The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1897-12-31
:FOR 1898.
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What Granite County May Look
g.. Forward to. .,.@j n
8
MANY RICH GOLD DISTRICTS
The Prospects For q Great Mining
Year Appear Brighter Than For
Many Years Past
MANY RICH GOLD DISTRICTS

tHe CoinluS YEAR cannot rall to be q
topic of general interest. The period
OF depression through which this com
munity has.passed, and the successful
weathering of the storm that was
begun in the summer of 1898. when the
people least expected it, win not easily
be forgotten. Granite county has prob
ably held its own about as we'll as any
community in the country, outside of
few more favorably located, like
Silver Bow for instance.
With the opening of the new year
people will naturally ask, "What is in
store or us during '9S?' IT our people
will look around carefully they will at
once conclude that the outlook for
the future is better than it has been
at any time since the memorable panic
of '93. During the past four years
of silver depression great efforts have
been mado III the direction of gold
properties A great deal of work has
been done in various parts of the
county where it was known gold oy-
listed Claims that were thought
hardly worth recording q few years
ago, while the price of silver remained
at reasonable rate. have been looked
up, and now gold prospects ere to be
found at almost every point of the
compass from Ph1lipsburg. Up to
short time ago the existence OF gold in
paying quantities wS almost unknown
outside Of two or three of the older
districts. At present there is hardly a.
day that passes but what one hears of
some discovery or strike, of greater or
less magnitude, from sections in the
mountains (which abound in Granite
county, but which as gold districts
wore almost unknown. While in many
instances these reports may be exag-
geratod, or the finds may not be of
sufficient richness to cause stampede
nevertheless everyone of them is
worthy of attention for more reasons
than one. They show that gold exists
there. and even though the man
learned in mineralosy right from the
schools of the east might not be able to
theoretically determine that a mine
ought to be located there, still that fact
does not deter the experienced pros
pector from developing or prospecting
his claim. He is firm believer in the
old saying that "gold is where you
find it, and in many instances has
this been substantiated over an over
whelming lot of theory of why it
should not be 80.
It is evident from what has trans
pired during the past fow years that all
that the gold districts of the county
need is deve]opm MT. OF course,
coupled with this. must there be intel
ligent experiment and study as to how
the ore should be treated. Instances
are multifold where mistakes in this
respect have been recorded Every
body Of course, prefers free milling
gold mine, but properties of this des-
cription are not as numerous as they
might be, even though greatly desir-
able, and the fact should not be lost 70
mind that mines Of that character are
not by any means the only oues that
pay. Other methods of reduction
should be experimental with, and it is
gratifying condition to note that
our people have begun to realize this
fact and are more liable to take it into
consideration than formerly.
. AS gold producing locality few
years ago Granite county was almost
unknown. To be sure, the Royal Gold.
in the Boulder district, ad paid no
inconsiderablo amount in dividends.
bat up to that time what other gold
had paid to any extent, or
what promise was there that any Of
them would pay? The statement NAV
be msde that very few gold mines in
the county, so far, have paid, which
is true enough. but how many real
mines have been shown up? On the
other hand. there are hundreds Of pros.
poets which, with the development
they are receiving, constantly give
bright promise Of becoming producers.
Some IF them are already paying for
their own development, and in some
eases have netted their owners nice
profits The fact that all are not pay.
ing dividends at present i. no indica-
tion that they will not do SO in the
future. Again We repeat, gold mining
in Granite county is in it's infancy,
and development work must be done,
and in some instances very large
amount of it, before profits can be
reasonably expected. Most of the
owners are poor men. and what work
Is done must be through their own