Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1905-05-16

.'Sio Will oe duequdte until we nave
made improvements, and whenever
there is work for more men, we will
give due notice | should very much
regret to see any miner go to that
place now, in hope of securing EN-
ployment, for we probably cannot EN-
ploy single additional man until i'm
proved equipment shall be in place.
Mr.. Gebo has outlined what he
wants done at the Lewistown mines
and has given me authority to pro-
ceed at once with the work | shall
be in charge there, but my absence
from Sand Coulee will not make any
difference in the operation of my mines
at the latter place.
Il am most favorably impressed
with the prospects for good market
for the output of the mines at Lew
lstoWn. The local demand is satisfac-
tory and steadily increasing. Lewis
town is growing and prosperous and
the country around the town is well
settled now and many farmers are
coming into that section this year.
The traffic on the Montana railroad
has Increased to such an extent that
there is now daily train each way
and the small towns along the road
are growing rapidly For ali that sec
ton, the Gebo mine will supply prac-
tically all the fuel, and as the demand
comes, we expect to place it upon
other markets.
The mines are very crudeiy equip
ped at present New equipment will
be speedily placed, at cost of about
100000, and when that shall have
been done, | believe that the mines
will be operated steadily for at least
nine months of the year, and for three
or four days per week for the other
three months. | understand it will be
the policy to provide homes for the
employees near the mines, and that
each house to be erected for the oc-
cupancy of miner will be surround
ed by about an acre of land, on which
the occupant may raise garden. The
country surrounding is most fertile.
and as the slack time in the mines
will naturally come in the growing
season, the possession Of a small tract
OF land. near the city, will be of no
little advantage to each miner"
Howard F. Welsh, state coal mine
inspector, who recently visited the
mines just acquired by Mr.. Gebo,
speaks of them as follows:
"Near Lewistown are several coal
operations, the best developed of
which is the property owned by the
Spring Creek Coal company, of which
John Borgh is manager. This property
is located less than two miles from
the town. The vein developed is the
extreme eastern extension of the Belt
or Cascade field. This field is the
only considerable occurrence in the
United States of the Kootenai forma-
vein developed at Stockett, Belt, Sand
Coulee, and also at the base of the
Judith mountains at Lewistown, is the
only workable bed developed in this
formation. At Sand Coulee this vein
seaches it's maximum thickness in
the field from - to ii feet, and at
LewistOwn the same bed has a thick
ness of about 4 feet. The coal mined
by the Spring Creek Coal company
has a very different physical appear
ance from the coal mined at Belt, but
the roof is similar. The coal also
could be identified by the liberal num-
ber of sulphur balls scattered prom
iscuously through the vein.
"The present output of the Spring
Creek Coal company, which is by far
the largest operator in Fergus coun-
ty, is at the present time about 1000
tons a month, about one-half of which
is used by the Montana railroad COM
pany, the rest being used locally at
LeWlStOWn.
"Since the Montana railroad conl-
payn has been extended to Lewistown
there has been a steady influx of set
tiers, and this movement promises to
become extensive. Experiments have
demonstrated that the land in the Ju-
dith basin, adjoining the mountains,
which formerly was considered only
valuable as grazing lands, is capable
of raising excellent wheat without ir-
rigation. It seems strange that this
fact has not been demonstrated be-
fore.
"The next few years will see large
increase in population in this section,
and several good-sized towns estab-
lished. The local development Of this
section will mean a much increased
business of the Montana railroad and
a corresponding large increase in the
consumption of coal, both by the rail-