Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-08-22
Fl. g. Cook Writes an Interesting
Letter From Gilt Edge Mont.
1870 MILES FROM RAIL ROAD STATION
Is Mining Camp of 700 People and
Very Interesting PIace-Mr. Cook
Visits Wonderful cave-Meets OF
tumwa People.

very interesting letter from H. C.Cook,
which was written from Gilt Edge,
Montana. This is a mining station 100
miles from the nearest railroad sta
ton, in the heart of the Rocky noun
tains. Mr.. Cooks letter contains ma
ny items of interest and is as follows:
Gilt Edge, Mont, Aug. 10, 1901.
This town is located 100 miles from
the nearest railroad station in the
Judith basin of the Rocky mountains.
1t is gold mining camp of about 700
people. There is also some fine farm
ing land and large ranches close by.
Stock raising is big industry here.
i To get into this country you are
compelled to travel in stage coach
from either Great Falls or FIT. Benton.
1t takes day and a night from the
Falls. only fifteen hours from Benton.
i | came via Benton and enjoyed the
trip very much notwithstanding the
fact that for two days afterwards |
was nearer dead than alive. We went
through the great Moccasin canyon,
crossed the famous Judith river and
wound our way up the Arrow Creek
hill, which extends above timber line.
i We also crossed the Judith mountains
and passed through the Judith canyon.
4 The road runs along the high timber
range of mountains for forty or fifty
miles of which the old square Butte"
takes the rank of sentinel. For over
twelve hours this gigantic peak was in
sight, and her bare. snow capped sum-
nit could be seen for seventy-fiv(
miles away.
About 10 o'clock Saturday night we
rolled into Lewistown. one of the most
prosperous, busting towns in the state
T nwiStNwn has nirn huilAin
and is the county seat of Furgus coun-
ity. 1t has electric lights, water
works anu a population of $500. Sew
eral large stone buildings are being
erected there, and l was told, to cost
SAC, 600
Meets Ottumwans.
| met several Ottumwa people in
: Lewistown, one brother of Mrs Hill,
La brother of Mrs. Senator Waterman,
and at one time a letter carrier in OF.
| tumwa. He is fine fellow and is do,
, ing lucrative business. | also met
Mr. Wardin. a lawyer of Lewistown.
| He is brother of Henry Wardin, of
Pittsburg. Van Buren, county. Mr..
} Wardin has been resident of Lewis
, town for long time and says he
likes it here very much. The only
drawback to Lcwistown is the lack of
!, railroads. Everything has to be shin.
ped in in wagons. A Montana freight
train does not resemble an Iowa
freight train in the least. Here the
conductor is usually half breed, driv
ing with single line six, eight or ten
horses. pulling three or four wagons
coupled one behind the other. They
haul big loads, and freighting is a good
business.
Fine Scenery.
Speaking of scenery nothing can
equal in my estimation. the scenery
, along the stage route from Benton to
Lewiston and from Lewiston to Gilt
, Edge
, Monday visited the Chickadee gold
, mine about mile from Gilt Edge and
for the first time saw the workings of
a cynite gold mill and mine. The SUI
, perintendent took us through the mill
and explained everything from the ore
to the crucibles. He placed two gold
bricks in my hand, one containing "a
ounces of pure gold. The value of the
two bricks was over $4,000 We went
into a tunnel for a distance of 500
feet to a new cave that was discovered
on Friday.
Great Cave:
The cave is perhaps an acre or two
in extent and in places the roof is at
least ten feet high. We went down a
twenty-foot ladder from the tunnel to
the cave and explored it. 1t was most
, wonderful sight | ever saw and is be-
yond description. Millions of crystals
hung from the roof and in the glare
of our candles shone and glistened like
Il piNr tl,n
pearance of some fairy playhouse In
one corner is clear little spring of
water, while huge rocks are thrown up
in all directions reminding one of the
fact that at some time or other there
was terrible upheaval in this region.
, The superintendent allowed me to take
some of the crystals and | sent box
+ to the Courier today. They are genu-
inc, | gathered them myself l,600 feet
from the mouth OF the tunnel and
, 1000 feet below the summit of the Ju-
dith mountain.
Natural Ice House.
Close to Gilt Edge is the famous
natural ice house or cave. Here are
hundreds of tons of pure ice buried
: under the sell on a high peak in the
mountain. The ice has been accum-
ulating for years and the denizens fire.
quently bring it down for domestic
use. 1t is said the ice is frozen SO
!. hard and dry that it makes very little
water when melted.
| A Great Country.
: This is certainly a country of:won-
5 ders and surprises to tenderfoot as
E something new meets your eye at ev-
g cry turn.
S Montana is a state of big things
/ big mountains, big smelters-but they
5 have no smokestacks here 1000 feet
: high as your type made me say in
a speaking of the new stacks at Anacon-
9 da. They are all 200 feet high.
= ii. c. Cook.