Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1899-10-18
THE GILT
EDGE MINES.
Comprehensive Review Of the
Work, Past and Present.
The Plant Said to be the Largest
Exclusive Cyanide Plant in
the State.

The following article, on "Cyanid-
ing, at Gilt Edge, Montana" was
written for tn Mining and Scientific
Press by Matt w. Anderson:
The western end Of Montana is
mountainous, while the eastern end
is a rolling plain. From the main
mountain range on the west "A few
ranges branch our, called the To-
baccO Root, Big Belt and Little Belt
ranges, respectively. East of these
are several small, comparatively isO-
lated ranges, known AZ the Crazy,
the Snowy, the Little Rocky, the
HighwoOd and the Judith. In the
latter, a range about Is miles in
length by five to six in width, and al
the state, are gold mines which have
attained considerable prominence,
notably the Spotted Horse, the Ma
ginnis and the Gilt Edge. The c,.un
try to the east, north and south il
practically unbroken for hundreds Of
miles. To the southwe Is the
Snowy and to the northwest the
Highwood mountains, while to the
west il the broad Judith Basin. q
rich agricultural and stock raising
. district, 30 miles In diameter.
The Judith mountains rise above
the level of the surrounding country
some $500 feet, and the highest sum
nit IL 6.SSO feet above sea level. Al
one approaches these mountains hi
IL impressed with the beautiful crags
of gray lime of the carboniferous age
Z which is the prevailing country rock
At their feet he passes over the up
turned edges of thecual. bearing sand
stones. and the camp presents thu
beautiful spectacle, at the New YeaI
group. of a gold mine worked on tor
of a ridge, with u mill at the foot, tn,
power for which IL furnished by fue
/, mined practically at the door of tn,
furnace room.
The district IL greatly handicapped
by its remoteness from railroads
yer 100 miles in any direction-tht
five stage lines furnish connection
with the outside world. The mine,
of the Maginnis group areidle. Som,
work is being done ON the SPOTTED
. Horse mine, which In the past hal
produced I'VE $500. 900, but Otherwis'
none of the properties worked az fire,
milling years ago are In operation
The Spotted Horse, discovered in 1880
was the first mine opened In the dis
trict, and 1t and the proper ties of thu
Maginnis group were worked on al
extensive scale for years. No effort
were made tn save the tailings from
the Spotted Horse and they fiowe,
down the gulch. Today there ar
four cyanide plants treating thes
tailings and making money by ~ do
ing, though the method of handlin,
them could be very materially i'm
. proved upon. At two of the plant
an extraction of So to SO has been oh
tanned. and at one Of these the tail
ings are now being treated owe
again and Il further saving of abou
$3.50 n ton IL secured. The matrria
- Ii finely ground. but not sufficient,
Shiny to prevent prrcOiation. though
the shines sometimes retain n consid
cradle proportion of the values: 9th
erwise there seems To he no difficult
In treating the tailings. Most OF tn
plants are owned and operated b,
BNirpiiS lux ittIt 'ttilIllthl hlhbN
edge of thecyanii eproress. and check
" ON the work by assaying are consid
cred unnecessary.
The first attempt to work the ore
Mt Gilt Edge was in 1892. with
Huntington mill, but the vpntur
was a failure because II lack of fire
~ gold in the material. 4 Mr.. Sherard
who had obtained a little knowledg
Of the then new cyanide process Will
employed at the Revenue mill. he
cImH Interested with the then own
erS. MeSsrS. Collins and Arninrtnn