Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1894-03-22
SOUTH DAKOTA NEWS
A REVIVAL OF MINING ACTIVITY
IN THE HILLS.
st'hbOl Select IONS on the Crow Creek Res.
ervation Canceisd--A Questioh Of Fees
ahe Cause of the Alleged shortage at
Bloux Falls.
Revival Of Mining Activity.

Revival Of Mining Activity.
/ IAN Omaha banker is said to have
| predicted recently that great mining
| 'aom would sweep over tho mining
state, during the latter part Of the
| psesent year, that millions of capital
would be invested, towns built up,
thousands attracted to the mining re.
gions, townsite schemes floated and a
period Of reckless speculation follow,
w8lding up with the inevitable reac-
i4E. His reasoning. Is that the par
tial restoration OF confidence after the
financial disaster last year have left
| large amount OF money idle, which
will naturally seek investment and
that mining is the most probable chan
mel OF investment People in the
Black Hills will naturally hope that
the prediction may be realized.
A revival Ct interest in the Hills
seems probable. The third cycle of
activity will soon be due. The initial
one was that which followed the dis
covery of gold in Deadwood Gulch,
and the second was in lSs5-S6, when
the railways first entered the region,
and the third Is perhaps now ut hand.
That greater strides have not been
made in the development of the region
is a matter of wonder. With some il.
Illustrations of successful gold mining as
''Homestake" and Golden Reward"
properties in the northern hills, and
the u. r. and keystone in the
southern hills, 1t is strange that more
money Is not invested in this industry.
The great volume Of low grade ore
which can be mined at profit is an
established fact, and the present sit
uation is probably due to the failure OF
many ill-considered mining enterprises.
In early days great mines were built
before the mines were developed and
in most instances these plants. involv-
ing the outlay of large sums of money,
are now idle, mere ruins, which arouse
tho distrust of investors and retard the
growth of the region. The remote
ness of the hills Is also against them.
Situated as the mines OF Colorado are,
contiguous to other mining regions,
the mineral ledges of the Black Hills
would have been much more generally
developed. One of the great needs of
this region is the presence of more
practical mining men. Most of the
successful mines in this country have
been opened by men who acquired
their experience in other regions.
Most of the failures have been made
by s'tenderfoot" investors
The recent sensational reports of the
sudden opening of a large cavern near
Cascade, in Fall River County, again
calls attention to the fact that this
whole region is undermined and honey
combed by limestone caverns. An u1-
fortunate steer was the discoverer of
this new cave, and his carcass was
found in the hole which suddenly
opened beneath him. The existence
of these caves in the near vicinity of
the warm springs gives weight to the
accepted theory of their origin, that
th~-ss are exhausted water courses, and
the passages and chambers now brill
liant with crystals and limestone for
nations were once geysers. Science
explains their creation by the theory
that the carbonic acid in water enter
ing assures of the rock slowly eats out
the limestone, leaving the wonderful
galleries and chambers. There are
several we'll known caves in the hills.
The Crystal Cave, near Elk Creek Sta
tiou, became famous through it's in
genious reproduction beneath the dome
of the horticultural Building at the
Worlds Fair. A similar miniature
reproduction is also being arranged
for the Antwerp Exposition. There is
also the ''Wind Cave," fourteen miles
from Hot Springs, the recently discov-
cred caverns near Sturgis, and several
smaller ones at different points in the
hills.