Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1897-01-22

SA'oeous ores. lnelr aggregate capac
ity is about 1000 tons per day. Several
other large mills are projected for the
treatment of these ores.
For several years it was thought that
the siliceous ores were confined to q
small area of country in the vicinity of
Bald mountain and Terry's peak. Later
the same character of ore was found at
Clusters peak, ut Rockerville, near
French creek, ON the east of the Hills
on Red canon and on the headwaters
of Rapid and Castle creeks: also re.
ported southwest of Welcome and in
the Bear Lodge range near Sundance
The Potsdam sandstone does not all
carry gold in the vicinity of Bald noun
tain and Terry's peak. Where the
greatest amount of development work
has been done there are three horizon
tai stratas which are worked. Besides
these there are vertical seams running
from one strata to another. The char
acter of the siliceous gold bearing ores
is somewhat different ut Bald noun
tain and Terry's peak from those near
Kirk. In the former districts it is Il
hard gray to whitish sandstone resem-
bling quartzite. AtKirk the ore of the
same character is found i'm limited
quantities. The predominating ore is
reddish sandstone. carrying consider
able quantities of hermatite In some
of this ore the we'll known fossils of
the Potsdam formation are plainly visi-
bic. The ores at Kirk have value
from $40 to 5000 per ton. The average
value per ton of all the Potsdam ores
treatedat the hedifferent reduction works
during the year commencing Decem-
ber l, 1895, and ending November 30,
1896, was Sl7.44 per ton, and the num-
ber of tons treated 169,9S7; the total
yield, s2,971,671. None of the ore is
treated that does not yield SD per ton.
There is now on the dumps in the
vicinity of Ruby Basin, Bald mountain,
Terry peak and the other siliceous ore
camps more than l,OOO,OOO tons of ore,
worth from s6 to sl2 per ton. These
ores could be treated at IL profit by the
reduction works now in operation in
the vicinity of Deadwood. but are not
treated for the reason that there is an
abundance of higher grade ores in
sight to supply all of the reduction
works, running night and day. for years
to come. Competent experts have esti-
mated that the mines in the siliceous
ore belt of the Potstlam of Lawrence
county would produce 6.0OO tons per
day for ten years of a value of more
than s6 per ton. 1t is we'll known
fact that ores yielding Sc per ton can
be treated at a profit by either the
cyanide or chlorination process.
Recent discoveries have disclosed a
network of vertical lines in the carbon
ferrous formation at and around peak
called Ragged Top,situated on the east
side of Spearfish creek, twelve miles
south of the town of that name, and
about the same distance in a westerly
course from Deadwood. The gold dis
coveries so far made at Ragged Top
and elsewhere in the carboniferous
formation indicate an unprospected
district of vast extent. Already the
same character of ore has been found
ten miles west of Rapid City, near
Rockerville, at a point twelve miles
east of Custer, also southwest of Gus
ter, u few miles south of Welcome and
in the Bear Lodge mountains near
Sundance. The character of the ore
at Ragged Top is limestone containing
a small percentage of silica and no
indications whatever of gold. The
gold contained in the ore is probably
held in the tellurides, the fact has not
yet been determined; but it is neither
free pyritic or auiferous. The veins
have a northeast and southwest course
while the veins of the archean forma-
tion are nearly all northwest and south
east. The width of the veins varies
from two to ten feet. The first discov-
cries made in the Ragged Top district
were loose boulders that had been trav.
eled over and sat on by prospectors for
the past twenty years. These boulders
lying loose on the surface. gave assay
values in gold of from s2G to more than
$500 per ton. Since the first discovery
was made several hundred tons OF
these boulders have been shipped
away. The deepest shaft in the Ragged
:, Top districts is now down 1GO feet and
has not yet passed through the carbon.
ferrous. Ore assaying $500 per ton
!. has been taken from this shaft. On
: the Flora group blanket vein has
been penetrated by the shaft for dis
tance of seven feet. How much deeper
. it goes is not yet known. Assays have
shown this ore to average 1920 per ton
J. selected samples run up into the thou
sands. On the Norwich group carload
4 lots have yielded $50 and $50 per ton
: In the Ragged Top district there are