Helena weekly herald., 1889-09-05
A 100000 BAR.
The Largest Gold Bar in the World
Cast at the Helena Assay Office
for the Montana National
Bank

The Montana National Bank, like the
Territory after which it is named, goes in
for superlatives. It's president, Col. Broad
water, has just opened at Helena the
largest plunge bath in the world, and yes
terday he had cast at the United States
Assay Office at Helena the largest gold bar
in the world. 1t was made from the
smaller bars that were on exhibition last
week at the Montana bank, comprising
bullion from the Spotted Horse, the Drum
Lummon and the Jay Gould mines. three
of the greatest gold producers in Montana.
The Spotted Horse bar was very fine gold
and was worth over $5S,OOO The other
bars contained greater proper
ton of silver. Yesterday all these
bars were melted at the Assay Office, un
der the supervision of U. s. Assayer
Spruille Braden by the expert melter of
the institution, M. A. Meyendorff. The
largest crucible made would hardly hold
the enormous charge, and with the hottest
precious metal. Six men were engaged in
mass of molten metal was finally success
fully poured into large mould specially
prepared, and the largest gold bar in the
world was cast. 1t took all night to cool
and even at ten o'clock this morning the
great brick was still warm to the touch.
At that hour number of people
called at the Assay Office to see
the monster bar, which reposed on a bag
gage truck in the melter's room. In ap-
pearance it is not as handsome as the
Spotted Horse bar (which was the true
golden Yellow, the silver it contains de-
stroying the golden color. But it is good
sight nevertheless. In shape it is section
of pyramid, the base being 18x79 inches,
the height y inches and the top surface
17x6 inches. It's weight is 6,945 ounces,
approximately, or about 500 pounds
ayoirdupOis. Its value is trif1e over
100000.
The monster bar was shipped this morn
ing by the American Express Company to
Minneapolis via the Montana Central &
Manitoba railways, to be placed on exhibi
tion at the Minneapolis Exposition as
sample of what can be done in
the glorious climate of Montana" President
Broadwater and Cashier Phelps, of the
Montana National, have taken great pains
in securing the gold for the giant brick,
and they are now happy over their success.
At soon as the exposition at Minneapolis is
over the bar will be shipped to New York
and placed on exhibition in that
city. Even while it remains in
it's present shape, the interest on the money
it contains will amount to thousands of
dollars, and this is being sacrificed to make
a showing of Montana's mineral possibili.
ties to the Eastern world. The purchase
of the bullion and casting of the great bar
are another exhibition of Col. Broadwater's
indomitable energy and enterprise.
This bar, so Col. Broadwater informs us,
is to be the centre piece of the mineral
monument, which the Montana National
Bank will place on exhibition at the Min
neapolis exposition and at New York. The
display will be in charge of Mr.. w. ].
Fuchs, paying teller of the Montana Nsss
tional. 1t will consist of four bars of lead
for the base of the monument; four bars of
copper for the second course; four bars of
silver for the third-on the top of the
whole to rest the the 100000 gold bar,
and the monument will be surrounded by
specimens of quartz and ore from all parts
of Montana, besides the handsome collec-
tion of gold nuggets and dust owned by
the Montana National. 1t is safe to say
that such magnificent exhibit will create
Juror in the East and will advertise
Montana as no other exhibition has yet
done.