Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1885-02-21
OXIDE of TIN.

'ONv W sh't O1RtSs
for tin, and will not be satisfied with
common gold or silver we reprint the
following from the Mexiean Times, as
it will probably prove a valuable guide
TO prospectors:
This is the principal ore Of that most
rarely deposited or seldom found metal.
There is but one other ore, which is the
sulphuret Of tin which is so insignificant
in body compared to the oxide that it
f,rn 8 really. no part Of the tin ore, the
genuine oxide, which has the following
various colors exhibited in different
pieces: Some are ycllowish brown,
others are brownish black. grayish vel.
low and hair brown, while still others
are nearly colorless and partially trans
parant. Among the samples which we
have are superlatively the most magni.
ficent exhibit of tin ores ever seen out
side of the Cornwall tin mines Of En-
gland, are also some Of light brown
tinge, others are translucent and dark
and Opaque in form. We have both
stream and lode tin from the size of
minute grains to a pound or more i'm
weight and rs large as a base ball. All
OF the specimens give sparks with steel :;
they are brittle their specific gravity i,
closely 7. The prevailing crystals are
octahedrons, or macled, or twin crystals,
composed of two four.sided prisms, will,
truncated edges jointed together, and
still another crystal we determine to be
a four sided prism surmounted by eight
sided pyramids which are terminated
by four-sided SUBMITS. There are
many secondary forms which We have
not yet investigated.
We find that this ore, by assays sent
to the states. averages 75.5 per cent pure
tin or $40 pounds to the American ton.
Its composition generically. made by an
analysis in st. Louis, gives 77.5 tin, 1850
lbs, oxygen 2l.5. oxide Of iron OPS and
O.7o. The structure of tin ore, namely
the oxide, is lamellar, that is in layers.
evidencing the potent agency OF water
in it's formation. The experienced
prospector for lodes or deposits of valua-
bic ores looks for tin either in brook
gravel arroyas, creeks, or canon or in
the rocks which yield it and does not
look for that ore in n formation Of coun-
try rock which could no more pro-
duce oxide of tin than a cypress tree
can yield %cocoanuts. The State Of San
Luis Potosi, Zacatecas, Durango, Chihua-
hua, Jalisco and Aguas Calientes have
portions Of their territory exactly the
counterpart ofthe country formation OF
that of Cornwall, England. The local..
ties Of tin are few, but great mineral.
ogists, like jameson and others have
declared that whatever tin ores arc
found, they are from lodes Of deposits
Of great extent. The associate minerals
with tin are tiuor spar, iron pyrites
chlorite, topaz AMI quartz. In the Corn
wall mines, as in other places where
discovered, the oxide Of tin is found in
the state of or, stall variously grouped
or aggregated, and according to Philips
anu other scien.i Is who have made q
subject Of tin ores a study, the different
lodes or veins and deposits vie Il differ.
eat varieties of form. Besides being
discovered in veins in the Mexican
States mentioned above there are ex-
tcnsive deposits Of stream tin in the
wa~tercouraes new and old, which have
their rise near tie lodes, veins or de-
posts. These have supplied the bulk OF
the tin used by the population Of this
country for the last $50 years. Among
our hundreds Of vein and stream or
placer specimens are most magnificent
variations. Some appear ike rare gems
There are clusters Of translucent and
Transparent oxides which are in the
forms of stems Of grapes. Block tin OF
commerce is from lode mines while
grain tin is found in placer formation.
There is an ore Of tin found in this
state called the fibrous oxide or wood
tin. 1t is a very simple combination as
it shows 81 per rent oxide Of tin and 0
per cent oxide of iron. This will Weld
l,40l.4 pounds Of pure metallic tin to
the ton, There is also the second varie-
ty of tin known as toad's eve wood tin.
There are several specimens of that
which we have. The native miners Of
this country do not understand the diff.
ference betv cen the basic ore, oxide o.
tin, and fibrous oxide or wood and
toad's eve wood tin. A mass of the lat
ter which weighed Is lbs. was found in
allnyial soil in The Cornwall district So
years ago for which 500 was paid.
When found it is invariably imbeded in
an aggregate Of schorl and quartz. Tin
ore melts at APO Farcnheit. No gold or
silver mines OF the world have even ap-
preached paving the immense profits
mined ont of the tin deposits Of Corn
wall which, excepting the tin mined and
used in Mexico, supplies all nations and
the demand for it rapidly increases
every year. 1t is higher in price now
than ever before in modern history.