The Helena independent., 1893-12-19
The RICHES OF FERGUS,
The Northern County Has Great
Mineral Deposits as Well as
Rich Farm Lands.
Two Gold Districts That Win Add
Thousands to tho States
Wealth.
Though II 10 without Railroads, II
Promises to Iso One of the Most
Active Sections In Montana.

II has been known evsr since Fergus
1ounty was organized that ~ an aR,ieul-
tusal and stock raising section no county
spite the fact that The county 10 without a
railroad and 10 to . certain extsnt isolated.
Notwithstanding that fact IL has grown
steadily In wealth and population and IL
to-day one of ths most prosperous counties
in tbs state. But while its wealth in rich
farming lands, bands OF horses, hocks OF
sheep and herds Of cattle are we'll known.
but few people are aware that In ito mining
prospects il 10 abreast with any other seo-
tion OF Montana. Attorney E. W. Morrison,
Of Lswistovn. is visitor in the city and
gasst at The Helena. Talking to an INDIE
PENDENT reporter last night he said: Few
people comparatively, have any idea Of the
mineral possibilities and the work that 10
being done in Fergus county. For years IL
has bsen known that there were large de-
Dosits Of low grade o,s In the Judith noun
tains north Of Lswistown, but il was Inn
possible, apparently, to hit upon .
process by which these o:ss could
be probably worked. Tho gold bearing
district, 90 far ~ IL has bssn prospscted, is
Spring creek, near Lswistown. and running
north. This entire ten miles IL located. but
reports of new discoveries. covering larger
section, are continually coming in, While
the ore 10 low grade. running from So to
So there are large bodies OF 1t. the veins
being from hve TO forty feet in width. Tho
Gilt Edge. owned BY 7. E. Collins and J.
T. Armington. of Great Falls. 10 the best
developed mine In The country. II has a
shaft down 400 feet, and the most Of the
development is being actively pushed. So
far hut little stopinR has been done and
what ore has been taken out has been OF.
traetsd during the process OF opening up
the mine. II has been demonstrated BY
the Gilt Edge people that the orss Of the
district can be successfully worked BY the
worked process. The company 10 putting
up machinery a. fasS 40 It arrives and when
completed they will be able to work 500
tons of ore daily. Al soon az the process
was hit upon By which the ores could be
Ssa.n sss vosh
these properties 10 the New Year. owned by
Messrs. Norman q Harman. This
down forty feet and tho other
sixty feet. II wss bonded to Helena people
IOp 6AU,UVV, OuS tu0y l0V tu0 DO0Q expire.
Now il could not be bought for 100000.
Another mine IL the Tsllurium. owned By
myself and others. on which We are driving
q sunnel, now in $50 feet, all in ore. The
o.s 10 all low grade, but there is lot of it,
the lead being twslve feet wide. The Col
vsloped BY shaft and tunnel. Work is
being prosecuted in all these. There arc
SCORES OF othorA
IA tho Noceasin country" continued
Mr.. Morrison. - great deal Of work is
being done. There the ores are free mill
Ing. and run up ~ high as $50 to the ton,
the average being about $50. The Mcclure
mine 10 ono Of the best developed in that
section, has an incline shaft down forty
feet. The vein il twelve feet wide. and ore
runs - high as $50 to the ton. Another
free milling property is the Voltairs. at
Gone Butte. Gilt Edge 10 quito a camp now.
and will bo one of the best in tho state next
year. Another town will be started in the
spring at the head Of Ruby gulch. in the
vicinity of the New Yea. Iollurium and
other promising Mines Our great draw
back 10 the lack OF transportation facili-
tics and the time it takes to get into the
county after leaving tho railroad. There
il report that Mr.. Hill will build branch
to Gilt Edge next year. and it is almost
sure thing that the Burlington extension |
will strike somewhere in the nsie ehborhood |
of I,ewistown. Mining men who visit the
county ate surprised as the great mineral |
showing, and next year believe that GEO.
tion will be the most lively mining camp in
tho stase.e In the Mocoasin country there
are some silver ores. but nothing is being
done with that lass of properties. In ths
judith mountains the only discoveries 10
far ars gold"
Referring to general business in Fergus,
Mr.. No rison said that the sheepmen were
the least prosperous; that last year there
was an abnormal boom in sheer, many
people paying $3.50 head for stock sheer,
and then borrowing money to make i'm
provelnents on their places. Itis year
sheep tumbled to 81. and money was soa: ce,
and the result was that many in the
business had to suocumb, especially
those who bought on credit al boom
prices. Tho normal price of shsep,''
said Nr. Morrison, sis S2.5O a head;
tina: is all they are worth. ana when they 60
to g. 80 and 81 it is . fictitious value.
which is sure to drop. This year is ths
first bad one the shsepmen have had and it
caught good many of them. Outside of
tho shcepmen general business IL good, md
the panic in July was but slightly felt in
our section"
Mr.. Morrison has case before the
supreme court and will probably remain in |
Helena all week,
Go to The Bee Hive for all k inds of Christmas
gifts suitable for young and old. The largest
assortment in the state.