Sixteen Days' Run

Historic Note - March 18

The Helena Independent, March 18, 1893

SIXTEEN DAYS’ RUN

Result of the First Clean-Up From a Cyanide Mill at Cooke

W.E. Nichols, superintendent and general manager of the Henderson Mountain and Milling company at Cooke, arrived in the city Tuesday evening and brought with him a quantity of gold as a result of the first clean-up of the new cyanide mill on the Alice E. property, says the Livingston Post. The clean-up was made over two week s ago as a result of sixteen days’ run, the product in gold being valued at about $6,000. The product has not yet been refined and consequently is not in the shape of a brick. It was placed with the Livingston National bank and shipped last evening to the United States mint at Omaha, and as soon as refined and assayed a check for the amount will be forwarded to the bank at this city. Mr. Nichols left for Chicago last evening for the purpose of purchasing an “ore dryer” for the mill, as the one now in use does not fully measure up to the demands. The gentleman stated to ta Post reporter that the new mill was working very successfully, and that by the average of between 90 and 95 per cent of all the gold could be saved. Regular semi-monthly cleanups will be made from now on, and as soon as possible a brick of gold valued at about $12,000 will be shipped to New York and placed on exhibition at the lending bank. It will contain a tag bearing this inscription:

This brick was reduced from the ores of Cooke City, Montana, the coming Denver of the state. Development of the camp has been immeasurably retarded, and its sturdy miners reduced to penury by failure of the United States congress to grant the common request of the people of Montana for the passage of the bill segregating a small portion of the northeast corner of the Yellowstone National park so as to permit of a railroad being constructed to the mountain fastnesses of the richest mineral camp in the state of Montana.