Renz of Argenta shipped 17 cars from the same ore body. Theodore Nelson, William D. Ross and Martin Sorensen of Dillon now own the Ferdinand. A shaft 115 feet deep is the principal entry into the mine. One level was opened northwest of the shaft at a depth of 80 feet, and another near the bottom of the shaft. The ore occurs near the contact of quartz monzonite with Mississippian limestone along a shear zone which strikes N. 30° W., and dips 90°. The stopes are now caved in but during the writer’s visit to the property in 1927, about 12 feet of ore was exposed in the face of the drift. It was not solid ore but sulphide material alternating with bands of soft, highly altered and partly mineralized quartz monzonite. Part of the material was shipped as it was mined and part of the material was sorted. A carload of the better grade material contained 22.1 per cent lead, 15.5 per cent zinc, 1.18 per cent copper, 6.1 per cent iron, 8.5 oz. silver, and 0.01 oz. gold per ton. A carload of unsorted ore contained 10.4 per cent lead, 12.5 per cent zinc, 0.54 per cent copper, 6.0 per cent iron, 4.1 oz. silver, and 0.01 oz. gold. The prin- cipal minerals in the sulphide ore are galena, sphalerite, chalcopy- rite and pyrite. Polished sections show the presence of pyrargyrite in small amounts. Chalcopyrite is disseminated through the sphal- erite as oriented grains, some less than 1/400 of a millimeter across but with an average diameter of about 1/200 of a millimeter. The ore is only slightly oxidized at a depth of 80 feet. Because of the clay-like nature of the wall-rock next to the ore, considerable diffi- culty was experienced in preventing caves. JACK RABBIT MINE The Jack Rabbit mine, which has the distinction of being the deepest mine in the Argenta district, is in the NW.^4 of sec. 29, about one-half mile northeast of Argenta. It was discovered by J. P. Fletcher in the ’seventies, on a small outcrop of the ore. An inclined shaft was sunk to the 140-foot level. The Conda Mining Company operated the property from 1915 to 1919, and sank a shaft to a depth of 300 feet, besides running 200 feet of crosscuts GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA 77 on the 200 and 300 levels to the Jack Rabbit and Copper Bell veins. Water was encountered at 90 feet, and at a depth of 300 feet two pumps were used to handle the flow. The shaft is now closed. The Conda Mining Company shipped about 15 cars of ore. 89 The ore is in quartz monzonite not far from the contact with limestone. The ore from the lower levels consists principally of chalcocite and pyrite in a quartz gangue. The ore shipped by George D. Spafford assayed 16 per cent copper and 32 oz. silver per ton. 90 COPPER BELL MINE The Copper Bell claim is half a mile north of Argenta, and west of the Jack Rabbit. It was located in the late ’seventies by J. P. Fletcher, and later relocated by A. J. Shoemacher, who did most of the work on the property. Mr. Shoemacher let the prop- erty go by default and it was relocated by Alexander Pilon, who sold it to J. E. Oppenheimer estate and William B. Orem of Butte. The production has been small, probably not over one car. The Copper Bell vein is opened by a shaft 112 feet deep and has been prospected for a short distance along the strike on three levels, the 45, the 60 and the 112-foot levels. The shaft is now filled to the 60-foot level. The ore occurs along a vein in quartz monzonite near the limestone contact. The vein, which has “slick- ensided” walls, strikes N. 5° E., and dips about 80° SE. The ore is entirely oxidized on the 60-foot level but is said to be largely sul- phides on the lower level. The oxidized ore minerals include cuprite, chrysocolla, malachite, copper pitch, and limonite. One car of ore shipped by Mr. Shoemacher ran 10 per cent copper and carried some silver and gold. Oxidized ore at the surface assays $20 in gold per ton. BELLA MINE The Bella mine is on the outskirts of Argenta on the south side of Rattlesnake Creek. It was located by A. H. French in 1906, and was called the Whopper. In 1907, the Argenta Mining Co., of Dillon, sank a shaft to a depth of 200 feet and made a crosscut 20 feet to a vein striking north. The vein was solid sulphide material con- sisting of pyrite and a little galena and sooty chalcocite. The vein starts in quartz monzonite, but encounters limestone at 50 feet. 91 The outcrop contains cuprite, malachite, tenorite, and limonite. The vein is about three feet wide at the surface, but mineralization ex- tends for several feet on either side of the vein. 89, 90. Spafford, George D., personal communication. 