Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-12-22

down. This did not daunt their cour-
age, and they built again. This time
their efforts were crowned with com.
plete success, and the result has shown
that the mine and mill were ftingly
name6 "The Golden Reward"
Let US now ascend to the top Of Bald
Mountain, and look around. Away to
the north is the Carbonate camp, on the
south the Ruby Basin. Here is indeed
scene that is pleasing not alone TO
him who delights in scenes Of grandeur
and beauty, but to the miner as we'll
Here, on vast scale, is an amphi-
theatre of mines. A bee hive Of in
dustry. All the streams that drain this
vast area are plainly traceable By the
eye. We are not on the highest peak,
for the dome Of old Terry still towers
above US; but We can Sc it all from
here, and you are tired and SO am ].
We have gone far enough and will now
mention a few of the representative
mines of this vast belt, and then we will
feet Of old Badly, and there we wi,i-
spread our blankets and go into camp
tor the night. Here are the Trojan, the
Snow Storm, the Golden Reward and
Isadora. the Buxton, the Retriever, the
Calumet, the Stewart, the Portland, the
Crown Hill; but hold. il would fill a
column to mention them all, and IL is
not our purpose, in this article, either to
enumerate, or describe mines, only so
far as to give my readers an adequate
idea Of the magnitude and extent Of the
country which my friend Simmons has
punched together, and called the
Mother Lode" II is on an average 24
miles across, and 75 miles in length
Are we justified in giving it that name
To use a slang phrase, "can We do it,
and hold our job?"
Let me illustrate my idea by a little
story, or rather fable. Once upon a time
there was an old woman, and her little
boy they were far from home. They
were afoot; their grub gave ont, and the
title boy laid down and could 60 no
further. Mother, he said, edo you think
we will ever get home2" Yes, she
said, the old woman never lost her
grip tonight, when the moon gets up,
We will go home, but you must mind
and do just as | tell You, and never say
word or all will be lost. So tine old
woman gathered together few charms
she hadn't many charms) for this old
woman was a witch, although all the
witches ever say were young but this
was in the olden time
| ''Eve OF Newt and toe Of frog,
Owlet's wing and tongue Of dog"
She put them altogether, and was
going through low incarnation when a
big calf came along. The old woman
cast her spell upon him and they both
mounted the calf, and away they went.
! You see this was before the days of
/ bifurcated skirts. but she carried foot
4 ON each sale of the cali Just the same.
of her time. Away they went ovei
fences, hills and dales, until at last they
came TO mighty river. 1t was mile
wide, but the calf never weakened, and
over they went. You see this calf was
hypnutized la Prof. Shiadle.) The
boy never dared to open his mouth until
they got across safe, and then he could
hold in no longer, and he bawld out.
Mother, Mother, don't you think that
was an awful big leap for a yearling ?'
OF course that broke the charm. and
they had to hit the road again hat-foot-
ed beware how you shoot your mouth
| off at the wrong time.
Now, | don't mean to infer that my
friend Jack is a yearling. recognize
him as an old time miner who has grown
gray in the cause, and one Of the best
respected and most intelligent in the
business. Still, can't help thinking it
was an awful big leap he made anyhow.
1t may be with the passing Of years, that
am getting cranky and particular. Be
! that as it may, my sense Of propriety.
and the eternal fitness of things will not
| let me subscribe to the name. But do
as seemeth to you good my friends as
/ for myself can not call it the Mother
| Lode.
c. W. ROBBINS
P.S. You will observe, Mr. editor,
that in this article have only crossed
this vast aggregation of mineral zones
| in one place; the extreme north end
| At some future time, may from MEM
ory) cross it again in many other places;
say from Greenwood on the east, TO
Meyersville on the west, and again from
the Keystone on the east, to the Pen
obscot on the west and again from the
Spokane on the east, TO the North Pole
on the west. Bat should | do 50 it will
be for different purpose, and shall
devote my time less TO story telling, and
more to a description of the veins and to
the geology of the formation.
c. w. r.