Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1881-11-19
Mica.

The production ofmica is frrni present
indications likely to become one of the
most important industries in this coun-
". People are fast becoming aware
that instead of the market for this ar
ticle being easily ovcrstockcd, that there
is little danger of all The mines in the
Black Hills being able to produce
enough to materially lower the price.
The demand is SO large and the uses to
which i, is put are SO rapidly increasing
that it is more likely to advance lin price
/ during the next few years in>tead of at
al diminishing. The attention of in
veotors is being drawn this way to-day
more by our mica than by our gold
mines. There have recently been
several sales, TO parties who will in the
spring put their properties in shape to
work proiita5ly. There are through this
county several belts Of feldspar which
in many places contains mica Of Il
superior quality. a large number OF
locations have already been made and
many more will no doubt he made dur
! ing the Sustson t. follow, but the usual
! drawback which exists in the first stages
of any mineral discovery oppresses us
| here, that i the poverty of the pros
pcciOrs who are apt to make 4 discovery,
stake and record it, and then insct.td Of
working il So aS to show up its quality
and extent they 90 hunting for another
one. by SO doing they injurc themselves
| rs the one discovery after a lite work
has been done would bring them more
money than dozen undevclopcd loca-
| ions There is now every indication Of
Al open winter ust the time to open
mines and IL time hen other employ
mcnt is scarce. There is no way i'm
which man can bc more sure of good
return for his money than by putting in
a month or two Oh mica location, some
would fail no doubt, il - not to be ex-
ncctcd that every one of the locations
will prove good, but fair proportion
would find that next spring they could
sci! AT Il good figure. There is little
doubt that there will be plenty of buvcrs
here then, ready and willing to give "A
good price for a mine that shows good
indications of becoming productive bat
4 bare discovery stake even though sur
rounded by groupings viii hardly tempt
a careful purchaser, We have at pres
eat a number of strong companies at
work on mica The Dakota and New
Mexico, operating the Lost Bonanza
being the most prominent. The Clcve-
land company operating the McMaken.
The Buri"tte company operating the
Nct tormick, and Jud,ec Oicnbacher and
Mr. iIaight on the Buffalo, besides this
there are others who have bought but
not yet commenced work. 1t is evident
hat if those in operation can make
money others can do the same providing
hey get d good loration, and rhat there
are many more no one doubts. Next
summer i! Is safe 10 say that there will
De thousands Of pounds shipped Crom
here where there are now hundreds,
The Importance of the industry can
easily be estimated when it is seen that
each miEc gives employment to men
md boys both at good wages. and the
money invested is paid out in the coun-
" instead of going out TO purchase en-
ormous and expensive machinery.
North Carolina has had her day as the
mica producing region of the land, and
the Black Hills is about TO come to the
front in its place.