Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-09-22
The Report Submitted

tin properties of the Harney Peak com
pany in this locality, which has been SO
long and anxiously awaited, has at last
been made; appearing recently III the
London Mining Journal. The report is
highly favorable in all respects, and if,
rs reported, the consummation of the
deal between that company and the
English syndicate depended upon Its
favorable character, all doubt of the
transfer may now be set at rest. Re
ferrlng to the report, the Journal says:
The professor says: "Harney Peak is
the central and most powerful granitic
Outburst, but for miles around this
mountaln-more particularly to the
northwest, southwest and southeast
upheaved masses of identically similar
rocky material have taken place, and IN
all these, without exception, tia oxide
(cassiterite) of good quality has been
found to occur. These outbursts are Of
two distinct types or classes. First, of
the approximately circular or columnar
form, where the granite mass stands
almost vertical, like q stack or chimney
and secondly, those filling long, narrow
longitudinal rent or fissure"
Harney Peak mountain, il appears,
does not contain tin, but the mines dis
covered and containing rich deposits of
oxide Of tin, are situated some miles
from llarney Peak, In semi-clrcular
form, extending over many miles OF
country. The proprietary have acquired
a large number Of properties most of
which have been examined and reported
on The professor says - have care
fully gone through all the more valuable
mineral claims belonging TO your com
pany, and must say that your mines
considering the number of them-are on
n very favorable and even and except
ional footing. Instead of being opened
to great depth. your mines are practic-
| ally untouched-eXcept IN few in
stances-and in such cases are only
sufficiently developed to more clearly
show their real financial value. Gener
! ally speaking the tin ores are Of almost
typical purity the eighty-three assays
| made 10y myself averaging 74.3l per
| cent. of white metal. There is a remark
able absence of non, and the ores are
equally free from lead arsenic, zinc,
and other deIeteriOus elements.
Many of the lOdes are described as
being most favorabIy situated for
economical working, some with massive
OutCrOpS along the surface of the claims
while others have been tested to consid
erablc depths by shafts and tunnels.
Fifteen groups of mines are set forth as
IN the aggregate being able after one
year OF opening the mines to employ
l735 men who are estimated to be abe
to produce 1868 tons of ore per day.
After six months the same number of
men shouid produce daily about 200
tons and ut the end of two years from
the date of cOmmencement) about 26C0
tons, ana after the second year of pract-
ical work and development the output
Is estimated at 1000 tons of assorted ore
per day this to represent a general
average of not less than thirty pounds
of black tin to the ton. The etfecting of
this output would require force of 26O0
men and boys at an average wage price
on the basis of present rates. OF about
800 per day.
After reading the professor elaborate
report and the report of the assays of
Nh. Claudet, and inspecting the bulk
samples of ore lover forty tons in
London some of it in huge blocks over
two tons weight, it is impossible to
doubt the existence Of payable tin lodes
III Dakota. The tin producers of Corn
wall, the Straits, Australia, and Tasmania
will, without doubt, soon have great
rival in Dakota in supplying the mar
kets of the world America that has
hitherto been such large customer for
manufactured tin, will, according to the
discoveries near Harney Peak, soon be
in a position to largely supply her own
market, and the time may not be far
distant when other important discover
les may be made that will practically
close the American market for our
manufactured tin. In the face of the
evidence adduced it would be idle to
deny the existence of payable tin lodes,
as also extensive areas of placer ground
containing large quantities of stream
tin, in "A country where it had not been
hitherto expected to be found in guam
tity sufficient to be Of commercial value
AS to how soon the practical develop
ment Of these tin discoveries will effect
the American market or interfere with
the prohts of British production will
depend no doubt on the energy dis
played by the companies interested in
the development of the mines and the
manufacture Of plates. That the mines
will be speedily developed, and that tin
will be produced in Dakota before long
there can be little doubt; and although
it may ultimately effect the British pro-
ducers, there Is however one consola-
ton that the consumption of tin in
America is now rapidly increasing, and
likely to continue TO do SO.
In the summary of the report some of
the groups of mines are spoken of as
follows; "The Eta is Of promising
importance as 'columnar bonanza
mine, has considerable underground
development and ample surface i'm
provements." 1t was further reported
that the Sarah represents in the
main, an assemblage of what might be
styled "semi-columnar" upheayals Of tin
bearing granite material, the heaviest
outcrop being $50 feet long, second
about $40 feet long, by approximately
27O feet wide, and third 42S feet long
and seventy-tiye feet high, and all those
| tin bearing masses can be worked by
adit to IMPORTANT depths; that the
'Ingersop like the Sarah can be worked
with marked economy (by adltl to a
depth of 527 feet that the 'Addie'
gloup is characterized by a powerful.