Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1899-06-03
Mica Mines.

4
We have of late received letters ol
inquiry in regard the mica mines in the
vicinity of Custer. We haye answered
each, and given the names of some OF
the many locations which have in their
day been deservedly celebrated for the
profitable production of the mineral
which seems to be growing more and
more in demand. We speak of their
having been celebrated in their day, but
that was before the all powerful trust
got control of the market, and made it
improbable to mine and ship the mica
from the Black Hills. 1t was not on
account of any inferiority Of the quality
OF mica furnished from our mines for it
is fact that all the experts in the min
eral which have examined our mines
have universally praised the quality of
Custer county mica. 1t has stood the
test In competition with the best mica
from the mines Of North Carolina and
Canada, and there has been but one re
port, and that is that our mica is supe-
rior to most Of the mica that is put upon
the market, and is not excelled by any.
The trouble has been that the trust or
combine controlled all the mines in the
east which produced mica in commercial
quantities. And they haying enough to
supply the market, soon found means to
get rid Of the undesirable competition
from the Black Hills, and for several
years but very little mica from this sec
ton has found its way into the great
cities to supply the demand. We are
glad to find that the situation is fast
changing in this respect, and that our
Black Hills mica is coming rapidly in
request.
1t has been our ambition and pleasure
in the many years of the passed to keep
posted in general way on the mining
locations in the southern Hills, and
among the rest, we have not allowed the
mica mines to escape our notice. But
we confess with slight touch ofhumili-
alton that there has been all this time
one of the principal mines Of mica in
this district, Of which we have often
heard, but never examined until one
day last week. We rode out with Mr..
G. K. Shoemaker, one of the owners of
the mine, and were agreeably surprised
to find that what we had heard ofthe
property had not been exaggerated. In
answer to our inquiry we were informed
that the name of the mine is the Mos
COW. 1t is situated about 81 miles south
east from Custer in the vicinity of the
McKirahan ranch. The mica is found
in vein in dixie Of granite which IN
most places is almost pure white fed
spar, and in other portions of the vein
it is mingled and blended with white
quartz. This feldspathic granite dixie
varies from 20 to "a feet in width and
runs nearly due north and south. There
are three openings, each of which dis
close the vein, which show fine books Of
mica, the general width ofwhich is from
7 to feet. This dixie, with the vein
running through it from one end to the
other, is about 1900 feet in length and
crops out bodily for that distance when
it disappears aid is covered by slide
rock and soil. The vein is marked by
two good walls we'll defined The west
or hanging wall Cthe vein dips slightly
to the east) is composed Of primitive
quartzite and is very smooth, firm and
solid The foot wall is archean, or old
micacious slate, which forms the coun-
try rock in this vicinity. The books OF
mica in the vein lie in every conceiv-
able form and shape and the mica is Of
a superior quality. These books split
up into sheets of good size, and some
sheets have been found which would
cut in dimensions of 6 by s inches. We
are under obligations to Mr.. Shoemaker
for his courtesy in driving us out to look
at this promising mine, and believe that
in the near future 1t will become one of
the grandest producers of mica which
our district affords.