Fergus County argus., 1890-03-06

From the Report Of the State Inspector Of
Mines.


tana has it's great leading mine, which
attracts the attention OF the outside
world. Marysville has it's Drum Lum-
mon, Castle it's Cumberland, Pardee
its Iron Mountain, Phillipsburg its
Granite Mountain, and Maiden has it's
Spotted Horse.
In years past the Maginnis was the
leading mine OF Maiden, but the Spot
ted Horse, after it's ups and downs,
incident to the effects OF rich and poor
streaks found in all mines, has been
for many months supplying two mills
with ores rich enough to enable them
to turn out such results in bullion as
to give this mine place in the first
rank OF the worlds bonanzas. But
the Spotted Horse must look well to
its laurels; for there are other mines
ut Maiden which will tread close upon
its heels when capital works them.
But in some respects Maiden is one
OF the most remarkable mining camps
in the world. Maiden is in the midst
OF, and claims for its mineral kingdom.
all the peaks and ridges and foot hills
OF the Judith mountains; for all OF
them are literally covered with vast
quantities OF good float and must be
lntersected with numerous veins OF
rich ores. Hundreds and hundreds OF
mining claims have already been
opened IN these mountains, and new
discoveries are the order of the day.
Many OF these discoveries have been
so developed as to show they contain
vast quantities of good ores.
The Judith mountains must have
been, are now and must continue to
he, the paradise of prospectors. In
many places ! saw large bodies OF iron
ores so charged with gold as to make
them most desirable fluxing ores. And
mountain slopes are strewn with frag-
ments, great and small, rich in gold
and silver. So abundant is the float
from the veins of these mount aims that
it will be gathered up with great profit
at no distant day.
So numerous and varied were the
iloat ores as to bewilder the pros
pector in tracing them up to the leads
from which they came. But hundreds
OF those leads have been discovered
and opened and represented from year
to year to hold them till such time as
railroad will give cheap transporta-
tion and make their ores valuable.
This mining region is very large, COW
ei ing the entire group known as the
Judith mountains for miles in every
direction from Maiden to the Occident,
six miles west to Deer creek, north to
Cone Butte and east to Fort Maginnis
In all this vast area, in every valley.
on every mountain side, from base to
summit, and every foot hill, we find
shaft and tunnel in upon veins OF ore
which everywhere intersect these noun
tains
There are three classes of veins in
these mountains, contact veins be-
tween the limestone and porphyry or
lgneOus rocks, crevice veins cutting he
highest ridges and the lowest valleys,
and blanket veins lying bet ween the
rock strata and on the surface OF the
strata.
SO far the contact veins have been
most developed and have shown vast
quantities OF ores in deposits some
what irregular. as might be expected.
The crevice veins have not appeared
so large and have not been so much
worked. Of the blanket veins but lit
| tie is as yet known; those seen have
not been much developed.
| The ores OF this mining region are
very variable in both the characters
and quantities OF the metals they
carry. We find regular quartz carry
ing gold and silver, good milling ores
We also find soft material like mud
rich in gold, sometimes silver. Galena
and carbonate of lead, copper pyrites
and carbonates OF copper carrying sill
Yer and gold are abundant. There arc
also various ores OF iron and man
ganese rich in the precious metals
These lead. iron and manganese ore.
will he valuable as iluxing ores foi
those more refractory.
All the mines and bright prospect,
in and around Maiden in the judith
mountains would make a very lon.
list "a they appear in my notes; but il
may he well to give few in each local
ity.
At Maiden are the Spotted Horse
Maeinnis, Alpine, Kentucky, Key West
Montana, u X. Meteor, Florence, Pil
grim. Black Hawk, Collar, Bamboo
Chief, silver Chain, Oro Cache, Hail
storm, Whale, Golden Arrow, Edwar,
Cooke.
At Cone Butte, six miles northeas
OF Maiden, are Cave. q and VI lodes
Clear Grit, Bertha, Premium. Chicago
old Chicago. Golden Eagle, Last Chance
Bull OF the Woods. Ste. Olive, Irol
Clad, Lead Trust. Independent, Plym
outh and many Others, nearly all oi
contact veins between porphyry an
slate and limestone and in creyic
veins in porphyry and limestone an,
slate.
Near Fort Maginnis are The st. Pau
e Crescent, Judith and others.
On Red mountain We saw the Nortl
ern Pacific, Silver Reel and Tom Payne
On Sheep Mountain is the Bi. Foul
| The Occldent Is six miles west soutl
= west OF Maiden.
ON Deer creek are the Iron Duke. FL
p, Horn aud Big Horn. There are
= million feet of good pine lumber and
! good stream OF water on these claims
T. silver Wing Is on Crystal mountain
=. Large bodies OF iron ore. limont,
were observed in Armell gulch and
other localities.
D Limestone is found in all parts ,
= this region; so there will be no lack
y tluXes and tluxing ores for the furnac,
1, which shall pour out the precior
c bullion contained in these hundre
= mines.
: Placers have been discovered an