68 MONTANA: INDUSTRIAL RESOURCES 



The elevation of the county ranges from a minimum of approximately 5.000 feet 

 above sea level to a maximum of 10.000 feet. The growing season i.s short and 

 the tilhible areas small, factors which limit the crop production range. What 

 agriculture there be is influenced by the Butte market. Trucli gardening and 

 dairying are its most important phases. 



Butte takes its name from the huge isolated butte that stands sentinel-like 



on the western end of town. Founded in 1S04 as a placer camp, it was nearly desertetl 



January 1. 1875. when William L. Farlin re-located the Travona 



Vast quartz lode, and. with nearly every blow of the pick luicovered 



I'nderground ore so rich that it led to the development of the entire district 



Workings and the building of the greatest mining camp in the world. 



More than 90 per cent of the total Montana mineral production 

 normally comes from the Butte di.strict. which contains 150 mines with iinder- 

 ground workings totaling 2.700 miles. When working to capacity the 16 larger 

 companies, operating 40 mines, employ 22.000 miners who hoist 20.0<X> tons of ore 

 every 24 hours. One mining company alone employs in normal times as many 

 metal miners as the states of Colorado, Utah and New Mexico combined. The Stew- 

 ard is said to be the deepest mine in Butte, measuring 3.653 feet from the collar 

 to the sump. Most of the ore now comes from between the 2.000 and 3.000 foot 

 levels. Through scientific ventilation methods, excessive underground tempera- 

 tures at the lower levels have been reduced as much as 10 to 15 degrees, and it is 

 believed tliat in case the ore bodies reach to a depth of 5.000 feet. atmo.-<pheres that 

 allow of safe and efficient work can be attained. In some parts of the district 

 imderground fires have been burning for many years. The most widely known 

 and extensive fire has burned continuously since 1SS9. 



The total value of the mineral output of Butte .since its discovery is variously 

 estimated from a billion to a billion and a half dollars. Copper, zinc and silver 

 are the chief metals, although gold, lead, arsenic and a score of other minerals 

 are obtained as by-products. The normal production of copper ranges from 

 200.000.000 to more than 300.000.000 pounds a year: of silver, approximately 

 12.000.000 ounces, and of zinc from 30.000 to 100.000 tons annually. While the 

 large manganese deposits are not being worked at present, they are pronounced 

 by the U. S. Geological Survey as among the most valuable reserves of this metal 

 in the country. Gems, bismuth, antimony, cadium. brick clay and clay assay 

 goods are all produced commercially. 



Besides being a distributing point for a wide variety of farm and manufac- 

 tured products, Butte is an important manufacturing center, and the largest con- 

 suming market in Montana. Indu-stries include smelters, concentrators, foundries 

 and machine shops, monumental works, bakeries, creameries, brick, clay and assay 

 goods, planing and saw mills, meat packing, bottling works, .sporting goods and 

 plants making macaroni, mattresses, overalls, saddles and harness, tents and awn- 

 ings, metallic packing and other products. 



Butte enjoys the best rail facilities of any city in the state and is strategetic- 



ally located to command the trade of an interstate region. The main lines of the 



Northern Pacific and of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul bring 



Its Rail it trade from east and west : the Butte-Great Falls branch of 



Facilities the Great Northern brings it trade from the north, and it is the 



northern terminus of the Pocatello branch of the Oregon Short 

 Line that lirings trade from the south. An electrified rail system connects it 

 with Anaconda. The trade from many branch lines in the district naturally gravi- 

 tates to Butte. The city is also on the principal east and west highways, and on 

 two Park-to-Park highways. 



The Stare School of Mines is located at Butte. Thoroughly equipped, and 

 with a large faculty, the school draws students from all parts of this as well as 



