Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-07-02
Mining Items.

We learn from the Hill City News that
clean up was made last week in the st.
Elmo mill, which is said to have been
the best ever made since the new COM
pany took charge ofthe mine. The gold
was very coarse and several nuggets
were found in the batteries weighing
from one to nine pennyweights.
We are informed that the Crown Hill
Mining company who recently purchas-
ed this Spokane mine about IA miles east
of this city, have shipped car load of
ore from that property last week to the
smelter at Aurora, ILL.,. which will aver
age it is saiG between $500 and $4O0 per
ton. The company is at present en-
ploying eighteen men developing the
property.
The onyx mine, owned by Conductor
Bowker Of the B. and NJ, and situated
in the southern Hills, near Pringle, gives
promise of being money maker. The
stone will take as fine polish as any on
earth, and is very beautiful. Several
months ago a gentleman from Germany
was visiting in Custer, and hearing OF
the mine, secured some samples of the
rock from Mr.. Bowker The samples
were sent to Germany, and the test
proved so satisfactory that few days
ago an order was received for another
consignment Of the rock. The German
capitalists do not want to purchase, but
simply send in orders as they need the
material.-Independ
savery Bradley, receiver for the
Union Hill company, accompanied by
his brother, Thomas, arrived in the city
today from Philadelphia. They were
accompanied from Omaha by Henry T..
O'Neill, who is also heavy stockholder
in the company. 1t is understood that
these three gentlemen, in company with
one of the finest mining experts in the
country, will go over to Galena to-
morrow and make arrangements for the
resumption of work on the company's
ground at that place. These gentlemen
have expended thousands of dollars in
that district, and are willing TO sink
thousands more if they can be conyinc-
ed that they have paying proposition,
and that all that is needed to insure re-
turns is the proper amount Of develop
ment work Independent.
OUR PLACER MINES.
The placer mines adjacent to Custer
are receiving more than usual attention
this summer. One reason for this is
that the copious rains which have
visited this section during the spring
months has set the streams running and
furnished an ample supply of water for
mining purposes. Demereau's Bi4, two
miles above town, is being worked by a
crew Of industrious miners with fair
success. Four men are working the
ground belonging to W. Barnett on
French creek, and report the yield as
satisfactory. There are several camps
at the old Dansby diggings, and also on
the north fork Of French creek, which
according to reports are doing well.
The old placer camps in and around
Penobscot are well patronized, while
Bugtown and California Joe gulchss are
quite lively, reminding one of the early
days in those celebrated camps. There
is considerable work being done along
the stream and on the high bars OF
Spring creek and also on Tenderfoot
below the old town of Junction, which
are reported as yielding fair wages to
many of the old timers who understand
drifting. 1t is a pleasant scene to wit.
ness the revival of the placer industry
in these old camps which have been
neglected for several years on account
of lack of water for sluicing. The re-
newal Of work disclose the fact, thai
these diggings are not worked out as
many haye supposed, but that there is
vast field, covering in the aggregate
thousands of acres, which only need g
sufficient supply of water and little
energy to give profitable employment,
to vast number Of hardy miners, who
in dull seasons like the present may re
pair, and take out grub stake. 1t has
been truthfully remarked that there are
no Klondikes in this region, yet there are
some gratifying peculiarities about the
placer mines of this district not the
least Of which is the fact that in many
instances our ranchmen are
accustomed to dig gold and potatoes on
the same ground. There is but little
probability of a mans acquiring sud
den fortune while engaged in placer
mining in the southern Black Hills, yet
on the other hand there is no danger o.
his starving while the vegetation above
and the gravel below the soil both yield
him fair return for his labor.
THE MINERAL INDUSTRY.
Richard J. Rothwell, of the New York
Engineering and Mining Journal, gives
the mineral product of the United States
for the year 1897 as follows: The pro-
duction in the United States increased
from 2,56S,499 troy ounces (S52, ,S56, ,2OC
In 1896, to 2,S64,576 $3.50, ,2lo, ,795) in 1897
The greater part of the increase was due
to Colorado, which state is credited with
an output of $l9,579,637 and now leads
all the others in point of gold produc-
ton. The Cripple Creek mines furnish
upward Of 90 per cent of the total yield
of the state. South Dakota and Alaska
made increased outputs, owing to the
axtansinn of oneratinns at the hnne