Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1890-11-15
properties belonging to the company.

properties belonging to the company.
MCGEE hill TIN DISTRICT.
The following communication from a
special correspondent Of the New York
Engineering and Mining Journal, dated
at Deadwood Oct. 2sth, will be ofspecial
interest to our Hills patrons, appearing
as it does in a newspaper that hitherto
has fairly ignored the existence of tin
in the Black Hills in quantity worthy
Of mention:
This district is situated in the north
ern portion Of the Black Hills TODAY
it is the lat Of orr placer camps, and
during a recent visit 1t did an old timers
heart good to see the miners weigh out
gold dust in exchange for merchandise.
These placer diggings have been work
ed whenever the supply of water was
sufficient, every year since the earliest
settlement Of the Hills. Many nuggets
of remarkable size have been taken out
from time to time, and as late as last
September N weighing 40 dwts. g grs.
was found in Bear Iinlch at the foot Of
Niger Hilk At all times the placer
miners have been bothered with stream
tin in large quantities, but being un-
acquainted with that metal contented
themselves with cleaning it from the
gold dust, until after the reports Of the
tin discoveries in the Southern Hills,
when they brought some Of this stream
tin to Deadwood to assayers, who pro-
%nounced it pure cassiterite. This was
sufficient incentive to the old pros
pectors to commence prospecting for
tin-bearing rock in the section. In a
short time it was definitely ascertained
that a tin belt about five miles square
existed on the Niger and surrounding
hills. Location were made and pros
pecting commenced in earnest, the most
OF the capital being furnished during
the early stages by local men, DC. major
| ity OF whom afterward sold out 70 cast
ern capitalists. On investigation the
investors ascertained the amount of
capital necessary to be invested to pro-
duce metallic tin, and decided to devel-
op the prospects more thoroughly be-
fore erecting any plants for milling.
Work is now progressing slowly but
surely to this end, and today, while the
amount of work performed is not suffice
emily extensive to warrant the assertion
that tin mines ofgreat extent or richness
exist in this locality, yet it is sufficient
TO bear out the assertion that good pros
poets for such have been discovered.
The t~in-bearing rock is Of the same
character as found in the Southern
Hills, carrying mica, black tourmaline,
and in some cares %columbite. The out
groupings throughout the district are
very rich in tin crystals, from the size Of
a pins head to several pounds in weight.
The most extensive workings are on the
Cleveland mine where a shaft 100 feet
has been SUM-, and q cross cut drift run
at the bottom, bnt at present water
is greatly troubling the miners. Several
shallower shafts, as well as open cuts
and prospect tunnels. were visited by
us. In all, the tin bearing rock showed
up as good prospects. When further
development work has been performed
these may prove to be valuable deposits.
Several tons ofthe cassiterite and stream
tin were taken to England a few years
since, and pronounced by experts to be
as pure as that found on the Malay
Peninsula. Professor Xahn, geOlogist
for the Burlington & Missouri Railroad
Company made a very strong report on
this tin district, the result Of visit and
examination some months since.
THE CALEDONIA.
L. j.. Skinner, superintendent of the
Caledonia, recently submitted to the
company the following communication
relating TO the ~unfavorable condition
of that popular gold producer Of the
Northern Hills
Our recent wet weather and SHOWS
In -. ,ntslAl III, ~, 49, - al. $500.
ter in the pen cuts on the surface Of
the mine, that lies on the roofs, arches
and pillars that protect our underground
workings TO such and extent as to
seriously threaten a caving in Of these,
and makes it very dangerous for the
miners and shovelers to work under.
All of the best and richest ore lies
directly under these arches, pillars and
roofs. Even should they not cave or
give way, | shall have to remove the
men from under them till the danger
lessons, and it will be impossible to re-
sumo work upon the profitable ore for
some time. ! may be able to avert the
danger i'm Il few months, or it may be-
come necessary to blow ont the roofs in
some portion of the mine, and relieve
the rest by letting the caved and surface
matter fill some Of the workings In
either event, it may become necessary
TO abandon working the ore now devel.
oped for some time indeed, | cannot
foretell what will be the exact result of
the mine caving, or letting the caved
matter fill in the slopes. / shall en-
deayor to keep the mill going on such
other ore AS l have in sight. but it is
very low grade, and will not, l fear, pay
expenses. ] shall at any rate have To
shut the mill down pretty soon, for
about q week, to repair the engines. /
think it advisable for you to stop
dividends for the present, until the con-
dition ofthe mine is overcome. 1t is
impossible 10 determine what amount of
money the treasury may be called upon
for as our contracts for winter supplies
are all made and supplies are now COM
ing in.
GOLD GALORE
San Francisco, Cal, Nov. S.-No min.
ing event since the discovery of the Big
Bonanza on the Comstock has SO interest
ed California miners as the final turn
ing Of the water from the Feather river
bed, by which the pay gravel is brought
to light. For months the eyes of all
minersi n the state have been directed
to the Golden Gate mine operations by
which the Feather river was diverted
from its course and the rich river bed
laid bare. Today it was learned that
the pay gravel was tested with results
that show the mine win yield many
millions. Nearly all miners declar ed
the scheme impracticable, but a few
days ago the work was finished. The
bed OF the river appeared as a deep
ravine about one hundred feet across,
bounded by rocks eighty feet high.
Above, sweeping through an immense
flume, the waters Of the Feather glide at
a velocity Of seventeen feet per second.
From the hume it is estimated that 49,
600 tons of water drop every second.
This 5000 yards Of river bed presents
IN interesting study. When the water
was turned into the flume two weeks