Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1884-05-17

what is the nature Of variety of tn,
ore itself?"
ut is the oxide Of tin, known as cas-
siterite, and there are three forms Of oc
currence in general. FIRST, granular
disseminated through greisen rock sec
ond, massive; third, placer or stream
tin, this latter being the result of tn.
decomposition and disintegration o
rock through ages Of weather influences
Some oxides and carbonates Of copper
are found in accretion, but they are MOI
constantly associated. The greisen rock
is found all through the granite regio,
Of Harnev Peak. The stream tin i.
common, and distributed just as gold i,
in earth that results from the decompo
sition Of gold bearing rock. 1t is found
in the dirt on all the streams-and there
are many Of them-fowing from the
Harvey range on the east. west and
north sides, and has long been known
although not as tin, to the miners sluic.
ing for gold. They have called it black
IRON black jack 'blende,' but princi-
pally that id stuff for it has been
a great nuisance to them, by being taken
up so rapidly by the amalgamators that
these could not arrest the gold In the
gold sluices 1t appears as heavy black
mineral, in grains from the size Of peas
to that Of hens egg. sometimes in
chunks weighing a pound or more. 1t
is found in the stream as far east as Har-
ney City, as far west as Hill City. and
on the north rs far away as Sheridan !;
consequently all the placcrs in the gran.
ite region are valuable for both tin and
gold; the metals could be obtained to
gether by putting in bedrock fumes"
"Ias not tin been found i'm paying
quantities anywhere else in the United
States ~
IL has been reported in Georgia and
California; the former deposits / have
not seen. The California workings,
which visited, have been abandoned,
believe, partly on account Of the limit
ell area in which the mineral was found,
and also because of conflicting old Span
ish land grants"
"Do you believe the deposits in the
Harney Peak region are extensivc?"
"Yes. Geological reasons could be
given at length to shoa that the outly
ing granite, being intrusive, extends TO
great depths, while the area and distri
button Of the mincralized portions of
the granite, taken in connection with
the known placer deposits, 60 to show
that there exists in the Harney Peak
region large quantities Of tin so placed
that they can be economically and pro-
fitably worked. 1t should be distinctly
understood, however in this connection,
that while the discovery must be re-
gardcd of the utmost value, not only to
the Black Hills region but to the United
States, tin is not a poor mans metal, nor
is a tin mine the poor mans mine. A
tin mine requires extensive capital and
experienced labor united with business
like management, and the works must
be on large scale.
There is ole interesting fact that
should not be lost sight Of" continued
the Professor, this discovery completes
our national list of prominent metals,
we already had gold, silver, copper, lead,
zinc and iron in paying quantities. The
Harnev Peak discoveries completes the
list and makes il possible for our nation
al demand for meta Ito be supplied from
our own natural resources. have no
doubt that the country will soon be
fully informed about the tin deposits,
for many gentlemen interested in tin
are now in the Harney Peak region
"One question more, Professor Is the
ore easy to reach and work ?"
THAT is an important question, as the
experience Of many brilliant mineral
finds has proved. can safely say,
however, that a great deal Of the tin
bearing rock can be easily obtained. 1t
can be quarried from the surface instead
Of being dug for and followed under.
ground. How abundant this rock is
you may imagine when I tell you that l
have seen veins Of it measuring more
than fifty feet in width. This rock can
easily be crushed, the ore concentrated
and the metal worked into bars of pure
tin. To extract the stream tin the pro-
cess would resemble placer mining fol
gold, although, of course, much rougher
the metal being in larger fragments and
larger quantity"
"How valuable is the ore or rock
what will it assay
"Well, much better than that of Corn.
wall where the rock averages about
two per cent Of tin. The stream tin
that which must be obtained by sluic
ing, or placer work-will yield about
seventy-five per cent Of pure tin"
Then there is millions in it?'
Certainly; if properly worked, yes
but it is not business to rush inte
wildly. Any company that locates q
claim hastily, hires men regardless o
their experience Of ability, purchases
machinery without just knowing exactly
what is needed, put mp costly house fol