The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1889-11-15
Total 81 A


iuch as wolfram, arsenic and bismuth;
lot in sufficient quantity to be OF COM
nercial value, but enough to make an /,
IMPURE product OF tin unless extracted.
As to Dakota tin, there is no possible
loubt but what the tin oxide contained,
n the ore is OF greater purity than any
lnown mines in the world. Without
any refining OF the bullion as it comes
rom the laboratory it is as pure as the :
commercial refined product.
When it is taken into consideration.that
there are thousands OF tons OF such tin
ore practically in sight in the Black
Hills, standing far above the water level,
is it not surprising that those who have
investigated and seen the vast riches OF
this section OF u country should use
their best endeavors to prevent compe.
tition in making investments. In not
ing the question OF profit in this tin min
ing industry it might be well to explain
the method Of working the ores. The
Chicago company mentioned have
adopted the principle OF the old Cornish
style of machinery with American i'm
provements. The ore is first passed
through a. rock breaker, then to Cornish
rolls, and granulated to sizes from thir-
ty TO sixty mesh, then passed through
screens, separating the different sizes,
then the coarser sizes are concentrated
by the Hartz jig, and the finest sizes by
concentrating tables or belts. The OK
ides are now free from ALL selica and are
ready for the furnace. After drying the
concentrates are mixed with charcoal,
and the charge run through an ordinary
water Jacket furnace OF cupola, the char
coal taking up the oxygen and freeing
TIL METALLIC TIN.
The whole process is very simple and
inexpensive. The oxides are readily sep
arated from the quartz, the former hav-
ing a specific gravity OF from 7 to 8, and
the latter 2.5 to 3. An entire plant TO
concentrate and smelt daily output OF
100 tons can be completed from less
than $4,000. A great deal has been
said as to why the tin has not been sent
to the market, since such vast quanti-
ties OF ore have been found. To those
practically unacquainted with mining
enterprises it, perhaps, is not surpris-
ing question. To build a mill for work
ing ore before the mine is developed SUI
iciently to supply the same would be a
poor business transaction; it takes time
to develop any mine. The character OF
the ore must be taken into consider.
alton, the quantity that can be gotter
out per diem, and many other points
must be noted before the question o
l milling. A great deal OF development
! work must be done before the tin can b.
made commercially valuable. Thu
Harvey Peak Tin company, OF Englisl
4 notoriety, is, no doubt, trying to dis
courage American Capital from seekin!
investment in the tin districts OF tin
Black Hills, and it's methods are appa
rently not understood by the majority
They, however, are pushing the pur
chase OF property wherever experts il
their employ hear OF a new find. Thu
amount OF work done by them is, ant
has been, confined entirely to assess
ment work or representation-the gov
eminent requiring $500 worth Of worl
done on each claim each year-or
DOING woRK ToR PATENTS,
which they are securing as fast as pos
sible. At Hill City, where the compan.
have made their headquarters, grea'
many permanent buildings have beer
put up for various purposes, Offices
boarding houses, etc. The machiner,
set up SO far has simply been for hoist
ing and rock drilling. They have no
built reduction OF concentrating works
and it is understood that they do MOI
intend to for some time to come. TIL
English company, or the Harvey Peal
Tin company, own some 400 claims, Al
well as placer grounds, making som
5000 acres, all the law allows any on
company, OF individual, in the mining
territoIy-hence the organization Of
new company SO called a French syndi
cate, the latter having already bonded
and purchased nearly as many NOR
acres. The apparent object is to con
-, control if possible, the tin output o
' America, and another seeming reasol
: why they do not care to commence &C
tual milling operations is the fact tina
' as long as the English part OF the con
pany can continue to place English til
! in this market, there is no occasion TO
,. the operation OF their possessions ii
! this country. Hence the advantages G
: keeping American mines in the bach
. ground, for the cheapness OF mining, th
Z quantity and purity Of the ores, woul
soon oblige the Cornwall mines to ceas
operations entirely, as they could nc
% compete with us.
TIL ORIGINAL ETA COMPANY,
composed OF New York men, built a mi
: Of some 100 tons capacity at the tin
the tin discoveries were first made, an
- run long enough to satisfy themselyt
Z that the tin vas OF commercial valu
{ The mill was then shut down and hs
= not been run since, but still purchases
L claims have been going along all IL
same. The prices paid for good prope
Il ties are now far in excess OF the valu'
: they were enabled to make shortly att
, shutting down their mill. The fac
- speak for themselves and a blind mi
d could read the meaning OF all the blac
y mail and disadvantageous reports beil
published broadcast to confuse al
create mistrust. That the Unit
= States will, in the near future, becomei
Z dependent OF all outside supply for b
- tin and tin plates, will admit Of no d
]. pute. The unparalleled tin resourc
~ Of the Black Hills cannot be controll
by any one company, no matter he
shrewdly they may lay their plans
how much money they may have
L.. - F--.-Hr.a wE ~ III - III. ~ a.