New-York tribune., 1879-08-26

along for about quarter of a mile on both SIDES oi
a road leading down gentle slope to Little Rapl1
Creek Us growth has recently been stimu,a,eu .
by the preparations for the erection OF asiXtystap
gold mill on the Standby Mine, and binding II IN
progress in every direction. The Standby NINE Is
of several IN the Rockford district tat are Ui
very promising character IL has been more deNel
oped than either of the others, and n company mas
been organized in the East To- Operatei IT, Inc presI
dent of the company is Mr.. Elisha hl4gs' anH Wy
directors Messrs. Leonard Jerome Cyrus W. ftelu'
the Hon. Il. G.. Platt Senator John /. Jones, tN-
Governor NJ. 5. Latham. William Garrison ana J'
w. Gashwcr Mr. i. j. simmons is the supeiIhrr
tendent The property Of the company consists OF
two claims each about 1927 feet long and 800 ieet
wide, and one-thiid of 1t was sold last ran, Wheh
not rs much developed as now, for S2o'oVV ell
This mine is southeast of the village OF hOchloru,
and distant about mile. IL Is reached by ioHo"-
ing up narrow and rather steep canon between
two mountains, and is near the TOP OF one on ,ne, @
The ledge of quartz on which II Is situated crops
out on the top of the ridge, and can be traced Ior
a long distance TO the south of tine Standby prop
erty. The developments of the mine consist OF TWO
tunnels driven across the VEN. Inc upper one Is
in sixty feet all the way in ore which consists oi
red quartz very like that found IN the vicinity Oi
DeadWood Fifty feet below the upper tunnel
another has been driven in, also across the VEN,
seventy-three tte all of the way IN quartz except
through band Of slate about six feet wide. II Is
supposed that the footwai has been reached at Ihe
face of this tunnel At the mouth of the lower un-
mel a shaft has been sunk thlTty-hve feet, all III
ore. The amount of quartz already taken OUT ana
awaiting the erection of a mill is about 500 tons.
Prom this brief description it will be seen that the
Standby Mine has uncovered large bOdy OF ore;
but, l believe, the assays that have been made
show il to be of a lower grade than the average OF
that taken from the mines or the great
belt. The future of the Stand-By seems TO
me TO depend on the ability of the owners
to mine and mill their ores with economy. see no
reason why the expense OF mining should be greater
here than at DeadwOOd. The body of ore may not
be as large but still II appears to be enormous ana
il can be delivered at the mill at very little expense
per tom In milling ITS ores the Standby Will have
an advantage which no other company in the Black
Hills enjOys-the possession OF good water power
by which to run It's machinery. one OF the large
items of expense crushing ore Is the cost of fuel,
an expense which is likely TO increase from year to
year. The slXty-stamp mill OF tins company VIII
probably be ready to start about the first OF the
wear. The development of other mines IN the
Rockford District will probably depend upon the
success of the Standby. several other mueS nave
been located on the same lode, all OF which look
promising.
centre OF the Bear Butte Silver District. have
visited that also, spending day at the Florence
Mine. the only one on which much work is being
done To reach Gaena l passed through Straw
berry Gulch, on the sides of which great number
of gold mines have been discovered; some OF them,
] am told, very promising ones. had no time to
visit any of them. Galena is on Bear Butte Creek
and is a town of a few hundred people. silver was
discovered there soon after the Black Hills were
opened, and small quantities OF ore have IRON time
10 time been taken to Denver, Omaha and other
points in the East for reduction, aud nave yielded
remarkably well. The expense OF transporting ore
TO the railroad $40 a toni has been too great to
allow TINS to he done on any large Scale. lucIc Is
at Galena small smelter but its methods are OF
avery primitive character, and It's charges enormous
-S75 a ton last Winter
1Le Florence Mine, which was located about two
and half years ago, was purchased last Fan by
some ST. Paul capitalists and during the past few
months they have done a great deal or Work ana
spent much money, both IN development and m
preparation for reducing the ore. The main tunnel
has been driven into the mountain about 600 feet,
all the way IN a reddish quartz ore. lhe top ana
sides of this tunnel. in many places, contain caYl-
left In the CTEsanZatOn Of the ore, the SldtS
OF which are sometimes mcTusted with crystals. At
a distance of so feet from the mouth OF the tuu-
mel crOs,-cut has been made for 40 feet, ana TINS
also is entirely IN ore. No Well-dehued walls nave
been found in thismiue although the ground on the
leit-haud side of the tunnel IS generally barren,
and il has not therefore, been proved that the lode
is a true iissure vein, although the owners believe
it to be such. 1t may tJrn out 10 be "a cavernous
or pocket mue but in that event ii mas large
body of ore i'm sight. The country rock IN the Va
ciuIty OF the Florence Mine js pOrphyry. The ores
are chiefly suipurets aHd chlOrdes mixed with
quartz, oxide OF IRON ana manganese, ahtihiohS ana
arsenic. There are some Ilch carhOndtes, but they
do not appear in very large quantities; ana saw
specimens Of horn silver and little free silver.
The ores az rage from 30 20 100 ounces OF silver to
a ton, the lOw-grade ores being more abundant.
The Florence Company are erecting q very fine
twenty-stamp mill for the reduction OF their ores,
aud expect 10 start it IN October Tins is the pioneer
silver mill in the Black Hills, and the rock Will be
treated by the dry process. The ore as II comes
from the mines viii first be dried and then reduced
10 fine powder under the stamps. Next IL Is 10 be
roasted and cDlOTldlZed IN two enormous reVOlVlng
cylinders and finally am8lgamated IN revolving
pans. The silver is then 10 be separated trOm the
mercury in retOrt, and aitCrward cast into bricks.
The mill will probaD y reduce from twenty to thirty
tons OF ore q day.
There ire many other small mining camps in the
Black Hills besides those which have mentioned III
these letters, but the most of them are so remote
from DeadwOOd that have not Thought 1t worth
while TO spend the time necessary to visit them.
Z.L.W.