Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-05-16

climbing the east slope until attaining
suinclent altitude, it suddenly turns
eastward and passes through notch in
ths Purple Limestone. Between Argyle
ahd Prlngie We pass through cuts of fine
req Carboniferouss sandstone. At Pringle
We are IN the shadow of the Carbonifer-
Gus Limestone ridge on the west, with
several feet Of sandstone Of the Potsdam
epoch at the base. On the gentler slopes
east and north We see ragged patches of
dark colored states standing nearly erect,
but dipping toward the east. Here we
bid farewell to the stratifed rocks which
we DO not again sea near at hand until
We reach Deadwood. Pfipgle 10 1881
feet above the sea, the highest point yet
reached along our paths.
As we pursue our course we begin to
notice that rising above the gentle slopes
OF the slate surface are narrow walls Of
coarse gray granite. These are from a
Few inches TO several feet in thickness
and rise from 5.25 feet above the sur.
rocnding country. These narrow ridges
or walls run nearly north and south,
and become higher and thicker till they
become massive ridge 200-300 feet in
bhsght, as is found north of Custer. In
4 Seed the towering mass of Harney Peak
Tsssnt the elimination OF this feature.
The rougher portions Of the country are
| thickly covered with small pines, all
inside the red valley. Ii was at Custer
that the first traces of gold were found
! in the Custer expedition upon French
creek. Placer mining was at that place
at one time very productive. Higher
! up upon the stream not only is consid-
erahle gold yet found in the valley, but
! in several points rich veins Of quartz
have been discovered. One great hin
drance to the development ofthe deposit
Of these mines has been the scarcity of
water and requisite capital has not yet
been obtained to bring water, which
may be obtained some miles away.
Through the kindness Of Hon. ]. 4.
Pitcher, L was enabled TO visit a number
Of the more interesting points during
my short stay. Numerous mining claims
have been located in the vicinity. South
Of the city, about four miles, is the "Old
Charley" mine, which is being profit
ably worked. | visited also the Big
Whale" where promising prospects
have been found in white quartz veins.
At Tin Mountain a vein of granite con-
tains considerable quantities Of tin ore.
Northwest of the city is a large mns Of
excellent mica. 1t has been worked so
that tons Of tho mineral are in sight,
and it is of unknown depth. The refuse
is utilized in an axle-grease factory,
which has recently been started in the
town. A few miles TO the northwest is
Sylvan ldie which is becoming more
and more popular as a pleasure resort.
Its altitude, beautiful surroundings. its
excellent hotel. and quaint pine woods
make it an ideal place for few weeks
vacation in midsummer. Harney Peak
with its grand views is not far away.
At Berne the railroad reaches its
highest point in the "SoutherR Hills"
1888 feet above the sea. There is then
a descent to Hill City through rough
country, along the west base of Harney
Peak TO the head waters of Spring creek.
Hill City is another point centrally
located with reference TO several gold
and mica mines The u. r." mine and
Golden Summit are near by, and Sheri-
dan, noted in the days Of placer mining
5 miles. northeast, while ten miles east is
x wstone with its rich gold mines, the
tnoted Of which is the we'll knows
HSst noted Of The 'f tin -nris mines of aser', ssrt
nearer Hill City is the Addis. The diI
not only a direction but also in amount
| The states not only contain in places
small garnet crystals but in other place.
stsurolite and hornblsnde. From a
study OF the hills west of Custer as well
as in this region, il seemed probable
| though not proved, that these different
I l.. l1 nfp Ell arly I;Har.nt ~
original deposition and that their repe.
tition may be found to indicate folds OF
strata That the states have been so
| crumpled and folded, has been shown
unmistakably by recent studies along
| Rapid creek, contrary to Newton and
| other early observers.
Near Hill City we pass the northern
! limit of the granite ridges. The granite
! is generally of a coarse nature, of a light
| color frequently showing what i'd called
pegmatitic structure. 1t is generally
looked upon as of erupiive origin,
having been forced between the states
when they were far below their present
altitude and covered with unknown
thickness Of everything rocks, which
have been removed TO build up later
formations This central portion of the
state area shows high ridges thickly
covered with pines with comparatively
open and leve. parks between.
From Hill City the road rises over the
divide between French and Rapid
creeks The latter stream is crossed At
Mystic and followed up the north branch
to Rockford, where there are some pro
missing mines of gold and a valuable
deposit of asbestos. Another summit is
reached at Dumont, near Custer Peak,
6l9S feet above the sea. The region is
still underlaid by states. The trend of
the states is not SO uniform rs might be
inferred from earlier reports. We now
begin to see bodies of massive gray
commonly known as porphyry. In
some cases 1t is in dykes several feet in
width, but more commonly in huge
wedge like or dome-lke masses. The
latter form is not readily comprehended
at frat, but appears from closer study.
In the distance are seen occasional dark
brown masses Of stratifed rock nearly
horizontal. These are only layers of
the Potsdam sandstone. They are fre.
quently inpregnatsd in this region with
gold very timely divided, which 10 free
milling after exposure, but from the
depth Of the mine the ore is often RE-
fractory."
At Deadw wood we reached the terminus
Of the main line in The bottom of the
canon of Whitewood creek. On either
side the hills show conspicuously the
masses of white Carboniferons lime
stone, with dark brown cliffs Of Pots
dam below. Between the two close ex-
animation reveals 20-30 feet of outf areR-
aceous limestone containing Silurian
fossils and as much OF greenish shale.
The White Rocks east OF the city be-
long to the Carboniferous, as also those
north of the smelter. An eruption of
porphyry has raised the stratitied rocks
east Of the city 100 or 200 feet, forming
sheets and dykes between them. And
from it the Porsdam sandstone has been
impregnated with gold, which produce
the mines of Spruce Gulch and also
some in the gulches west Of the city.
am indebted to Mr.. /. A. Webb for
showing me through the former.
Nearly two miles below the city is q
fanlt having throw Of more thsn loo
feet, running about east southeast; the
down throw being 10 the south.
At Lead City there Is the noted Home
stake mine and mills. running oyer 700
stamps, working away day and night
upon a vein of lean but easily worked
free milling ore. Oyer this an outflow
of white and variegated porphyry in
and under which are thin strata of Pots
dam sandstone quite rich in refractory
gold. These ores have been thought of
little value at the Homestake mills. but
the improved methods of the chlorina-
ton and cvanide processes have rond-