New-York tribune., 1879-08-30
T0rD IN THE BLACK HILLS.
X


otNEERs AND MNTsTERs-AGBICULTURE AND
TOWN TRADE--HoME LIFE.
,.ao 4 srlEP CORRESPONDENT THE rRTBUSE.I
Dv.nyooD. Dakots. Aug 0.--In closing this Sc
=. Of letters shall try 10 answer few questions
bicb thousands of enterprising people in the East
- .skine about every field of industry. In
-sohino my conclusions have eudeavored to look
s..r The ground dispassonately, aud not to be In
s,,o,csd by the excitement aud enthusiasm which
so,oiI I'm every new country, and especially IN
avery mining region.
90 Are there opportunities in the Black Hills for
.ho investment of capital in safe and profitable
mines
.hrs far discovered, are In the hands of two
Cavfornia firms who have brought to the develop
,no,t Of their mines ample capital long experience
Ia tbe hest skill. Beginning not quite two years
80 every months work which they have done has
ens.d their property to increase in value, and to-
a. avery one Of the mines the great belt shows
larger body Of ore than at any previous time.
S.oot in some of these companies has already been
IA IN New-York and has steadily advanced in the
Io.ds nj the purchasers. Other stock IS to be
.asrsd aud | believe 1t is the policy of the man
s-ors IN afford every facility for ascertaining the
r-esent condition and future prospects of their
mines. Without giving any opinion as to the value
- Che stock of any of them, for that is beyond my
rrovinee. may say that there is no question that
IN these mines are good ones. OF course every pur
chaser will satisfy himself in regard to the value of
tbe stock of one of them before he buys.
stock of companies owning other mlnos not on
.ba helt has been offered in New-YOrk and San
Francesca In regard to these need only say that
with two or three exceptions, THEN value has yet to
ne proved. Many of them very promising
ra1x
exnlored. If persons contemplating the purchase
f the stocks of these companies, well as of those
which have mines on the belt take the same precau-
tons that they would consider necessary in buying
manufacturing OF mercantile establishment, they
will be hardly more likely to make mistakes.
Investments without such precautions are gambling
operations, and not business transactions. There
sre wildcat mining schemes In the Black Hills, as
there have been in every other region where
precious metals have been discovered in large guam
titles. and some of them have been hoated In New
York
Every man who comes to the Black Hills with
capital TO invest will meet hundred prospectors
and spectators anxious to sell him mines. and II he
is 40 disposed he NAV spend month In doing moth
inQ else but in visiting and exploring ledges and
tunnels and shafts, and III sampng ores. twill be
well for such person to keep always in mind tho
fact that 1t has been the universal experience In
this country that good mines are scarce For every
bonanza there have been hundred mines dlscoy-
cred which in some period of their history
looked very promising, but which have never
reraid to their owners the money ex-
pended upon them. Not every gold mine
tb4t piyes high ASSAYS or even shows good results
81 a ,ll test, is worth developing. It's value de-
ps7as quite as much upon its being favOrably stu
A. - ha llXy "a
unou the facilities for obtaining fuel and water
cheaply. 1t should also be remembered that really
good mines in the Black Hills not likely to wait
long for a purchaser if they are offered at fair
prices. Connected with the Homestake Mine
and with Others on the great belt Is
free assay Office, in which every sample OF
ore offered is reduced and its exact value
ascertained without cost to the owner. The
managers of the great mines know the results of all
these assays and whenever one is OF such character
rs TO please them they cause an examination OF the
mine from which the sample was taken TO be made.
They announce themselves also to be IN the market
ready 10 buy any good mine that is offered at a
reasonable price. OF course there are scores OF
mines which they have never examined or sampled,
but veritable bOnanzas are not likely to be long III
the market
WIDE AWAKE MEN TO DEAL WITH.
Auyone who comes to the Black Hills expecting
that be will have TO deal with men who are not
his equal in shrewdness and business capacity viii
find himself wofully mistaken. There is no
sharper, more wide-awake class of men anywhere
than the prospectors and miners. They may be
roughly clad and live far ont in the wilderness in
the rudest of log cabins, and spend their days in
shaft or tunnel patiently cutting through the rock
by candle-light, but anyone who expects to get
ahead of them in a bargain must be up before sun
rise 1t is good rule for the stranger in mining
camp rot to Judge men by their outward appear
ance. If he does he may mistake the millionaire
owner of a bonanza for one of his mechanics.
o. What openings are there for prOspectors and
minersf
Prospecting is a trade or profession which can
only be learned by actual practice or experience.
certainly should not think it wise for anyone IN the
East to come here expecting 10 discover new NINE
unless he joins himself to man who had been en-
gagged in the business before Those who are anx-
ious try their fortune in this way Will find ample
territory in the Black Hills which has not been fully
explored. To be successful however the prospector
should have OF two thousand dollars capital, and
If be discovers mine that promises well he Will
need good deal more money TO develop 1t sutii-
ciently either TO make it productive or marketable
ut much more than nominal price. may repeat
UcIo hndJ nave Sdlu once DtlpIS III bhAS iOtOOAJ
that good mines scarce and that scores of pros
pectors fail to make their fortunes where one is
successful
The days Of placer mining "a 'le Black Hills are
over. few of the gulches are sill being worked,
both here and in the southern portion of the Hills,
but the returns are comparatively SMALL 1t is pos
sbe that companies will be formed TO bring water
from distance to some of the dry placers in the
southern sections of the Hills. and that the rich
digangs there may be made productive.
Miners. that is men who work in the mines with
hammer and drill, seem to have no difficulty in
getting employment. Skilled miners are paid So 80