The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1895-08-03

ore is low grade, only yielding some
thing like 50 or 81 to the ton, but ii is
free ore and this together with the enor-
nous amount handled by the extensive
plant every "a hours makes the mine a
profitable one for it's owners. miner
working in small way couldn't make
his salt at this mine. The llOmestake
plant and machinery represents some
thing like an outlay of 100000 before
a pound of ore is touched IA pat illustra-
tion of tile saying: it takes gold mine
TO work one, 1t is exceedingly difficult
to describe, even briefly, the Homestake
mine. OF the mine proper nothing is to
be seen except three elevator shafts from
which comes the ore 800 feet below. The
mine covers certain number of acres
on a side hill. At the foot, where a
stream Of water running down the gulch
can be utilized, Is the stamp mill,
great building several hundred feet
square. The roar of the stamps heavy
iron rods pounding to powder the ore
is deafening. A stream Of water washes
the pulverized ore over a bed or table
about SxlO feet and inclining at an
angle of ID degrees. The table is coated
with quicksilver which catches the gold.
Every two weeks the tables are scraped
and the gold freed from the quicksilver.
The ore is taken to the mill through an
| III nd iI,,,nv Il I,x,
the smallest steam locomotives IN the
world, and by an elevated road. Farther
up the hill are the buildings which
cover the shafts The shafts are down
500 feet with levels running running off
at right angles every 100 feet. The ore
comes up on the elevators in little cars
which are run off through the buildings
and dumped into the cars going to the
stamp mill. The ore looks like iron and
is very hard. A powerful pump keeps
the mine free from water. Three shafts
are down and we happened to be present
when the miners were being brought up
for the noon hour. The men who oper-
ate the hosting engines are men picked
FROM thousand. They are not allowed
to drink intoxicating liquors at any
time, use tobacco or speak to a SOIL while
on duty and are paid IS day Of II
hours. The skill with which they will
operate two cages or elevators go
ing up the other down, perlaps-at the
same time, stopping each on signal at
the desired level, shows their capabillty
and worth and the need Of only cool
headed and neryy men for the place. The
lives OF the employees as well as the
costly machinery lies in their hands. A
single wrong turn Of the wrist and no
one could fOrstall the result. The pow
erful engines just placed in position
for supplying compressed air for the
drills are marvels OF mechanical skill
and perfection.
The miners at Lead are made up of
many nationalities, but they are neces-
sarily skilled laborers, well paid, from
$3.50 to $3.50 day, and their relations
with the Homestake company of the
most pleasant kind. Many OF them own
fine houses. drive their own horses and
carriages and constitute the elite of the
city. To the Miners Union Lead is in
debted for the handsomest blcck in the
town and the finest opera house in the
state. The building also contains q
public library magnificently equipped
and furnished, the gift OF the widow of
the late Senator Hearst. Two delightful
, hours were passed in these elegant
rooms by most of the party, awaiting the
, departure for Spearish at 3::30.
We now come to the most delightful
railroading experience in the tour of the
[ Black Hills-thc trip over the standard
, guage Burlington to Spearlish-a route
that when it becomes better known, Will
/ be sought by tourists from all over the
| world. From Deadwood it is 80 miles
5 by wagon road but II. TO make it we
, double back to Pluma, then to Engle
l wood, where the road branches off from
| the main line and proceeds through {
l
| Speartish. The 30 miles ur so Of roa(
: from EngleWOod to Spearfish cost The
$ Burlington company something like
+ $l,5O0 0000-it has been placed as high as
( s2,000,0O0-and it is one of the most ex
| peHsive and difficult fcats of railroad
0 building in the world. The outlay is al
n the more surprising because there is NJ
@ freight or passenger business except Il
n Spearfisll, with its meagre l,2C0 inhabit
t ants, and the tourists-thc latter 70
whom it was mostly constructed. T,
/ better view the route an improvised Oh
n servati0n car is attached at Englewood
# From this point to Portland, the SUNNI
o OF Bald mountain, the line asccnds
o grade unequalled by any commercial
A road in the country, but the immens
s Burlington engines make easy work 0
J. it. With every turn Of the wheels th
e horizon widens and the view grows NOR
e magnificent. Lead is seen in the dis
v tance nesting among the mountain
% and mining camps are passed in clos
IS proximity. The road winds in and OH
e. the canyons, over narrow ledges, throug
If great cuts made through solid rock an
IS over draws and gulches that took a sid
n Of a mountain to Gil. From this poin
70 the road makes gradual descent, whic
k soon becomes plunge of 100 feet to tn
e mile. 1t is here that the Spea, fish rive
III and its wonderful canyon is reached. l
b eight miles this stream, along who's
a margin the railway closely pursues il
III course, dashcs down descent of 500 fec
with boiling current that defes tn
v. gamest trout. This remarkable desceI
le is made by a loop that follows tho win(
Id ing course OF the canyon and progressin
IN only a few rods to the mile OF travel. A
se the top Of the loop one can toss a ston
in straight down onto the track 700 feet bt
* low and it requires seven miles Of travt
N before reaching the Spot where the stOn