The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1895-08-03
THROUGH THE BLACK HILLS.
The South Dakota Press Associa-
tion's Annual Outing.

lIlp GllG butu -houhpdl
mining district is an eye opener. A sur
prise to the capitalist as to the untold
ard unknown wealth underlying these
hills, and revelation to all in difficult
and intricate railroad construction. The
mountains are covered with a complete
network of narrow guage lines belong
ing to the Burlington and Northwestern
systems, constructed solely to carry ore
from the mines to tho smelters ana mills
at Deadwood. These roads are trium phs
of engineering skill and it would appear
that wherever the yellow metal is found
the locomotive as we'll as the white man
is there also. Wherever a wagon road
could be made these narrow gauge lines
penetrate. No mountain too high, no
gulch too deep, no gorge too rocky for
the rails to lead the way.
eve build locomotives not elevators"
said the Baldwin folks when all order for
engines was sent in.
But the Baldwin works succeeded in
building both in one. Grades POO to 800
feet or more to the mile are more COM
mon than otherwise on these narrow
gauge lines and they loop and rtcross
each other in manner that makes the
famous and much advertised horseshoe
curve OH the Pennsylvania road appear
laughable. The sharp curves are very
yl,ao rim bn flo nf hn ,,,bo l.,
and an attachment on the locomotives
keeps the rails constantly wet. The
engines are supplied with three different
| brakes. Ii the air fails TO work there
are powerful hand brakes. If they give
way the cold water-cylinder brake is ap-
piled. If that doesn't do the business
we'll, a man always ought to have his
subscription paid to his local paper.
Mines Of greater or less capacity are
scattered all over the hills. The ore is
loaded ill dumps and pushed out to the
railroads and unloaded. Nearly every
hillside shows traces Of the irrepressible
prOspector who never wearies of chasing
the yellow will o the wlsp and OF the
mineral claimant.
Near the summit of the Bald Mountain
so called because the few stunted pines
resemble the Struggling HAIR OH your
uncle's bald pate-the excursionists left
their two cars, furnished by the Elkhorn
company, for trip through genuine
gold mine. The mine was simply a tun.
mel, several hundred feet long, running
through the top Of hill. By the light
of candles and gnided by the superin-
tendent most OF the party went through
it, and came out at the other end filled
with romance and covered with yellow
mud. The ore is what is called refrac.
tory ore-that is, ore that must be treat
ed by chemical process in order 20 ex-
tract the gold. 1t assays from $40 to $SC
a ton. The stuff looks like hard, yellow
clay and is easily broken. Near the Ell.
trance to this mine workmen were load,
ing cars with dirt right off the top of the
hill and it is almost as rich in gold and
silver as that taken from the tunnel OF
drift.
If we havn't said anything about the
wild flowers found throughout the Black
Hills in wonderful variety and prOfusion
it is because a fellow can't think OF
twenty things at once for $l.50a year
Great handfuls Of tiger lilies were
brought on the train by brakamen and
at every stopping place among the
mountains the ladies plucked mos1
beautiful bouquets.
The morning Of our second day al
Deadwood was spent in visiting thu
smelters and various reduction works
In the smelters the ore is mixed will
| lime, coke and other stuff and BLASTED
and run off red hot into Stag, which i!
thrown away, and into matte" which il
send to Omaha to have the gold takeI
out. Then there is the chlorination ant
cyanide plants, where the ore is crushed
as fine as flour, roasted and dried ant
treated by a secret chemical process
comparatively new-and which ha
wonderfully stimulated the mining o
the precious metals. The amount O
dirt in the Black Hill which by chemica
process may thus yield untold wealth NJ
man can estimate. These reduction
mills treat the ore and take toll the sam
as a grist mill. The small miner cal
| riIa dawn nn n loo oFh Iii
assayed if he wants to.
Lead is about three miles from Dead
wood, and it was reached i'll time for
complimentary dinner Sy the citizens Q
that hustlng city. The city lies 5,l7
feet above the level Of the sea and CO
feet above its neighbor- Deadwood
single locomotive hauled our two cal
and one other UP the heavy grade Will
out trouble. At one place on the lin
) the grade is 465 feet to the mile, til
heaviest grade in the worlI for ordinar
traction locomotives. A few years ag
Lead depended upon Deadwood for it
supplies and other wants. but the Hom'
. CSohS AhAAihS COMPANY anu uVuV1 Sllllu
enterprises has given Lead what il
name implies in more meanings tina
one and it now hasa population Of 5,0t
and is the largess town in the Blac
Hills. Like i)eadwood, it lies amid til
mountain gnlches and is surrounded 0
all sides by high hills, which to elm
takes the wind out Of the visitor in
3 manner that would exhaust a Seut
Dakota governor.
Not one south DakOtan in twent
probably, knows or realizes that IL
Black Hills contains the largest gol
mining plant in the world. Not one i
fifty knows that at Lead the H0mestal
i, company claims to have enough ore j
; sight to keep 1000 of their men at wol
; ; for 40 years. The annual output of II
: Homes!ake mine is nearly S3,5OO,OOO-i
. exact dollars and cents last year $3,4S
i, g61.1S. This year with improved appl
: ances the mine is expected TO vie
MAJ MN M