strike. According to the annual report to the stockholders, 6 months of operation
yielded 61,000 ounces of indium. 
 
 Iron Ore.—The entire State production of iron ore came from the Iron
Cross mine of R & ' S Iron Co. near Radersburg. Production declined 17
percent from the 1966 level to 10,000 tons of ore. 
 Gold—Production of gold exclusive of placer output declined 61 percent
to 9,645 ounces, because of the decrease in copper production caused by the
strike. Approximately 86 percent of the State total originated in the Butte
district as a 
of Canada, core drilled two former producing mines, the Little Ben and the
Gold Bug. 
 Oremont, Inc., reopened one of the old drifts at the Crescent mine, Jefferson
County, and began shipping to the Franklin mill near Helena. 
 Manganese.—Less demand for manganese concentrates resulted in a reduction
in the total amount of manganese ore and concentrates produced. The ferromanganese
plant at Anaconda was dismantled, and 
 
 Sahinen, Uuno M. Mineral Developments in 
Montana—1967. Northwest Mining Association 
73d Annual Convention, Spokane, Wash., Dec. 
1—2, 1967. 
 4 Knostman, Richard W. An Analysis of the Pacific Northwest Lead-Zinc Industry.
BuMines Inf. Circ. 8327, 1967, 53 pp. 
494 
MINERALS YEARBOOK, 1967 
 
 
ing companies. Uuno M. Sahinen, Assoc- Indium.—The Anaconda Company
proiate Director, Montana Bureau of Mines duction of indium at the Great
Falls and Geology, in a paper delivered at the smelter was also limited by
the copper Northwest Mining Association Convention, stated that at least
22 companies were actively exploring for metalliferous ores containing copper
and associated gold, silver, platinum, and molybdenum.3 
 Bear Creek Mining Co., exploration subsidiary of Kennecott Copper Corp.,
started underground exploratory work in the Mt. Vernon area of southwestern
Lincoln County, drilled the Como coppergold property in Park County, and
did exploratory work in the Ramona Creek area northwest of Philipsburg. Diamond
drilling was carried on by two contractors, and an exploration ádit
was ' begun to confirm copper showings found by the drilling. 
 Hecla Mining Co. reportedly found chalcopyrite in exploratory drilling from
the 1000 level of the Algonquin mine in the unitized Taylor-Knapp Trout-Contract
property in the Philipsburg district. Copper Range Co. explored in the Argenta
district of Beaverhead County, and Spokane National Mines, Inc., continued
development in the Blue Wing district of Beaverhead County. 
 As part of the ' largest exploration program in its history, The Anaconda
Company carried on exploration in more than a dozen Montana counties during
the year. Work continued on the development of a large porphyry-type copper-molybdenumsilver
deposit northwest of Helena. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
byproduct of copper production. Placer 
output from three operations totaled 141 
ounces, compared with 423 ounces in 1966. Little Rockies Mining Co. Ltd.,

 Lead.—An 80-percent decline in lead output to only 898 tons for 1967
was a result of termination of mining at the Badger State mine and curtailment
of byproduct production in July by the copper strike. 
 The largest amount of lead from production other than by The Anaconda Company
at Butte or East Helena came from the Maulden mine (Ida B. Hand), Beaverhead
County, where 315 tons of lead from 2,229 tons of ore was recovered. 
 Downhole drilling from the 940 level of the Nancy Lee mine near Superior,
Mineral County, located the ore body on the bottom 1090 level. The North
Coeur d'Alene Silver Co., of Troy, planned to mine lead, silver, zinc, and
gold from the Snowstorm mine in Lincoln County after completing 225 feet
of crosscut. Spokane National Mines, Inc., conducted exploration drilling
and development at the Capitol mine near Argenta, Beaverhead County. 
 The Sam Gaty-Franklin mine in Lewis and Clark County produced 94 tons of
lead ore containing 36 tons of lead, plus lesser amounts of silver, zinc,
copper, and gold. 
 The Bureau of Mines published a study 
of the Pacific Northwest lead-zinc 
industry.4