Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-08-14
Mining Items

a hS" otAiho III piaCOi 10 iCpOitcu VA
Lightning creek. The new diggings are
said to be situated little below Charles
Holmes residence in the vicinity where
many good spots have been found in
past years and considerable gold taken
out. There is more than the usual
amount of water flowing in the creek at
this time, and the miners are said to be
doing well.
The Holy Terror company have re-
Gently put in new S0-horse power
boiler, and are preparing to put in new
hosting works. 1t is the intention Of
putting the shaft down 1900 feet with
out stopping. Most of the work is now
being done on the -500-foot level where
the ore vein is said to be from to 10
feet wide and is increasing in width as
depth is attained.
There is said to be quite force of
men at work at the old camp of Dansby,
and a good deal of fairly rich dirt is
being taken cut of the plscers IN that
neighborhood. In addition to this it is
reported that quite number of very
promising quartz veins haye been open
ed, and prospecting for gold in that
locality is being pursued with some
thing like the old time vigor.
We are indebted to County Commits
sioner Neal for information in regard to
a new and valuable strike recently
made in the Keystone district. The
new find is STATED between Elk and
Gray Hound gulches,. The ore is quartz
and tale, in vein feet in width, be-
tween granite walls. The new dis
covery was made by J. J. Clark and
Charles Gray, who have had the ore
assayed and received return of $l2S.
We have been told by a prominent
mining man, that there is a certain
stretch of country not many miles from
Custer, which abounds in zinc. And we
understand some rich zinc ore has been
struck and is being developed. Our
informant was reticent in regard to the
exact location, but promised to en-
tighten US fully in few days. Zinc is
growing in demand in the Uuited States,
and the value of the product of 1896
was $6,5l9,920.
In the Bear Lodge range, which is just
north of Sundance, there is said at this
time to be about POO prospectors and
miners at work. Flanagan and Snyder
(old timers) haye 60 foot shaft down,
and are greatly encouraged at the pros
pect. Their groupings assayed $i.G0 q
ton, and the vein is 6 feet wide. At the
present depth the ore carries from $40
to $l5. Tests from several small
shoots which have come in have been
obtained running as high as $500 in gold.
The mineral bearing district is said to
be Is miles wide by about so In length.
The prospectors are said to be doing
well. The ore is mostly refractory
yielding copper, silver and gold.
Col. L. X. Stone, the present superin
tendent of the Keystone mine, was in
Deadwood a few days ago prior to hi.
departure for Chicago. In speaking OF
the transfer of that property to the
English company. he said that he con
sidered the outlook z ost fayorable ant
that in his mind there was no question
but that the deal would be made. The
intended purchasers, however, hat
changed their plans, and instead o.
adding to the present capacity of tht
mill, by making it a forty stamp, it wal
their present purpose to increase j
to a mill of 100 stamps. The first pay
ment is to be made on the lst Of DC
tober. 1t is rumored that the work will
commence on Sept. lst.
In 1898 the Welcome Mining com
pany erected in Spearfish large chic
rination mill which they did not fine
profitable to run on account of the lonl
haul from the mines. The recen
changes brought about by railroad
facilities. and the discovery of seliceou
ores near at hand, have encouraged
number of capitalists to join together t.
utilize the abandoned plant and refit j
for treating ore by the electric cyanid
process. The men who are at the heat
Of this enterprise are l.. w. Valentine
Henry Keels and J. f. Summers, oil
ficials of the Bank Of Spearfish; Joh,
Wolzmuth. a prominent merchant Da
& Cresswell, and Driskell Brothers, al
wealthy and able men. The enterpris
should be success.
, We assume that by this time it
generally understood that our ore, a
though carrying gold in paying quar-
titles, is not strictly free milling. 1t
often found in combination with othe
metals, and lately we have observed tina
, some of these base metals are bein
sought for by outside parties who seen
, to know what il is worth. Heretofor
we have all been glad to get rid of TIL
base ores the best way we could an
have only tried to saye the gold. l
conversation with a chemist from tn
east short time ago he volunteered tn
, information that we had many mine
here, which, in addition to the golC
contained many other metals, such {
antimony, cobalt, and many others i
quantity (he thought to pay as b
product. Our reply to the gentlema
was that we had some veins of tn.
character. and if he would mine the or
ship it, and reduce it, and give us th