Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1881-03-05
SATURDAY, MARCH 5 1881.
THE SPRING

tis and those who have been waiting its
advent so long with the expectation of
reaping a reward for their patience feel
that the test is about to be made which
shall either lead on to prosperity or
shall doom them to disappointment and
failure. There is a large number of
mines which are now at a sufficient
stage Of development to prove the cx-
is:ance of ore bodies varying in size
from immense mountains Of ore to two
and three foot veins. The n other
important question is will they pay.
Plenty of them will show prospects in
the pan which certainly indicate good
pay hut the ultimate test of II mill ru',
has been tried on but few. Now, how
ever, an opportunity will be given to
make assurance doubly sure by putting
a quantity Of rock through the batteries
Of a stamp mill and by actual working
demonstrate just hew much per ton can
be realized. Within six weeks from
this date there will he 10 STAMPS in oper-
alton, having an abundant supply OF
water, and it that wont prove what We
have in I ulster county there is nothing
else that will. Many are now making
arrangements To have ore crushed i'm the
Dickover mill and the result of the run
will determine some to- erect mills OF
their own and will give others Il basis to
work on in e%ndeavoring to sell their
mines. One thing Of vast importance
will no doubt be determined by these
mills; that is, whether or not it will pay
to 90 to the expense of bringing in II
supply Of water, viii n, if the mines are
paying, is SO imicratively needed. Let
i; &c IN assured fact that VIC can work
our mines at II profit and but little time
will elapse before some company will
take hold of an enterprise which prom
Uses such hattering returns. The work
would be a stnpendous undertaking and
would require an IN outlay of
money, but when finished would be one
ofthe safest stock. in the ,rket and
would return good dividends. During
the past winter there has been an un-
usual depression in mining circles in
the east, no matter what was offered. it
met with a chilling reception, no one
wished to invest and a general feeling Of
distrust seemed to pervade the market
This was produced partly by the late
election engrossing the attention Of
every one to the exclusion of everything
else and partly by heavy losses in cad
vile stocks. The Black Hills suffered
from the failure Of the Standby, which
was about the only mine that was
operated in the east. But this spring a
better feeling will take the place of the
stagnation. The eastern capitalists are
beginning to see that those Letdville
mines which were not the basis Of great
stock jobbing operations have paid we'll.
They will see that the Homestake, al
though a low grade mine, has returned
steady dividend. That its total AS
sessments up to date are 500, 900 and its
total dividends $4,000. This will have
it's effect and can not fail to impress
them with the belief that for safe and
lasting investments the Black Hills is
the place to find them. The southern
portion Of the Hills is the point to which
their attention must turn. There are
30 many mines here that prospect well,
that it would seem almost an utter i'm
possibility that they should all fail. On
the contrary there is proof sufficient to
render it almost a certainty that there
are several mines here which will rival
the Homestake. The great drawback
thus far has been the lack of means to
push ahead developments and to put
mines upon "a basis that will pay. When
a low grade mine is taken in hand the
only plan by which it can be made
profitable is to erect machinery that
will so far as possible do away with
manual labor. This is the way the
Homestake has been made such a sue
cess and is the lead that all ,thers of a
similar character must follow. To do
XII u itAtOt out VI Io"Ni VI thC
first owners, and until they can sell to.
yAose hassHg~.khs~4azl.ixite capital We
cannot exrect ~ see anything acaomp-
lished.
If prospectors will turn their atten-
ton wholly and entirely to the one OBJ.
ject Of showing just what their mine will
rodnc i'm n fair manner. not trying tO
e~xaggerate its richness, We believe that
within a very few months they will
have offers for their property. And
right here n thing comes up that all
will do we'll to recollect, and that is that
when you attempt to sell do not think
that if you find a man who is Mvorably
impressed with Your mine that he vii!
be willing to give you a hundred thous-
and dollars for it. That day has gone
by and those who soonest realize this
w,ill soonest sell. Last years ex-