Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-10-14
Among the Mines
Devoted to the Large Min
ing Interests OF Fergus
County General Notes.
Observation-Disclosures
Rush to RavaIIi County.


Rush to RavaIIi County.
Hamilton, Oct. 11.-Thls city is
wild with excitement over a great
gold discovery made on Owl creek a
few miles from here. A regular
stampede is on, and many parties
have already organized for the pur,
pose of making locations. II hall
what is said to be true, II Is the big
gest strike made in Montana in many
years.
Mr.. Cross, representing a New
York syndicate, made the discovery
on August %, last. He returned TO
Hamilton and wired to the New York
people what he had found. His syn.
dictate sent an expert at once. Mr.,
Rea, David Bishop, Under Sheriff
Patrick Shannon and Byron Cashier,
OF this city, followed the expert to the
new discovery and each of the gen.
tlemen made locations. Mr.. Bishop,
Mr.. Rea and Mr.. Cashier returned
yesterday. They report that Mr..
Cross had located 3S claims for his
people, all either placer or quartz.
They say the ledge is fully 1,200 feet
wide and that there is enough ore in
sight to keep a 50-stamp mill running
for ten years without doing any un-
derground work. Assays run from
SO to $1,000 in gold to the ton. From
n phe phenomenally rich streak of
the ore Is pounds gave from 5000 to
$500 in gold.
Fifty thousand dollars have been
placed to the credit of Mr.. Cross in
the Hamilton bank for preliminary
work. Mr.. Rea also stated that the
New York company will build a So
stamp mill as early next spring as
possible; also a sawmill and hydraul-
ic machinery to work the placer
ground.
Paintings from the rim rock showed
nuggets worth from 25 cents to 30
cents each right at the surface. Edi-
tor Sherman. of the Ravalli Republic
can, r. A. O'Hara and Mr.. McVain.
auditor of the Anaconda Copper Min
ing company. and Miles Romney,
Mayor of Hamilton, started for the
scene this morning. The people of
Hamilton are greatly excited ove the
discovery and several parties are hur-
rying to make an early start in the
morning.
Mr.. Cross took three ~four-horse
teams loaded with supplies to the
mines today. He informed the Trib-
une correspondent that there was
plenty of good ground available for
location. One of the biggest STAN
pedes of the last twenty years is ex'
pected to take place. There is a
good wagon road owe which an auto
mobile could be run to within eight
miles of the find. The country Is on.
ly accessible through the Bitter Root
valley.
While the magnitude of this strike
sounds like a story from the Arabian
Nights, it has been supstantiated by
so many citizens as to its richness
that there a be no Don for doubt,
Anaconda Standard: Before the
opening of the state fair perhaps less
than 20 per cent. of the people OF
Montana were aware of the fact that
Fergus county is not exclusively an
agricultural and stock raising coun'
ty. 1t has been known in a sort OF
indefinite way that the county was
producing more or less gold, but II
was never esteemed a gold producing
county until the ore exhibit from
there was shown at the fair. Now
the many thousand visitors to the
fair have been convinced of the great
importance of Fergus county as q
gold producer. There is an inexhaust
ible supply Of low grade cyaniding
gold ore, and as development pro
crosses demonstration of the richness
of the county in a mineral way Is
made in a way that is impressive. E
w. King, in charge of the mineral ex
hibit from Fergus county, is well post
ed on the mining industry of the
county and he Is extensively interest
ed in mining up there. He is presi
dent of the Barnes-King company
which is operating at Kendall, and he
is interested in Kendall mines. Cy
anide has worked wonders in Fergus
county. Years ago the mines in that
district were operated. without ben
eficial results, in the old way. but now
the chemical processes have set In
motion the wheels that have so Ions
been still, and the results are remark
able. The mines are all running out
their precious minerals. gold dominat
ing, and the old camps are again TAX
ing on new life and adding wealth to
the state. The old Gilt Edge mine
the hero of many a legal battle and
a much-abused property. is re.incor
porated and is showing what it ID
capable of doing under excellent man
agement.
The Gold Reef, formerly the Gilt
Edge, the Barnes-King and the Ken
dali mines are turning out monthly
about $4,000 and employing $50 men
e. w. King is also president of the
Alder Gulch Mining company, in the
Little Rockies, and this property Is
turning out about $4,000 a month. A
new mill is running on the output
and giving satisfaction. This proper
ty acquired its name by being discov
cred by old Alder Gulch miners In
1884, who gave the name Of the ia
nous gulch of Virginia City to thu
new find. Fergus county is indeed {
mineral producer and is destined t.
take high rank among the minera
districts of the world.
After the fair the Fergus count!
exhibit was added to the Columbi;
Gardens mineral collection owned b.
Senator Clark, and was taken 4
Butte. where it will remain until !
is taken to st. Louis to be exhibited
at the worlds fair. Mine owners o
the state are already working up tn