The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-11-14
A Region Of Anomalies for Miners
and Scientists.
PUZZLE FOR METALLURGISTs
Gold In Hornblend and Nuggets In
Quartz-How the Dicta of the
biologists We're Disproveo :,
Mining a Gamble. uy

cept, perhaps, that 1t is one of the
greatest gold-bearing areas Of the con-
tinent. The geology of the upheaval.
particularly that of the auriferous for
nations puzzled the early scientists
sadly and the mining experts of the
present epoch who visit the region for
the first time. bringing with them rep
utation and wealth of Information
theoretical or acquired in other gold
countries, are liable to find accepted
geological truths and past experience
equally at fault. Many a mining en-
gineer whose contributions TO the pro-
ceedings of the institute have gained
him distinction, and the coin which
rolls so literally behind success in that
profession. has been surprised, puzzled
and abashed by the rock enigmas OF.
these hills.
One of these doctors of science. / am
told. after listening to the assertions
by Hills miner that hornblend from
the ledge OF his mine carried free gold,
gravely assured him that 1t was impos-
sible. Gold never occurs in horn
blend" said the scientist.
But / catch 1t in the pan," insisted
the man in the flannel shirt. -ltr
well. sir" remarked the E. M. Sc
verely, IT should be glad to see aurif-
erous hornblendic rock. Science makes
no mention of such a formation, and
years of practical observation in doz-
en- mining districts has left me ignor-
ant of its existence"
I'D be glad to show you some" re-
piled the graduate of the pick, land IL
you don't mind walking down to my
ground, I'll do tt
The expert assented, a clod of the
dark greenish rock was taken from the
ledge, mortar and pan produced, and at
the margin of mountain stream the
doctor saw in the heel of the bur-
nished gold pan a train of free gold
which completely overthrow the lore of
books. The man who told me the story
AN anti-scientist, by the way-dotes
upon the experts final conclusion. II
was something like this: Gold in horn
blend? Impossiblel Gold does not occur
| in rock of this order"-but glancing at
| the pan-"it does in the Black Hills"
Another geologist of national repute
refused a year or two ago to give a
miner the favorable report which mill
| test warranted, assigning as reason
that the $40 or more in quartz nuggets
| found in the batteries, did not come
| from the ton of rock crushed. There
was little fine gold, and the professor,
| though he had personally conducted
the test, announced that the dull, rough
| nuggets must have been introduced
4 while his back was turned. He believ-
| ed, in short, that he had been "salted."
| His report did credit to his honesty.
| and his claim that Nuggets rarely, II
| ever, occur in quartz" was in accord
with general scientific observation. The
| deal was declared off and the mine
| owner, who was probably as honest as
| the expert, called down imprecations
| upon the head of the man who had
| ruined his sale. The presence of this
| coarse gold in the batteries remained
| a mystery. Some believed the miner
| wronged. Others sided with science,
and It was not until the Holy Terror
produced hundreds of dollars in quartz
| nuggets last spring that the country
| gave a unanimous verdict In favor oil
| itself and became a recognized pro-
Queer OF natural ingots and gold bars
| Two other properties, situated fully SIX
| miles distant from the Terror, the Col
den Slipper and the Hazel. have quite
| recently reaffirmed the miners favorite
dictum, Gold is where you find Ii,
and 1T is not surprising that expert OPP
inion is at present in some disrepute.
But II Is idle to deny that mining is
at best, something of a gamble. The
| same Is true OF trade and agriculture
The hazards incurred by the expert.
enced miner who starts with a good
Surface prospect are, perhaps, nc
| greater than those taken by the aver
age grocer or farmer. The chances OF
enormous profits compensate for the
added risk. Lawrence county, OF which
Deadwood Is the center, now has q
score or prospective millionaires. They
are mining and smelling at Deadwood
Omaha Kansas City, Aurora and Den
yer. refracting gold ores which return
from $50 to 800 per ton. Mining, ship
| ming and smelling charges approximate
S12 per tom and with blankets of silici
Gus ore averaging six or eight feet II
depth and underlying tracts of from
| 10 to SO acres, fortune Is a near pros
pect. The majority of these men were
common miners, and Bohemian, Italar
| and Scandinavian names now hgur'
| prominently in Deadwood mining news
Several grocerymen have made or los
fortunes by granting or refusing 20
| grubstakes. Capital has, of course
taken large blocks of stock in the best
Not a little Eastern. Canadian and En-
| glish gold has melted away In ill-ad
| yised and badly managed ventures, bu
II is significant that every few days
the news comes that rich strike hai
been made upon some abandoned prop
erty. Railways and cheaper method
| of treatment are helping to solve min
ing problems that 10 years ago were be
| yond solution. The outcome Of tn
first two decades in Black Hills mininl
is not surprising. Il is hard now now !. t.
threw up their hands years ago witt
the Homestake group producing from
| 81. SOC. boo to s., 000.0 900 annually. To sup
| pose that a single vein or body of or
400 feet in width was the only deposi
did violence TO common sense and OF
| fered an insult TO every liberal nature
Some OF the natives who played an
lost in the early and exciting gold gam
have since recouped themselves in 9th
| er pursuits. / met a hillsman the othe
day who contrasted mining with agri
| culture In about this way;
/ came to the Hills in 1S75-one of IN
pioneers. In those days miners had I
dodge both Indians and United State
regulars. The reds wanted our scalp:
and the blues wanted 10 drive US bac
beyond treaty limits. Since the sprin
Of "a, when the country was opened I
settlement. the chief enemies OF societ
have been stage robbers. horse thieves