The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1920-12-24
WEALTH OF new
IT,. JUDITH COUNTY
Is IN SURE CROP, DRY LAND
WHEAT BELT; FIELDS UNDER.
LAID WITH COAL
Contains Large Deposits Of Iron; Has
Potential Wealth In Gold, Silver
and Copper, With the Largest
Sapphire Mines in the Cnited
states.

and Copper. With the Largest
Sapphire Mines in the Cnited
States,
BY Elvin Winter WinemAn
In the heart Of Montana. covering
an area Of approximately 1884
square miles, sheltered from severe
winters on the north, west and south
by the Highwoods and the Little Belt
mountains, varied in climate and re-
sources, sublime in its scenery. with
its rolling prairies, its mountains and
forests, its beautiful stream5 and per-
ennial glacier. lies the newly created
Judith Basin county. It offers al
most unbelievable opportunities to
the farmer and the investor, and
opens new and undreamed-of. de-
:ightfully romantic camping sites for
the tourist.
Within its boundaries. and conced
ed to be the best non-irrigated agri-
cultural district in the state. having
made more progress in this venture
than any other county. we'll known
Throughout many of the eastern
states for its wheat production. even
in times Of drought, is the famous
Judith Basin.
Judith Basin county is entering
upon a new epoch in its history. the
developing and upbuilding of its
many resources being only begun and
scarcely realized. A world of wealth
is here to be wrested from its indus
tries, its streams. forests. minerals.
oils and more especially from its
farming land.
Its Fertile Prairies
The land in Montana is divided in
to three classes. and in the newly
created county we have all three.
Farming land makes up larger por-
ton. but grazing land and mountain
and forest form large part of its
makeup. as One-fifth of the entire
county is in the national forests.
The district is we'll watered and in
much of it irrigation projects can be
constructed. Springs and small
good quality of water can be reached
by wells at an easy depth almost any
where in the county. The largest
stream is the Judith river. into which
all other streams. including Running
Wolf and Dry Wolf. find outlet
Several irrigation projects are un-
der consideration, one that will irri-
gate 10000 acres utilizing water
from the Judith river. another one
for which surveys have already been
made and tentative sites selected for
reservoirs. will fater 10000 acres
with water from Running Wolf
creek.
Mineral Resources
The larger portion of the county is
underlaid with coal. 1t crops out on
the surface in many places as the
builder of fence can testify.
The large deposits of iron ore have
been investigated and they are said
to be of immense value commercially
as soon as the demand for it. owing
to the establishing of more and big
ger industries and manufactures in
the state, shall justify its develop
ment. These mines number LA and
cover 5000 acres of land. The latest
bulletins of the United States geolo.
gical survey has this to say of the
iron ore deposits:
Large deposits of iron ore are un-
common in the Northern Rocky
mountains. so that considerable in.
terest is attached to the deposits neal
Stanford. The deposits are lens.
shaped bodies. or rather pure hem
attic that forms belt along the con
tact of limestone and an intrusive
porphyry. The belt has been traced
seven miles and although the length
Of the lenses is not accurately known
the width ranges from five to 60 fee
and one tense is explored l25 fee
below the outcrop."
Professor l.. G. Westgate is thu
geologist making the survey and h
estimates 100000 tons in thu
known deposits and these within onl!
hundred feet Of the surface.
{ In these same mountains, soon t.
be brought closer by the building o
spur by the Milwaukee railroad, ar,
mines of silver. gold. copper. zinc
/ gypsum and coal. In addition to thu
coal mines at Lehigh, the largest bit
) luminous coal mines in the state. ,
: large number of smaller mines ar
: in operation in the new county. II
5 the foothills about Old Badly. gol'
dust can be PANIED out of the surface
\ soil.
The largest sapphire mines in tn
world are situated at Yogo. Mos
of the sapphires used in the worl
come from here. For several year
the mines have not put out a grea
many stones, but they are there in
lead that is eight feet thick. TIL
stones are found in rock which
piled in heaps and allowed to disir
tegrate in the rain. sun and wind!
These mines are safely guarded b
savage dogs. Sapphires have bee
found in many parts of the new couI