91. French, A. H., personal communication. INDEX Page Acknowledgments 8 Age of volcanic rocks 25 Algonkian system at Argenta 45 Anaconda mine 66 Andesite in Bannack area........ 23 Andesite porphyry 52 Argenta area 45 Algonkian system in 45 Cambrian system in 46 Carboniferous system in 48 Deformation in 56 Devonian system in 47 extrusive igneous rocks in 55 faulting in 56 folding in 56 geology of % 45 history of 67 intrusive igneous rocks in 50 ore deposits in 57 ore deposits, classification of 58 Quaternary deposits in 50 Spokane formation in 45 Argenta Mining Co 70 Atwood, W. W., reference to 11-17 Bannack and Argenta, geography of 10 topography of 10 Bannack area, the 14 andesite in 23 basalt in 25 carboniferous system in 14 contact effects in 21 dacite in 24 dikes in 22 extrusive rocks in 22 faulting in 25 folding in 25 gangue minerals of 31 general geology 14 granodiorite in 18 history of 26 Madison formation in 14 Mesozoic system in 16 mineralogy of ores 28 ore deposits of 26 ore minerals of 29 placer deposits at 43 placers, production of 44 production of 28 Quadrant formation in 15 red beds in 16 rhyolite in 24 rocks of 14 Tertiary gravels in 17 Page Bannack Gold Mining & Smelting Company 40 Bannack Mining District 39 Basalt in Bannack area 25 Bella mine 77 Bibliography 13 Billingsley, P., reference to . ..17-18-57 Blue Grass mine 42 Blue Wing Mining District 32 Browne, J. R. reference to 57 Brownell mine 64 Butler, B. S., reference to 39 Calkins, F. C., Calvert, W. R., reference to 22 Cambrian system at Argenta 46 Carbonate mine 71 Carboniferous system at Argenta .. 48 Charter Oak mine 38 Classification of Argenta ore deposits 58 Climate 12 Condit, D. D., reference to 16-17 Contact effects in Bannack area .... 21 Coolidge mine 66 Copper Bell mine 77 Coppin, J., reference to 36 Cushing, W. J., reference to 74 Dacite in Bannack area 24 Dacite porphyry 53 Darton, N. H., reference to 17 Deformation in Argenta area 56 Del Monte mine 34 Devonian system at Argenta 47 Dexter mine 74 Dikes in Bannack area 22 Douglas, E., reference to 22 Dunn, William, reference to 40-44 Emmons, W. H., reference to, 16-22-39 46-47-56 Ermont formation 47 Ermont mine 69 Excelsior mine 40 Extrusive igneous rocks at Argenta 55 in Bannack area 22 Faulting at Argenta 56 in Bannack area 25 Ferdinand mine 75 Flathead formation 46 Florida mine 59 Folding at Argenta 56 in Bannack area 25 INDEX Page French, A. H., reference to.. ..60-63-67 72-73-77 French, G. W., reference to 57-63 Gangue minerals of Bannack area.. 31 Geography of Bannack and Argenta 10 Glacial moraine 50 Gladstone mine 75 Gold Bug mine 42 Golden Era mine 72 Goldfinch mine 73 Golden Leaf group 41 Goldsmith mine 67 Governor Tilden mine 59 Granodiorite at Argenta 51 in Bannack area 18 Gravels, auriferous in Bannack area 17 Tertiary at Argenta 49 Tertiary in Bannack area 17 Groundhog mine 71 Hand, Carl, reference to ........40-41-42 Hendricks mine 43 History of Argenta 57 of Bannack area 26 Huron mine 37 Imbs, J. F., reference to 72 Ingersoll mine 38 Intrusive igneous rocks at Argenta 50 Iron Mask mine 38 Iron Mountain mine 68 Jack Rabbit mine 76 Kemp, J. F., reference to 17 Kent mine 32 Knapp, G., reference to 69 Knopf, A., reference to 22-25 Legal Tender mine 63 Lindgren, W., reference to 32-39 Mansfield, G. R., reference to 56 Mathew, W. D., reference to 22 Mauldin mine 65 Mesozoic system in Bannack area.. 16 Midnight mine 73 Mineralogy of Bannack ores 28 Mississippian series 48 Page New Departure mine 36 O’Leary, J. F., reference to 32 Ore deposits at Argenta 57 Ore deposits of Bannack area 26 Ore minerals of Bannack area 29 Pardee, J. T., reference to 45-49-56 Peale, A. C., reference to 14-46-47 Pennsylvanian series 49 Placer deposits at Bannack 43 Pomeroy mine 37 Prescott, B., reference to 59 Production of Bannack area 28 of Bannack placers 44 Quartz monzonite 51 Quaternary deposits at Argenta .... 50 Randall mine 37 Raymond, R. W., reference to 37 Red beds in Bannack area 16 Rena mine 72 Rhyolite in Bannack area 24 Rhyolite porphyry 54-55 Richards, R. W., reference to, 45-49-56 Shenon, P. J., reference to 42 Silver Star mine 38 Sinott, F. F., reference to 37-39 Spafford, G. D., reference to 65-77 Spanish mine 63 Spokane formation at Argenta 45 Stallings, C. W., reference to 43 Stone, R. W., reference to 22 Tertiary gravels at Argenta 49 Tilden formation 47 Topography of Bannack and Argenta 10 Trachyte porphyry 55 Tuscarora Mining & Smelting Co... 59 Umpleby, J. B., reference to.-..ll-18-39 Vegetation 12 Volcanic rocks, age of 25 Weed, W. H., reference to 18-22 Wheal Rose mine 38 Willis, B., reference to 56 Winchell, A. N., reference to 10-18 Wooley mine 59 THE CF THE OCT i 7 1932 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS. eoqraphy£ Geo/oqy by fcJ.Ghenon'1925 LEGEND Sedimentary Rocks Aur/fe roL/s P/