Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1882-04-01

The following letter was this week
| published in the Deadwood Times and
forwarded to its address by the writer
"a we'll known mining operator:
Editor American Manufacturer and Iron World.
DEADwooD, ID. r. March "a, 1852.
DEAR SrR:-In your issue of Feb. "a
page is, you fall into an error regarding
the mica industry of the United states.
Feeling sure that you must have done
so unwittingly, as the management ofno
great paper such AS yours seem to he,
treating as il does, with much ability,
some of the greatest sources Of the
nations wealth, would willfully belittle
any industry, or any section ofonr coun-
try. Therefore il is that | feel Just
in an effort to set you right, by giving
YOU some facts relative to the mica pro-
duction Of the Black Hills. You will
bear in mind that the mining orluiea ls
8 comparatively new business here. the
mines being barely opened yet. These
mines are not located near Deadwood
but are about sixtv-fiye miles distant
and near Custer City, in the county Of
Custer. The McAIaken mine was sold
on the basis Of S37 900. onc-third inter
est being retained 10y Mr.. McMaken,
the original owner. From this ledge
there has been shipped about 2j,C00
pounds during parts Of the last two sea-
sons, which it has been worked. An
other known as the Lost Bonanza has
produced and shipped in one season 20
600 pounds, and the average receipts for
the product will not vary much from
$l.15 per pound. There are three 9th
ers in process Of developments, which
are very promising prospects. To show
that no North Carolina company or any
other had Il monopoly Of the mica bust
hess / will state that the product Of ;he
Black Hills has always found ready
sale in eastern markets, even to the ex-
tent of making it necessary to forward
10000 pounds to eastern bdyers b, eX
press. Our mica is not quite so white as
that produced in North Carolina but ii
is said to bc otherwise superior The
veins are from seven to fifteen feet wide.
The New York mine, merely prospect,
but good one, has just been sold for
5000 The tenor Of your article, or
rather paragraph, would naturally lead
your readers to the conclusion that the
production Of one mine in North
Carolina would exceed the demand for
mica in the United States. Such cannot
be the fact, as all our people can pro-
duce finds quick sale at good prices,
the sizes ranging from 3x4 TO l0xl2, all
of which has thus far been obtained
from near the surfucc, quality of mate
rial improving as depth is attained In
this connection permit me 10 call your
attention TO an article which appeared
in the Scientific American, October 22,
1881. descript ptive Of mica and its uses,
which is ~ follows:
The discovery Of good mcrchantable
mica in some Of our western mining
districts is settled fact We have re-
Gently received many specimens, chiefly
from Dakota. Some Of these compare
very favorably with the best products Of
the best Carolina mines" and which.
closes in substance az follows. Former
Of ho In Ia
in this country WAS imported, but since
1867 our supply has been chiefly derived
from mines located in Mitchell, Hey
wood, Iancy, Mcdowell and Macon
counties, North Carolina. The product
of these mines is at present hardly
equal to the demand which is rapidly in
creasing"
Now, Mr.. Editor, l respectfully sub
NIT that the inference naturally convey
ed by your paper, namely that North
Carolina has all the mica mines to-
gether with IA monopoly Of the trade is
manifcstly wrong. want to say just
one thing more in conclusion: The
Black Hills have more good gold and
silver mines than any other equal area
Of territory on this continent, and Of
this statement | challenge successful
contradiction, but we need railroad
communication very much to aid in
their development.
Yours truly,
Il. p. CoRMACK.