Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-01-07
He Found Tin.

The following is copy Of letter
lately received by Dean Carpenter, of
the school of mines, from Stephen II.
Emmens. an English scientist Of note
1t will be read with interest by all who
are interested in the development of
the tin mines of the Black Hills. 1t
may not be amss to state that the
writer of the letter is friend of Cap
tain Cock. the English expert and cap
ltalpt who is interested in the mines
recently purchased from the Stephens
| brothers and also in other tin prop
erty of this county
New YORK, December "a
Prof ssor Frank K. Carpenter, Rapid City, Da-
ketG.
DEAR SIR Il recently addressed Com
missioner Mcclure on the subject Of
tin, and that gentleman has kindly
sent me an advance copy of his forth
coming Resources of Dakota, con
tanning your excellent article, and has
written me that you would Willingly
answer any further questions / might
wish to put. This, ! trust you will ac-
cept as an excuse fJr asking you to be
good enough to reply TO the following
questions:
/. What is the total quantity, so far
as you know, of the black tin actually
shipped from Dakota during 1887?
2 How much was produced from mill
ing and streaming respectively?
| 3. What process of concentration has
been found to answer best-stamping
and pudding, stamping and vanning or
crushing and jigging? Or some other
process? =
4. Is there any tin mine in the tSiri-
tory at present in paying opera!t-sn? If
not, why not? -
5. What ought I to estissite as the
cost of the following iteln,i in the Hill
City mining district -
Miners wages peIruay; surface men
per day; blacksmNs per day; cupen
tiers per day; ey<lnemen per da y: Wood
per cord, sawsd lumber per 900; haul
ing to ans from railroad; dynamite per
can of s''ry pounds; black powder per
can rftwenty-fve pounds.
-, Does the greisen carry any gold or
) silver in addition to the tin? | ask
this question because tested sample
the other day, and on assaying the
gangue, quartz and mica after wash
ing out cassiterite obtained one ounce
per ton Of silver Cor silver and gold, as
did not part the bondD. 1 had previo
usly tested my litharge and found it free
from silver
z. Is It really the case that on claims
in the Hill City district the surface is
strewn with thousands Of tons OF bould-
ers and fragments of stanniferous
greisen? ask this because ! have recen-
tly examined some samples SAID to
have been picked off the surface, and
which LOOK weathered / chose two
large Jumps among the POOREST of the
sample On coarse crushing and wash
ing l got nine per cent, of cassiterite
nearly free from gangue. l sifted this
into fine and coarse, and assayed both
An ordinary cyanide melt gave me
forty six per cent of metallic tin from
the fine, and fifty-two per per cent
from the coarse. Repeating the assays
but using a melt Of my own Il have dout
big mining in CornwalD | got fifty
eight and one half per cent, from tht
fine and sixty four and one half pc
cent, from the coarse. Hence il is SAFE
to consider the float greisen as contain
ing an average of four and one half pc
cent, metallic tin-which is extraordin
ary. Yours faithfully,
STEPHEN III. EMMENs.
Professor Carpenter informs Tn,
Journal that he receives great man,
letters making inquiry concerning tn
tin Of the Black Hills. The above i
published to indicate the interest whicl
is being mani .ested concerning it il
scientific circles. The inquiries will b.
answered. 1t is not improbable tina
Mr.. Emmens may be induced to visi
the Hills within short time to max
further Investigations Rapid Cit.
Jonrnal.