Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-01-06
Among the Mines
Devoted to the LARGE Min.
Ing Interests OF rsr6us
County General Notes
What We Owe to Cyanide.

Cyanide Is a talismanic word in de.
veloping Montana's great mineral pos
sibilities. This year a million dollars
OF gold from this source will be ship
ped to the United States assay Office
In this city by a single county. and
that Fergus. where a few years ago
mining was among It's least important
industries. These figures and this re.
suit speak more eloquently for our
state than the tones OF promises con-
tanned in the usual ponderous mine
prospectus.
Nor is the encouragement and sig
niicance already spoken by these re-
ceipts at the assay office all. In ad-
dition, large amounts of cyanide gold
have been sent from Fergus county
to New York, Philadelphia and other
markets for determination and dispo-
sition. From the Marysville district
Of Lewis and Clarke county, from
same golden stream uninterruptedly
increases and flows into the wealth
OF the world. Ores and materials
benefciated by cyanide In the state
during 1903 will approach the mar.
velous yield OF $4,000, 900.
Soon the cyanide process will be
employed at every Montana gold mine
of consequence, and there is great
probability that the yield of gold In
consequence will be many times its
present magnitude before II has
achieved the maximum. Wonderful
as was the advent OF the stamp mill
and amalgamatlon into mining. equal.
ly memorable will be the ultimate &C.
complishments and performances
wrought by cyanide.
There Is nothing In the cyanide pro-
cess, so-called, except that which ex-
perience and genius have devised. Cy-
anide Of potassium as a solvent for
gold was known to the ancients and
on this knowledge alone modern op.
erations are based. The results have
been more successful than in the
chemical processes SO long attempted
employing other enthusiastically
chlorine and bromine.
Each year witnesses advances made
In the installation OF cyanide plants
and In the methods employed. These
latter are In the direction of simple
ity and economy. To illustrate. The
Kendall mill is the most important Of
its kind now operating In the state.
It's construction embodied all that was
then known to be advantageous. The
time required for treating Its ore is
about seven days. One of the owners,
Mr.. Neill, the builder Of the mill and
manager Of the property, while in
Helena several days ago said that as
good a mill a now be built for one
half the cost of the Kendall that will
accomplish the same amount of work
In seven hours and affect a better per-
centage saving Of the gold values with
the employment Of one-half the cyan.
ide In solution. The rapidity Of oper.
alton overcomes all fouling of solu.
ton and enables the working of ores
carrying considerable lead and arsen.
ic. This Is the accomplishment of less
than two years. Awkward, tedious and
expensive methods of percolation, az
itation and precipitation are giving
away to simple, quick and economical
practices.
Although the basis of the cyanide
industry is a knowledge. discovered
centuries ago, yet, like other lines, 1t
has advanced with marvellous rapidlty
and while present knowledge OF chem
istry, of mechanics, Of electricity and
of metallurgy is working wonders ev.
erywhere, In no other department ID
actual accomplishment and progress
more marked than In the winning OF
the precious metals.-Montana Daily
Record.