The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1889-05-29
Montana Letter No. 8.
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINes, 49,

priety exclaim Eureka" q have found it,
He next ascertains which direction the
vein is running and makes location"
fifteen hundred feet, the length of the
lode, and six hundred feet wide. This
location must be recorded in the Office Of
the county clerk and then he has time to
breath and make preparations tor the fu.
ture development of the lode. Not TAX
ing into consideration the pain he has
been al, the general opinion is Gf the To-
cation proves to be rich mine) that
fellow isluckv."
As all prospectors do not go to work
with the same determined spirit, neither |
do all attain the same result. Some are
Superficial prospectors," "who only look for
hard reefs that crop out high and bold
above the surface, whilst not q few are
"bummers" who are around waiting for
some industrious fellow TO make good
location, when they will pry around to
find some little technccalities Of law that
he may not be well enough posted In. to
have exactly complied with, and II they
can pick the least flaw in his location they
"jump ii" or perhaps try to bluff him of.
Many prospectors make rich finds but never
realize anything from them for the sim
pie reason that they do not possess Che
means TO develop their properties. Not
few, who discover lodes, that afterwards
become rich and productive mines, be-
come 30 encountered with debt in opening
up their leads, that they are obliged to
turn them over TO their creditors for
little or nothing. There are but few that
make rich strikes and not one in a hun
, dred that gets the benefit Of his labor. As
7 general rule the prospector is one man
, and the mine owners another. Nor do all
' lodes that yield gold near the surface con-
tinue so to yield at great depth. They
1 frequently change from free-milling gold
ore, to gold and silver mixed; whilst ores
tha, carry most silver on the upper level
Of mine may change to orgentiferou'
II lead ore lower down. Many mines pro-
1t duce gold, silver, lead, arsnic, antimony
N ziuc, copper and other metals all mixed
r. together. Such ores must be smelted ant
d are very expensive to reduce. 0thel
10 mines yield gold and silver ore which
d only need pulverizing and the gold an(
y silver is collected by washing the powder
il ed ore in tanks containing quicksilver
" which attracts the infinite particles o
St precious metal
Is Lead, copper, silver and gold are tn
70 principal metals produced IN Montans
1, Over twenty-ihree million dollars wort
q. of the last two were produced in 1888
Ie and the output Of the territory is increas
n ing rapidly, every year. There are thou
auds OF mines that would pay big divi
dsnds II there were capital here TO z
m ahead and work them; indeed II is gen
m orally conceded by mining experts thi
ia. Montana's richest and most extensiv
mines are not yet worked and probabl
not discovered. All coke, for smeltin
purposes was brought from Pennsylyani
~ ~ until the fast year or two and much OF
VI from Montana Is shipped TO 0mah
Denver and ether far away reductio
o works to be treated. The majority {
- mines are high up in inaccessible mour
: talns and the cost Of working them
81 immense; whilst the transportation Of OF
to the smelters Is an item Of no mes
consideration. As general rule reefs
ed quartz that bears mineral near the su
en face continue to improve as the depth 1
US creases; and It frequently happens tn
lot depths Of IRON one 10 three hundred fe
he are attained before any ore is found III
at will pay TO smelt. One may start to wol
OF on what may seem TO be good prospe
and after sinking down hundred feet
more the ledge may pinch out, or he no,
be take sample Of the quartz and have
lir' assayed flor no one can tell the quaint
uld Of gold, silver, ETC., in piece Of ore
ite, looking at it) and discover that il contai
are only carbonates OF hard luck, pyrites
to hard, work, clalorides Of dissppointms
use end perhaps ninety.fve per cent Of (
or oxides Of despair. often think mini
out here is good deal like gambling, {
profits are immense and so are the risl
IrR The dividends paid by mines in Monta
he last year were upwards Of four milli
,ors dollars. Our most prosperous stockm
to are getting excited over mines just nc
srn and are investing good deal Of capital
for them. might also mention that the y,
WINS 1887 was notable year for railro
ia building out here. A new road v
inst pushed from Minot, D. T., through Nor
ern Montana to Helena, distance Of
miles, In seven months and half.
' q this was done by working from one el
bile and 500 miles were graded in the sh
tied period Of Eve months, whilst = miles d
Ifter 90 feet Of track were laid working fr
,un. one end only In one day by the regu
.me crew Of track layers. 9,7OO,O00 cubic y
ourt Of earth and $4,000 yds Of rock had to
ney removed besides all the bridge and culv
he building, etc. This new lire now
tends as far as Butte City (the larg
mining came In the world) and is exps
red cd to reach the Pacific Coast ere To-