Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1905-05-23
The Mining District in the Vicinity
of Cone Butte Is Highly Min
erdIized.
MfNY FlRST-ClASS PROPERTIES
James Murphy has Declared his
Intention of Erecting a Small
Cyanide Plant.

The Cone Butte mining district, sit
uated at the head of Ford creek is
among the most promising of the --.nr-
Ing districts of the county and is at.
tracing considerable attention in min.
ing circles this spring.
Ihe representative Of the Democrat
visited that locality last week in the
interests Of the paper and found that
a large amount of development work
has been accomplished and consider
able ground thoroughly exploited.
One of the principal properties in
the district is that owned and operat-
ed BY James Murphy and his brother.
The group consists of ten claims.
which are located in highly mineral
lied region at the head of fork of
Ford creek and have been subject to
a considerable amount Of surface de-
velopment which has shown up body
OF both cyaniding and free milling ore
varying in values. Twelve tons OF ore
was shipped from this property with
very satisfactory results and it is Mr..
Murphy's intention to erect a small
cyanide mill on the ground this spring.
The lumber for the erection of the
mill is now being placed on the ground
and active operations in the putting
in of the plant will commence shortly.
The principal development has been
accomplished on the Eagle and the
Belcher claims; the group is called
the Golden Eagle. In the neighbor-
hood of 1900 feet of work has been
accomplished, consisting of 800 foot
working tunnel and large amount of
short drift and surface work. Consid-
cradle ore is exposed and the indica-
tons are that the erection of a mill
will result in profitable run. The
location is an ideal one for a mill
site, and in fact the whole district is
well provided with water and wood.
In running a drift to strike the main
ore BODY a vein of rich silver and
gold ore has been exposed which ran
as high as % ounces in silver to the
ton
The Bertha group, located and de-
yeloped by Vincent Gies, is a good
property and is adjacent to the North
ern Belle property belonging to Mr.
Murphy. The Bertha is a group which
has been well developed and the ores
are to a certain extent refractory,
carrying values in gold, silver, lead
and copper.
Charles Edwards is working a valu-
able property at the mouth OF the
guich which will without doubt be
listed among the paying propositions
of the district at an early date. The
group consists of three claims, the
Fort, Glendall and Bernice. Some eN-
cellent assays have peen obtained
and four hundred foot tunnel has
been driven on the prope "tY and a
face secured which carries high val
ues in gold.
While there is considerable cyanid-
ing ore in this district the principal
values are carried in the baser ores
and there has been some extremely
rich ore of this nature uncovered.
Several shipments have been made
from the district with profit and if a
plant were erected for the purpose of
treating the refractory ores the dis
trict would be amongst the best pro-
ducers in the state. What is needed
throughout this entire section of the
county is capital There are many
properties now lying die which would
be valuable producers if the capital
necessary for their opening up were
available.
Hugh Green, Joe Lablotte and Nor
rison are working good property IN
this section, which is making good
showing in lead ores. There is con-
siderable ore on this ground in shape
for shipment and arrangements are
now being made with the East Helena
smelter people with that intention.
Tom Burke, John Bean, Losinger
and others also have good prospects
in the Cone Butte district, while the
Mcintyre property between there ana
Collar gulch looks good for a new