Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1899-03-25
The Mining Outlook.

answer, good, quite good. There are
many reasons why we should feel en-
couraged and look forward to an awak-
ened interest in matters pertaining to
the mines in this locality. In the first
place there has been no time in our
history when deep mining was SO pop
ular. There has never been a time
when there where so many contracts
being let for shafts that are designed to
go down into the bowels of the earth for
the purpose of exploring and develop
ing its hidden treasures, To accomplish
this task requires machinery of SUBJ
stantial character, and the parties who
have the business in hand seem to uh
derstand and appreciate the fact. The
machinery is forthcoming, and much of
it is already on the ground.
The Lizzie mine, belonging to the
Willow Greek Mining Company, has
attained a depth Of 255 feet, and are
preparing to sink 200 feet deeper with
out stopping They have the necessary
hoisting.plant, already erected and in
working order, the funds in hand and
the disposition to put her down. Their
ore is of good grade and theif vein is a
large one. They could by sorting their
ore be shipping to smelter at profit
to-day. They deem the better policy
however to hold their ore until they are
ready to build reduction plant of their
own. by this means they save the cost
of transportation by wagon and railroad
and this in the aggregate amounts to a
sum which, when saved from continu;
GUS run, would constitute princely pio-
fit and dividend. They seem to know
their business, and we think we can
safely trust them to carry their enter
prise to successful issue.
The "Vigilante," formerly the Gold
Coin group of mines, situated in the
Dansby dittrict, IF. w. Bush superin
tendent,) whose main shaft is already
down l07 feet, besides numerous drifts,
are now prepared to sink 200 feet furth-
er without stopping. This company is
fully equipped for the work, having re-
Gently purchased new hosting plant
and pump, which has beeu delivered at
the mile and is now in course of erec-
ton. The "Vigilante" is an immense
vein Of ore offair grade, carrying gold
and copper, and is very promising pro-
position.
The Duchess. This is another group,
also located in the Dansby district,
which is under the general management
of Mr.. ]. f. Sidey, with Mr.. Dan Smith
as superintendent. This is compare.
lively new strike with a small vein at
the surface OF high grade ore. The
present depth attained is about 60 feet
with width of vein Of fully feet be-
tween walls. 1t has widened gradually
from the start and continues to grow
wider as depth is attained, while its uni
form high grade has not lessened in
value.
There are many more mines in this
camp of excellent promise, and some of
which have attained considerable de-
velopineht. But it is not our purpose
at this time to give detailed discrip-
ton of any of the many excellent pro
perties by which Custer is so fortunate y
environed Their number is large,
while our time and space is too limited
at this time to give more than passing
mention of those which promise to yield
a profit at the earliest date. We expect,
however, to take occasion at some time
in the near future when the snow goes
Off to make personal and more thor
ough examination of the principal mines
which by their proximity make them
tributary to this place, and make an ex-
tended report Of the same for the bene-
fit of our readers.
Prominently among the camps which
at this time show the greatest develop.
ment and promise the best for the CON-
ing season, is the Penobscot, which has
at least score Of locations which dis
close excellent veins of ore from 3 10
feet in width of pure quartz, which
have produced ore running all the way
from $500 to 800 90 per ton, and this
from cut average across the vein, while
choice samples have been taken from
the different pay chutes which runs into
the thousands. Here we have the
North Star group, the Drummer group
with its ten stamp mill, which was q
mistake), the Penobscot, with its i'm
mense ore bodies and extensive devel
opment, the Globe, the Strasbt1rg, the
Joplin, the Catawasa, the Parks, the
Full moon. the Aspen. These and many
more groups of considerable develop
ment which produce ore which viii pay
well with plant and process adapted
to the character Of ore, which is here
found to be largely intermingled anC
combined with tellurium, which units i
for treatment by what is known as thu
free milling process. 1t has, however
been ascertaineG that these ores yielC
their values co the chlorination or eva
hide process, and this may be said Of al
the ores of the southern Hills. Their
are few mines, notably the Southern
Queen and others in the county which
carry high grade copper to such an ex
tent as to render them unfit fol treat
ment by cyanide. These are essential,
smelling ores, and no other process
should be thought Of i'll connection will
their treatment.
With reference to our gold and telu
rum mines there are very encouraging