THE MINES 



163 



was sparsely settled and the industry itself was in a crude stage. It has 

 been estimated thait Montana, in those pioneer times, extending from 1862 

 to 1881, gave to the world $211,000,000 in gold and silver. Copper mining 

 has not then gained a foothold in the State. 



Starting with 1882 records of the ore mined and smelted, or otherwise 

 treated, were kept. In iqii the .State's mineral products w^ere valued at 

 $46,955,287. In 1912 there was a hig advance and the total output was 



When Mining Was in Its Infancy. 



valued at $64,754,613, the principal increase being shoAvn in the copper 

 columns. The 1913 figures will not be shown until the year fades away 

 and ushers in 1914. But it is safe to prophesv tlie mineral output of 1913 

 will be somewihere around the $65,000,000 mark. 



This brings us down to the total fig-ures of ore produced by Montana, 

 measured in dollars, since mining became an industrv in the State in 1862. 



-Montana need not call on the outside world for a single necessity. 



