The Livingston enterprise. [volume] (Livingston, Mont.) 1883-1914, 1890-12-27
COOKE ClTY'S MINES.

y
Q District with a Brief Description
m Of Some Of Its Properties.
v Rich Silver Mines That Only Await !.
# Solution OF the transportation Prob
lem to Add Millions to the NatiOni
10 Wealth.
Your correspondent, on round of the
;, camp, has jotted down few cold facts
;. both past and present.
To the Republic Mining company more
than to any one else, is due the credit
:, of having paved the way to the success
full reduction of the ores of the New
, World mining district Without such
practical tests as have been made by
i. them, involving, as they have, enormous
. expenditures of money, little might be
known even today of the real value of
our ores. 1t is just such enterprise as
this that entities its promoters to lasting
praise. The company have demonstrat-
ed beyond peradventure not only that
there is sufficient value in our ores, but
that the necessary fluxes, including fire
clays suitable for resisting heat, are at
our very doors in great abundance. In
the operation of their smelter, though
the company were for the most part con-
fined to the product of their own mines,
they had nevertheless furnished mar
ket for the disposal of the other ores of
the district. During the brief periods
their smelter was in operation twenty
carloads of bullion we're produced, hav-
ing gross value of about 100000.
Though their smelter was never run at
loss, the disadvantages under whic h
they were operating were thousan
fold, and congress turning deaf ear to
the appeals of the people to segregate a
narrow strip from the Park, and seeing
no immediate solution to the railroad |
problem, the company determined to |
cease operations until cheaper transpor-
tation could be obtained Their plant, |
model of it's kind, consisting of forty
ton water jacket smelter and reverbera-
tory furnaces, which through constant |
care is kept in an excellent state of pres
ervation, has been idle for two years or
more, and this notwithstanding the fact
that thirty days supply of fuel, includ-
ing coke from Pennsylvania, is on hand,
and on their dump are hundreds of tons
of ore.
But during the apparent stagnation of
the past two years all has not been idle
ness. In addition to the annual work
necessary to hold mineral claim, in ,
many instances development work has
been pushed as rapidly as the limited
means OF the owner would permit.
Where this has been done in good faith
we have yet to learn of the first instance
in which such perseverance has not
brought it's reward. In some instances,
too, properties or small interests have
hands, par ties coming in with
more means and for that reason better
able to make the necessary explorations
Considering the opportunities afforded, :
however, cases of this kind have been 6
rare.
Among the best developed properties
of the district, perhaps the Morning :
STAR ranks first. Miller mountain, upon
which the mine is located, is noted for
It's deposits of carbonates, being per-
ect network of locations. The forma- &
ion is limestone cut by series of por- a
'hyry dykes, the ore being confined c
llong the dykes. Though the mine dates O
rom the opening of this portion of coun- O
ry to location in 1882, little or no ex- 8
'enditure had been made upon it until c
t passed by purchase to Messrs. Gassert =
md Reding, since which time explora-
ions have been vigorously carried on.
he mine is developed by 800 feet of
hafts and tunnels, exposing the ore
long it's dip for distance OF 200 feet OF
Glow the surface. The character of the W
re is carbonates intermixed with ga pl
9na, the whole having an average value or
{ about 40 ounces of silver to the ton w
nd 40 per cent lead. Though there is co
onceded to be enough ore already in a
ght in this mine to run an ordinary u
nelter many months, it is believed to du
Q the intention of the owners to sink
pom the property to greater depth sh
le coming season. I'M
Almost adjoining the Morning Star is lee
le "Shoo Fly It's hidden treasures, vi
lough long known to the locators, re- In
aimed undisturbed until the Republic sn
lining company began the operation of en'
eir smelter. Then it was that the ais
mpany, needing the carbonates of the
100 Fly to treat the drier ores of the org
mp, contracted for them in large lots. COZ
this way many tons of Shoe Fly ore Cal
We been treated, the company paying Orl
arly if not quite their full assay value Ia'
silver to obtain them. The ore, sam me-
's OF which 60 as high as 70 per cent tne
lead. occurs in immense nool,o+. =, hav
ambers. While only the surface ores nov
We been mined, there are, in addition 'A"'
that already treated, one thousand ana
Is OF high grade ore on the dump. leae
r is the carbonate deposit confined to ore
s one property alone. The "Uncle ing
M and "Ash,' both adjoining the ang
90 Fly, give unmistakable signs of put
,taining the same character of ore. Vlgc
that is needed to establish their u
i'm in this regard is little work. com
The '.New World" one Of the four corr
ented mines of the Republic company, +. n
1erlies the properties already de- Eml
bed. 1t is developed by nearly 400 Item
of tunnels. The ore, differing some reta
at from those above referrad tn 10 man
ertheless carbonate carrying gold or"e omes