Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-12-05
MANGAN ESE.
A New and Important Feature to be Ad-
ded to the Mining Industries OF
the Southern Hills.


A New and Important Feature to be Ad-
ded to the Mining Industries Of
the Southern Hills.
For number Of years it has been
known that deposits of manganese, more
or less extensive, existed in the South
ern Hills. Prospectors have quite fire.
quently, n.their search for other min
erals, picked up pieces of this odd look
ing rock, looked it over, and carAlessly
tossed it aside, some of the more know
ing ones realizing even as they did it,
that could it be found in large quantities
il would prove bonanza to the FORUM
ate finder. Some two or three weeks
ago Messrs. Fred and August Heide-
priem and Andrew Barber. all of this
city, encouraged by rich manganese
groupings, made number OF locations
about fifteen miles southwest Of Custer.
and in the vicinity of Point Of Rocks.
Since then they have more thoroughly
investigated their find. and the result is
highly satisfactory, to say the least.
Hundreds of tons of the ore is lying on
the surface in boulders that run in
weight from five pounds to half ton.
The smallest Of these are from 60 to 80
per cent pure manganese, and the larger
from 25 to go per cent. For something
over a thousand feet continuous ledge
five feet in width may be traced by the
groupings. The Messrs. Heidepriem
and Barber have twenty-one claims. AS
yet they have not developed the prop
erty to any extent, but there are un-
mistakable evidences that the extent OF
the deposit is unlimited, and that the
richness of the ore will increase as the
ledge is exposed The owners of this
valuable property are practical mining
men, and don't propose to waste any
time waiting for some one to come along
and prove the value Of their mines.
They are preparing to do that them
selves, and between now and the first of
January, 1892, will commence mining
and shipping the ore. Just what point
they will ship to is yet undetermined,
but one thing is certain, manganese is a
product that is marketable wherever
steel is manufactured. Some fine speci-
mems Of the metal are on exhibition at
the CHRONICLE Office. The pure man
ganese is dark gray in color, of great
specific gravity and very hard. 1t is in
great demand and is worth $40 ton on
the cars. As this property is only two
or three miles from the railroad, and
the cost of mining the metal is nominal,
it will be readily seen that the owners
margin will be wide enough to be en-
tirely satisfactory.
A STOCK COMPANY.
In close proximity to the property
above described, w. w Olds and Wm.
Nevin have u large number of claims
with prospects equally good. These
gentlemen propose to organize a stock
company, interest eastern capital and
develop the mines extensively. 1t was
with this object in view that John G..
and o G. Kneale, two Chicago gentle
men, were in Custer this week. Just
what they determined to do We have
not learned, but their plans will no
doubt assume visible shape before long
The mining and shipping Of mango
nese will indeed be valuable addition
to our mining industry. 1t is cause for
qualification that the men interested are
of the energetic, enterprising character,
and that they will lose no time and
leave no stone unturned in their efforts
to develop their mines and put them in
a condition such that they will be of
value to their owners and the country
at large.