Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1885-11-21
The Mines Around Custer.
Continued nom our last.
THE pANsRY COUNTRY.

In our last issue we treated briefly the
subject Of mineral zones or belt cross
ings. We will continue the subject by
saying. that there is not camp or min
ing district in the Southern Hills that
does not exemplify the statements made
in our last But the best illustration of
it occurs in the mining district known as
the Dansby country. This section in
days gone by has been the theatre of
lively work in mining, of particular
kind known as dry diggings. The prin-
ciple scene Of operations lie about 8
miles in westerly direction from Gus
ter City, and is situated on the high
divide south Of French creek, and Is
drained by the small tributaries of that
stream on the north, and lightning
creek, Warren gulch, and Four Mile on
the south. 1t is country of consider
ate extent, but The rich gold bearing
portion lies within radius Of about a
mile square and is evidently the result
of two mineral belts, bearing gold, that
cross each other at that place. We are
told by one who has mined that ground
quite extensively, that every foot of
ground within the area we have men,
toned, bears more or less gold, while
much of it in patches has yielded very
richly. So much so that good stakes
have been made in season, by miners
who worked by sinking pitts here and
there in the low says which abound
there, (as the whole country, although
very high, is nevertheless quite fiat on
the summit of the divide,) and haying
obtained the pay dirt which lies on the
bedrock, they have hauled it to the
creek, about mile away, and sluiced it
out. This Of course is very slow and
expensive process of mining, and speaks
we'll for the richness of the ground that
will bear that kind of treatment and
still yield margin, which it has at the
rate Of lin some cases) as high as $50 a
day to the man. 1t is supposed that
most of the rich spots or patches have
now been found and worked out. But
this is in no wise proven as every sea-
son miners are still found prospecting
and mining in those diggings, and every
lucky ones make money. We visited
this section few days ago and the in
dications are that instead Of being work
ed out it has hardly been scratched. Here
will be grand field for a company with
capital to bring water on to those dig
gings, and make fortune. The plan is
feasible, and would not he considered
very expensive by placer miners snch
as operate on the Pacific coast, where
they often bring bitches 20 miles to get
water on TO ground that will not aver
age one-fourth part rs rich as the
Dansty diggings. 1t is estimated by
very conservative men that there are
hundreds of acres there in body that
will yield on an average Sl.0O to the
square yard Of dirt. We say dirt for
there is no wash gravel, such as is found
in placer diggings generally. The pay
is from the grass roots down, mingled
with the soil, which consists of decom-
posed bedrock, which in this locality is
mineralized black granite and slate
with here and there dykes of spar and
mica schist The whole formation has
here been subject to an upheaval on a
grand scale, the dykes running in every
conceivable direction and the country
rock torn, twisted, and folded, while
through the whole mass in all directions
are found small veins, seams, pockets,
and blow-outs Of quartz. All of this
quartz carries gold and much Of it is
very rich, but with one or two excep-
tions there have been no veins found
large enough to justify sinking shaft
with view Of developing quartz mine
One of these exceptions, and the most
notable, is the mine known "a the
Boss" This vein runs southwest and
northeast, it is a contact between the
black granite and slate, it descends
nearly vertical and is rich in gold. The
average width of the vein, as indicated
by a 35 foot shaft, is about six feet
This we believe is the only vein we saw
that seemed to hold regular course
through the country and it can be plain
ly traced in southerly course, to where
the ridge slopes down to the small tri
butary that leads to Warren gulch
where it passes into the tin belt, through
which runs the wonderful "Tin Noun
tain" Of which we shall have more to
say in another paper.
| ITO be continued in our next.]
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