Omaha daily bee., 1898-03-08
MINING IN The BLACK HILLS
--latest Advces from South Dakota's Rich
Ore Region.
SALE OF THE SMITH GROUP At TWO BIT
Brings Into Existence Another Large
Company OF Eastern Capitalists
with UnIimitcd Means--ImpOr-
tRnt Mining Case Settled.

LEAD, s. D., March 7.-(Specal 1.-THE
sale last week OF the Smith group Of mines
at Two Bit was more than an ordinary trans
action, since X brings in existence another
large company Of eastern capitalists with
unlimited means. The group consists of
twelve mineral claims and 1t Is the plan OF
the new company to commence building
complete hoisting plant and follow the ex-
ample of the other Two Bit companies in
making a thorough investigation. OF the
ground. The personnel OF the company,
which will be known as the Baker syndi-
cate is Samuel Brady, Malcolm McCullam,
Frank Andrews, A. ]. Murphey, Robert
Murphey. L. d. Andrews and John f. Beebe,
all of Chicago. The stock OF the company is
all subscribed and none will be for sale.
This district IL wonderfully equipped Tor
systematic and extensive development OF
the ores. Since the first discovery In the
Hardin shaft twelve well appointed hoisting
plants have been delivered from Chicago and
are either in active operation or are in vari-
Gus stages of construction on the different
properties of Two Bit. All OF the shafts
that are being sunk by the Hardin companies
are going down as rapidly as three shifts OF
men can do the work. 1t Is expected that
before the 1st Of May, in the majority OF
the shafts the original Hardin ore body will
DO penetrated.
great deal of development work Is being
done in the Yellow creek district. The shoe, s
of ore in the old producers are becoming
larger and richer and several new shafts are
contemplated. One of the best producers Is
the Wasp No. g. which is owned by William
Mclaughlin of Deadwood and others. large
force OF men is working at the mine and the
ore bodies recently exposed are proving to
be good producers.
There are perhaps few mining districts
to be found with such promising prospects
as are in the Bald mountain and Ruby
basin districts. The first prospecting was
done on the rim of the lower quart2ite at
the southern base of the mountain. The ore
veins were very small at fret, but there
were a good many OF them exposed which
led the mining operators to believe that
farther south the ore shoots came together
dnto a larger stream. This theory has been
proven true, as the shafts in the Tornado
Mogul and Union mines show. The trend OF
the ore body is southwark and 1t has been
traced for a distance of three miles. Sew
eral companies have purchased large tracts
of mineral land still farther south in the
vicinity OF Dumont and Englewood and have
begun to sink in a practically unexplored
country. The land was purchased very rea.
sonably and If the main ore body is en-
countered, as Is expected, the properties will
become very valuable.
UNUSUAL ACTIVITY.
The prospects are that there will be un-
usual activity in the development Of min
eral land in the carbonate district this
spring. There has been but very little de-
velopment in the lower horizontal rock
which is supposed to be very rich with gold
bearing ore Most of the mining has beer
done on the contact between the lime and
the potsdam. The formation Of the belt
aside from q small area OF limestone, is
r,,oda af m hr w 81 n
dgneous porphyry and trachyte. Along the
southern boundary there is a stretch OF YER
tical states with parallel assures of golt
bearing ore at short intervals that are very
promising.
Preparations are being made for extensive
development of mining property in the Gar
den City district on False Bottom creek. Th'
distance to the ore body on the grount
which lies north of the Garden City ant
Peuobscot groups Is about 150 feet and 1t Il
the plan of several of the mine owners II
this vicinity to sink to the ore level.
The force of men working on the Nortl
Star group Of mines is making good prog
Tess The workings have been started II
an old shaft sunk some time ago; The shat
will be sunk to the 200-foot level, whei
cross-cuts will be made and the propert!
will be thoroughly exploited.
The Hawkeye property, situated west o
the Homestake. is being thoroughly devel
oped. The manager OF the company Davit
Black Hills and reports the work of o
veloping the property progressing satsfac
torily and the ore vein Is increasing II
value. When depth Is attained 1t Is ex
pected that the property will be heay
producer CT free-milling ores.
There Is large tract OF land betwee
Iclk ard Box Elder creeks. in the Custer pea
district that has not been sufficiently ex
plored to warrant very extensive develop
ments. Still. thece are several well define
,t.h oil, ,rfa Of hAtn
good producers. Large dykes OF quartzit
and porphyry can be traced for many mile
along the course OF the states and at man
places form the walls of fissure lodges coc
tairing a milling grade Of ore. There is n
doubt when the district Is properly develope
1t will be auother rich producing district
The Central hills will receive a great des
OF attention this spring. In the Calabog
district, there is large area that Is GOV
cred with dense growth of Norway pint
and numerous parallel veins OF gold beal
ing quartz are exposed ON the surface whic
show good prospects. THE district known a
the Hornblende camp, four miles southwes
of Rockford. gives every evidence OF becou
ing a permanent camp, and the prOpert
owners are developing their claims as rapid
as possible. 1t is reported that the Moffs
syndicate OF Denver, which had an optic
on a group of claims in this district. he
withdrawn the obligation because of an e
tunglement in the title of the property.
CASE SETTLED.
An interesting case was settled In th
circuit court last week. In 1896 DR.. Wade
Lead and others had a man locate SON
mineral claims In Ice Box canyon west :,
Deer mountain. A year after another part
loca ed the same property. covering the san
ground II was shown In court that Il
first location had not been properly mao
Din that the stakes had not been placed prom
nently enough to be seen. The jury rendere
q verdict in favor of the last locator. tt
property has become valuable and was 10.
TO the first locators through carelessnes