Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-10-04
FOSS BADLY
INFORMED RE.
IRON DEPOSIT

The Journal has been making an
effort to check up on Luther S. FoSs
who broke into print with regard to
the Running Wolf iron ore deposits
when he allegedly visited the vast ore
deposits and found nothing.
It has been determined that Mr..
Foss arrived in Stanford from Denver
on Saturday, Sept. IS. In Denver he
was advised, he said, that there was
a deposit of iron near Stanford that
was 100 feet wide and had 17O0-foot
back. This could be opened on both
sides of a narrow valley, the ore being
exposed on both sides of the valley.
A four-mile railway from Lehigh
would furnish transportation for the
ore or pig iron, his informant told
him. This was the story supposed to
have been given to Foss by an engi-
neer named McKenna, in Denver.
On Sunday FoSs arranged with
GOWNS boys to show him the iron
ore. Neither of them were familiar
with the property but their father,
Charles Goyins, was the foreman when |
Paris Gibson was doing the work on
this property and so was able to take |
Foss to the deposit Unfortunately Mr..
Goyins, ST., is crippled and cannot
walk much so the two boys and Goyins /
took Foss in a car to places on Willow
creek and Running Wolf creek where
the iron ore crops out. No other in
vestigation was made.
After riding in a car to the two
showines mentioned, the Goyins took
Foss to look at some copper claims on
IL, 81 1Fa In
Gated on a ridge between Lead and
Boulder creeks. This part Of the trip
took most of the day. 1t would take
several days to go over the iron prop
critics, however, since they are located
on high mountains that can be climbed
only with difficulty.
Prior to the return of the party to
the Goyin boys knew moth
ing about FoSs' connections or 1nten-
tons. After they returned, Foss stated
that if things had been as represented
10 him in Denver he had been pre-
pared to build the railroad and install
huge blast furnaces Immediately, but
that under the existing conditions 1t
would take too long. He also told tne
GOWNS that the owners should do
lot more work on the property. FoSs
was in a hurry to get back to Mlchl-
gan. and could not spend any more
time in Stanford.
Stanford people gained the impress
sion from Foss that he had some con-
nection with the Ford Motor Co., and
General Electric Co., and that ne was
IN some kind of partnership with the
General Electric in some IRON prop
critics in Idaho.
Several competent engineers have
examined the Running Wolf deposits
and while there is no going mine,
some Sl5O,OOO has been expended In
development work. The tunnels are
caved and the shafts are in bad shape
so that it is difficult to make an ex-
animation. However, competent engl-
neers have stated that there is fully
2 600 900 tons of high grade ore-run-
ming Sc percent iron-in sight. That
there is much more ore to be had at
depth is apparent to any who has
seen the mountains in which the ore
occurs.
This ore is said to be comparable
in quality with the famous iron ores
of Swedish Lapland, although this is
hematite and the Swedish ore is mag
netite. Absence of phosphorus and
presence of lime with the ore, pro-
viding a natural flux, especially rec
ommends the Running Wolf ore. How
ever, the deposit Is nothing like the
picture book description given by the
Denver informant.