Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1894-01-25
THE GILT EDGE COMPANY.

oNCI thC o1batiiiChS cbASo |
brought against the Gilt Edge COM
pany. That the product was not
seized before it reached the Fergus
county line is wholly the fault OF the
sheriff's Office, as the papers were
placed in the under sheriff's hands in
ample time.
The action taken by the merchants
to secure their claims was not hasty
or ill-advised. They have furnished
the company supplies since it first
began operations and have had assur-
ances about the first of every month,
if not oftener, that their claims would
be settled in a short time-frequently
giving dates when the obligations
would be met. 1t became an old
story that grew thinner by repetition,
Finally, when Messrs. Arlington and
Collins got weary repeating the story
they employed q very windy lawyer
named Ammon, who hailed from Tam
many hall, New York city, to do the
standing off act.
His late attempt and partial sue
cess in getting the employees to submit
to a ten per cent reduction in their
claims against the company, gave the
public a very poor impression OF the
gentleman and naturally aroused the
distrust of creditors.
Some of the merchants have but re-
Gently established in Lewistown and
were not possessed with such an abun-
dance of capital that they could pay
cash for merchandise in the east, pay
heavy freight rates and then turn the
goods over to the Gilt Edge company
to wait some indefinite period before
getting their pay. One firm furnished
mining machinery for which it paid
cash only to receive the grand stand
off by the company. In the course OF
time this ceased to be interesting, at
least not amusing.
1t is claimed that enough gold has
been shipped away to liquidate all in
~debtedness. If so, what has become
| of the money?
The company apparently thinks
that merchants, sawmill men and EN-
ployes should take a portion OF the
chance in proving the venture a sue
cess. a very peculiar view to take. AS
a matter of fact, the whole plant is
the production of the merchants, saw
/ mill men, miners and laborers of Fer
gus county, and four or ivemencould
be selected right here in Lewistown
| who could have gone ahead and ac-
complished as much and even more
with the same extension of credit.
That useless expenditures were in
Cured there is no question, but this
is the company's business.
We, with the balance OF the citizens
OF Fergus county, have nothing but
good wishes for the success of the Gilt
| Edge company, but the managers
should remember that promises are
not equivalent to cash and that gentle
men engaged in mining enterprises are
expected to display some integrity as
regards business matters. 1t is no
| benefit to a community to have men
engage in any enterprise who are un-
able to meet their obligations. True,
the panic struck Montana pretty hard
and the promoters of the Gilt Edge
were badly crippled, but not much
1 On thaD thafr ara1itorS Tha
manner in which the latter have been
treated, after furnishing their labor,
lumber and merchandise, is decidedly
aggravating. particularly by this man
Ammon. He seems entirely indiffer-
ent to their rights and is reported as
speaking in a very ungentlemanly
manner of our merchants. On his re-
turn to Lewistown from the east sew
eral weeks ago, he claimed to have
some $4,000 or $4,000 with him
and more at his command in Great
Falls. Yet, with this roll of money
(which he did not have), he had no
sooner reached the Gilt Edge plant
than he attempted to beat the miners
down ten per cent or their hard earn
ings and gave out that all creditors
must come to the same terms. Some
of the men rather than stand off those
they owed any longer, reluctantly &C.
copied the discount, while others
would not accept the terms of this
very slick gentleman. AS far as we
can learn Mr.. Ammon paid out less
than one thousand dollars from his
huge roll. This gentleman has an air
of great Importance and seems to
think there are no intelligent or
smart" people outside of the corrupt
precincts of Tammany hall.
If the people of this community are
going to put in a milling plant, they
rather have full charge from its incep-
ton instead OF employing their man.
agement from abroad. There is
scarcely another county in the state
where merchants and others could
have stood the strain endured here
during the past six months, owing to
the failure of the company to meet its
bills.
No doubt the Gilt Edge property is
very valuable and if free from debt
and properly managed would become
the greatest gold producer in the
state. All citizens hope to see it a
but the first aim of the COM
pany should be to liquidate it's debts
and make no more promises to gain
time.
1t liz probably not the coolest weather
you ever knew in your life; but that is how
feel just now, because past sufferings