The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1897-12-31

! personal endeavors, which of necessity
makes development in most cases very
slow indeed. as the common rule
among them is to work few months
for wages, get a grubstake and then
kput in the remainder Of their time on
their own properties. And then again
work. and consequently grubstakes
have been pretty hard to get.
The Klondike excitement, it is be-
lieved, by most people who have given
the matter serious thought, will prove
great stimulus to gold mining in
Montana and the other northwestern
| states instead Of acting as detriment,
as was the general opinion few
months ago. The Arctic gold craze
has awakened in the minds of the
| people of the whole world a desire 10
invest III gold properties. and many a
man who has money to invest will
| tarry on the way to the frozen fields
of the north long enough to realize
| the fact that he is passing over a coun-
try ripe in opportunities for the in
telligent Investment of.capital where
hot a fraction of the hardship or
chance is required. to say nothing of
the amount of capital needed. The
several big transcontirental railway
lines pass directly through Montana
and thousands Of people will soon be
on the road to Alaska from the east,
and. in fact, all parts of the world.
| Can it be possible thas hundreds of
trains loads Of people can pass through
the greatest mineral field on earth
MontaDa-without learning OF her vast
riches? Hardly. And whether those
treasure seekers are successful in
Alaska Or not the advertisement to
Montana and the northwest, and the
mining industry in general. is plainly
apparent. The one great fact that
seems to The Mail to be most impor-
tant is the wonderful revival and slim
illus that is bound to be afforded to IT, g
mining industry. Whether or not this
renewed activity and interest is mar
ifest in other sections Of the state, The
Mail is not prepared to say; but during
the past few months its existence in
Philipsbur9 and vicinity has been uuite
apparent indeed. Hardly day passes
but what strangers may be seen Oh
our streets who have come principally
from the eastern cities in order to look
up some gold proposition, and the
bonding and sale of properties in this
part of the county is now the rxle
rather than the exception, as. was
formerly the condition.
We have, however. drifted somewhat
from the original intention of this
article, which was commenced with the
idea Of showing what the people of
Granite county had in store for them
during the year 1898. What we have
said in the foregoing has more of
general bearing on conditions as they
exist in the state rather than upon our
own rich little mineral bearing
county, the immense treasures of which
we have only begun to realize.
The affairs of the Golden Sceptre
company. or rather the Majestic. as it
is now termed, are being put in such
shape that early next summer will see
a revival Of activity on a large scale
in that section known as the Harvey
Crsek district. Mr.. Mcdonald, the
promoter of the reorganization, is now
in the east arranging the final details
which. he said, be thought he would
have completed in February, provided
nothing occurred to delay him. The
recent recording of papers in the
county clerks Office would indicate
that there is little or no chance for
failure in that direction, and unless all
signs fail Or something entirely un-
forseen occurs work will be resumed
on the properties at an early date.
Representation work on their large
number Of claims is now in progress,
and has been for some time past 1t |
has been estimated that xn expentdi-
ture of about 100000 would be re-
quired to complete the entire plant and
put it in working condition. This
amount is bound to be expended before
looking TO the success of the
venture can be predicted. OF course.
a large number of our miners and
others will find employment there,
which will add to the wealth and pros
perity of the county. But aside from
this fact there is one more principle of
vastly greater importance to us all,
and and that is the opening up of that
rich gold district of Granite county
and Of proving that the gold mines can
be worked, the value saved, and the
payment of dividends made possible
The success of the Majestic properties
is not the only thing to be considered
There are hundreds of other properties