Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-09-12
WONDERS OF WEALTH.
The Newark Lode Assays-S 50.to.the Ton
--Gold and Silver in Inexhaustible Guam
tities--Putting in Reduction Works.

The Newark Lode Assays-x5 OTTO the Ton
--Gold and Silver in Inexhaustible Guam
tities--Putting in Reduction Works.
The following special from Custer, is
clipped from the Sioux City Journal of
u recent date. The writer. Mrs. y. ID.
Cook, is well known to iCuster speople
and the letter will be read with interest
A general awakening i'm mining in
terests is apparent in Custer county.
Custer is the highest city in the Black
Hills and the mount aims in this vicinity
are vast repositories containing the
precious metals.
Surrounding Custer at distance uf
from SIX to ten miles is a.ledge of lime
stone hills in the shape Of horseshoe
with the opening toward the north.
Harney peak is within this horseshoe.
The trend Of the limestone seems to
mark the limits Of the mineral belt in
the southern hills. Just within the
limestone are the famous tin and silver
ores, and London expert who came
over a short time ago in the interests of
the English directors of the Ue{SsS Peak
Tin Mining company gave tho opinion
that still vaster deposits OF tin and silver
than those now located will be found.
The principal operations of the
Harney peak company are the Tender
foot group, five miles northeast of Custer
A drive out to the Tenderroot, leaving
the great rocky peaks of the Buckhorn
on the right, is picturesque and inter
esting. For distance of three or four
miles the ground is staked for tin, and
in many places sufficient prospects have
haan p,a1a In 1icnlnca - nra
Passing the summit, vast open park,
the limestone comes into full view in
the west. Many of the claims are still
in the hands Of the original locators,
and 1t is thought the Harvey Peak com
pany is keeping its operations as quiet as
possible to prevent a boom in prices.
But the people are learning the value Of
these claims and several citizens of
Custer have already received number
of thousands of dollars for locations.
The Tenderfoot is developed by a
tunnel which taps the vein 1000 feet
into the mountain, and at depth of
nearly 400 feet. The drilling is done
by machinery, which is operated by
means OF an air compressor. The ore
now taken from this mine is pronounced
by experts the richest ever taken from
any mine. 1t consists largely of mica
schist, in which is thickly embedded
crystals Of black cassiterite, which il re-
quires only free milling to separate
from the rock. These crystals yield
about 20 per cent. of pure tin
when smeted. Quantities of this ora
have been sent to England as specimens.
One piece that was boxed weighed 6000
pounds, and so thick was the cassiterite
that it was impossible to touch the roc K
with two fingers without touching a
crystal.
A new manager, Mr.. Madden, an ex-
perienced Colorado miner, recently put
in charge of the Tenderfoot, has orders
to also develop the Tin Reef and Flora
groups, which are only q couple Of miles
from Custer and from which sufficient
ore has already been taken to test their
richness. Machinery is now being
built for the Hafney Peak company and
within year its mills and reduction
works will be in operation.
The galena silver ores of the Spokane
group are situated some six 10 eight
miles east and are now or ed on
large scale. Heretofore a ors has
been shipped for reduction, Sit Seduc-
ton works are now being put in shich
will serve for the whole group.
Silver IS also found in many other
locations in the galena and other ores.
Eclipsing all other Interests in this
vicinity are the gold and silver ores,
which are found, seemingly, in mex
haustible deposits. A mile and a half
east Of Custer are the Blue Bird, Amber
and st. .Charlesgroups, according to recent
tests. containing these metals in quaint.
ties sufficient tojustify operations. Within
a radius of five miles are vast number
of locations upon mineral veins Of this
character, mary of which can be work.
ed by free milling.
The deposits of refractory ore are in
large masses and of high grade. Min
neapolis experts are putting in reduction
works at the Four Mile mill, near the
Old Charley mine. This will be in
operation about September /.
One Of the most promising prosp.
in the Hills is the Newark lode, rec sn..
ly discovered by Chas. Baty and Frank
Anderson four miles due west. This is
made Of surface ore by Chicago as.
sayer gave $50 per ton free milling, and
one test in Denver gave SOL per ton.
This is in great contrast to the famous
Homestake ores, which average only "a
per ton. The telluride ore shows free
gold. The finest mica in the world is
found in inexhaustible quantities all
about Custer. The Elephant gulch
placer mines produce rubies as we'll as
gold, and in the streets of Custer ruby
sand can be scooped up after hard rain.
1t is claimed that every one of the
half hundred minerals found in the
Black Hills are found in Custer county.