Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1899-04-29
Some notes on Custer County Ores.

coino uoteb Oh SubIer Sounty Sres'
1t cost over a million dollars in ex.
perimenting and testing before sue
cess was accomplished, and process
was discovered, to save the gold in the
telluride ores of the northern Hills.
And now they save it without much
trouble, that is up to about S5 per cent.
These ores are confined almost entirely
thus far to the quartzite surrounding
Terry's Peak and Bald Mountain and
more recently in phonolite ores. But
telluride gold ore is not near 40 abund-
ant in the northern Hills as in the
southern portion, for whereas in the
north il is found thus far in the fat for.
nation, while in Custer county it is
found not only in the fat stratas Of
quartzite, but in the vertical quartz
| veins in the states as well. But long
after amalgamation was found to be n
failure OH these ores in the northern
Hills, mine owners in Custer county
continued to put up stamp mills for the
VAIL VI tilC EOld iIOlli Jul lNIlulllt
ore, and as the last stamp mill was
erected only about year ago, it is not
at all certain that the grand folly has
ended yet.
There are good many visitors just at
present in the different camps, some of
them quite plain, common miners in
tthn tiyc S,,r
res ources in the line of mineral, in the
employ of heavy capitalists, some of
whom are experienced operators in the
mines of Colorado and Montana. There
is not much danger of these people,
should they become interested in our
mines, making any such mistake as that
to which we refer. Their experience
has taught them better. But there is
danger still that some tender foot, whose
ignorance Of ores, and Of mining, and
whose cupidity is excited by the itch
showing in some places Of the yellow
metal dfused through the surface quartz,
will astonish the old timers some fine
morning by unloading another quartz
mill at our depot. Or some new fan
gled pulverizer by which the new COM
er proposes to teach our people how to
save gold in way they never dreamed
of. If such a thing should occur, the
best way is to say nothing but let them
go ahead, for they will never quit until
they have accomplished their hellish
design. They will erect their mill,
make a run, and when their money and
credit is exhausted they will shut down.
Result, mill owner broke, a good mine
ruined, and good district has received
black eye. 1t generally takes about
B years before another capitalist in
search of mines will venture into that
district, even to look at a mine, and
why? Simply because there stands that
mill as guide post, warning all who
would invest in mines to steer clear of
that camp. 1t says as plain as if it were
written all over it, this camp has been
tried and proven a failure.
There have been many discouraging
things in connection with prospecting
in the southern Hills. but this phase of
the situation has been the most deaden-
ing and damaging of ALL Men who 60
into most any other kind of business of
which they know nothing, generally
hire some one who does know to con-
duct the business, or else, take counsel
from some one who has had experience
in that line. But it is not 80 in mining.
Those who know nothing about the busi-
ness are too wise to take advice from
any one until their money is gone, and
then they are quite approachable, and
often when you get acquainted with
them. you find they are nice men in
social way, and later on sometimes make
good miners.
What we complain of most is that
their education is 80 expensive, not
alone to them but more particularly to
the prosrectors who own good mines in
the district, who are 80 seriously handi-
capped by their damaging mistakes.
And YET after all our ores are not diff