Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-05-07
Letter From A. r. Ledoux.


The following letter from Mr.. A. r.
Ledou1. Receiver for the Harney Peak
Tin Mining and Manufacturing COM
pany. which is self explanatory and of
special interest, is published for the
information of CHRONICLE readers:
New YORK. April 2S, 1898.
To the Editor OF the Custer Chronicle,
Custer City, ). ID.
DEAR SIR Somebody has kindly sent
me your issue Of April 10th, and can
not refrain from complimenting you on
your remarks concerning the article
appearing in the Cosmopolitan Maga-
zine, purporting to describe how The
Eta Tin Mine was salted for the benefit
Of the English investors. l know
nothing whatever of my own knowledge
of what took place while the tin deal
was being promoted, but it is so pre-
posterous that anybody should send to
England for ore to salt TIN mine in
South Dakota that cannot refrain from
adding my approval to your editorial
statement. There is plenty of tin ore
to be obtained in Custer and Penning-
ton counties if one desires it for legili
mate or illigitimate purposes. What
the Harney Peak company never deter
mined and what Is still, in my opinion,
a question for the future, is whether
this tin ore exists anywhere in quanti-
ties sufficient to protitably mine.
Since / have been Receiver l have
urged upon the litigants again and again
that this question be determined by
Legitimate mining and sampling but SO
far without avail. | haye also placed
myself on record that there is strong
probability that upon some of the
patented claims of this company gold
can be fourd in paying quantity, and
have urged that | be authorized to con.
tract with prospectors, authorizing them
to open up the gold prospects on joint
account. There are some evidences
that these htigants may consent TO a
thorough testing Of the property, and no
one will be more pleased than the Re-
ceiver If the good people Of the Black
Hills. who have suffered so much dis
appoin tment as the result Of the unwise
initiation and subsequent reaction in the
beginnings of the Harney Peak enter
prise, shall be permitted and enabled to
demonstrate that after all the Southern
Hills contain valuable deposits Of gold
or tin. or both, and that they should
participate in the renewed prosperity
which would result as they have shared
the adversely of the enterprise.
Considering how scattered haye been
the ranches, shaft houses and mills in
my custody as Receiver, there has been
apparently very little lost by theft or
alienation of property, but what is
missing is now being searched for and
should be returned at once. But be
lieve that the people have aided my
representatives to the best Of their
ability.
Although authorized by the Court to
dismante the tin mill and scatter its
machinery by sales, have fortunately
been able as yet to prevent so unfor-
tunate a contamination and have sue
ceeded in paying the taxes which were
the subject Of litigation without destroy
ing what consider to be the key to the
future of the tin district, whether the
key be golden key or of another metal.
The mill with little alteration is suitable
f,r the treatment of tin or gold ore
trust that the tax authorities while
not favoring the Receiver more than is
Just and equitable, as compared with
corporations and individuals within
their jurisdiction, will encourage ns to
maintain the present policy in the hope
that after all something can be worked
out of this unfortunate enterprise.
4. R. trDoux.