Fergus County argus., 1902-10-08
Cripple Creek.


II Is said that in 1903 the mining
and shipping of s5 gold ores should be
profitable in Cripple Greek and in
camps in the extension of the Cripple
Creek zone. This will not result from
the discovery of new methods of ore
treatment, but from a better and
cheaper application of established
methods. The S. basis is not very
distant way from the present chlorina.
tion basis-$5.75-which makes il
feasible to mine and ship 81 gold
ore.
At the Mercur mine, Utah, during
the year ending June 80, the gross
value OF the gold produced was 81,
457,O64. The average assay value was
$5.72, while the value of the tailings
was sl..19 per ton. II cost s141 per
ton to mine the ore and $209 to mill
II, total of $3.50 per ton. During
the last quarter of the year the cost
of mining and milling combined was
reduced to $500 per ton.
Add rs cents per ton to the above
figure. for rail transportation and a
basis is presented for Cripple Creek
to work on. The Mercur ore is not
free milling. The mine under notice,
which was one Of the first in the Unit
ed tates to make use of the cyanide
process, paid s465, 900 in dividends dur
ing the fiscal year and s2,SS0,313 up
to date.-Inter-Moun
In Lead Gulch.
Information has been received in
Lewistown to the effect that A. j.
Slough of Stanford has acquired an
interest in the Pat Langdon copper
property at the head Of Lead Gulch
near the old camp of Yogo. A large
amount of winter supplies and nee
essary tools and powder is being haul
ed in and three shifts will be kept
working during the winter. What is
thought to be a large body of gold
bearing copper ore has been encoun-
tered and the property is to be thor
ouughly opened up.
The Sapphire Mines.
The New Mines Sapphire Syndicate
of Yogo filed an annual statement at
Great Falls last week, showing cap
ital of 100000, paid up, with liabil-
tiles amounting to $36,242.
In Old Yogo.
THE camp is all right and will be
a second Butte some of these days"
said Gus Hall of Old Yogo when in
town last week. Mr.. Hall has been
working steadily on the Jenny Lind
group in Skunk gulch in that old-time
camp for the past two years in spite
of hardship and adverse fortune. He
is seemingly about to be rewarded for
his patient efforts, as at the depth of
four hundred feet well defined lead
has been encountered which contains
rich ore. The property is continu'
alton Of the Weatherwax mine, and
Is SO situated that in drifting four
hundred feet into the mountain, the
same depth has been obtained. The
ore formation is grani.e and porphyry
and while at the surface large values
in silver and gold were secured 1t is
evidently running into copper and
gola. Like all the properties of this
camp the lead has been hard to find
and considerable work will yet have
to be accomplished before it is prop
erly opened up.
Biggest Nugget.
This reminds me tina. was talk
ing yesterday with the brother of the
man who uncovered the biggest gold
nugget ever found in Montana" said
Joseph Oker, clerk of the state board
of land commissioners. last week to
the Record. He had been reminded
of the incident when asked by friend
where he got the nugget that depends
from his watch chain. This, he ex
planned, was sent to him by his broth
er from the Klondike. and then he
went on to tell Of the finding of the
big nugget.
"The man to whom REFER said Mr.
Oker, ''is John Brooks Of Christina
Fergus county, and he has been here
this week on his way home from the
meeting of the pioneers at Dillon
Many years ago Mr.. Brooks and his
brother. who had gained the sobri
quet Governor of the bad lands
couple of stalwart trail blazers-wert
placer mining in Deadwood gulch. In
what is now Powell county. One day
Governor Brooks was picking away
when all of sudden he turned up the
big nugget to which | referred. II
was worth $4,000 or more, and 1t Is
rated to be the largest ever fount
in the state.
"The brothers kept on working II