Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1899-04-08
Pay Chutes.

| deDataDle gr0und. Let notwlthstand-
ing the adverse criticism which may be
in store for me, propose to go right on
and state what in my experience have
found to be true. These statements are
based upon the experience and close
observation which have given the sub.
ject for thirty nine years in the different
mining fields Of this country, twenty.
two years of which have been devoted
to the Black Hills ofSouth Dakota. The
only reason which impels me to give
my idea to the public at this time
is, that there is a demand for all
the light which can be thrown upon the
subject. My only motive is to save the
prospector, who Is new to the business,
from unnecessary toll and trouble.
To begin then, it is my settled opinion
that all Of our minerals. gold, silver,
copper, iron and all the rest, together
with the quartz or silica, has been in a
liquid form, and has crystalized from a
solution. When l say solution. do not
mean suspension, but perfect solution,
where the liquid remains clear and
transparent as salt in solution in water.
Mineral in this condition will go wher.
ever water will flow. You cannot filter
1T out, but you may precipitate it by
chemical action. Always remember
this when you are prospecting, and
especially when you are puzzled to
think how the mineral got into the
| rock.
2nd-That this mineral solution came
up with the dykes of porphyry or gran
ite, or other igneous formation, or what
may be termed the fire made rocks. as
distinguished from the sedimentary or
water made rocks, such as sand stone,
lime stone, shale etc.
3rd-That the dykes of igneous rock
came up soft and watery, and under
through all of the sedimentary stratas
OF the earth's crust, and this watcry
solution containing the mineral and
silica has oozed away into the surround
ing formation through the seams and
crevces which have been formed by the
upheaval of the dykes. This mineral
solution in its passage through the earth
comes in contact with the different
characters Of rock, some of which have
an affinity for some ofthe mineral con-
sttuents Of the solution, and immediate
| l,,t 20
combination has been formed The
silver in the solution has combined
with the chlorine found in the rock, and
the chloride Of silver is formed. Or the
iron has combined with the sulphur and
formed pyrite Of iron. Or with the
lead forming galena, and so on through
the whole list which forms the mineral
kingdom. Wherever is found dykes of
granite, porphyry, or other igneous rock,
it has produced an ore zone, or mineral
belt. These belts of mineral may run
northerly and southerly, or easterly and
westerly, and the width Of the mineral
belt is determined by the strength and
magnitude of the dykes What is meant
by mineral belt or zone is certain
stretch Of country, of certain general
width, which contains mineral Not
necessarily in defined veins, hut miner
al difnsed through the country rock
AS a matter Of fact, however, these min
eral belts do contain veins of ore, al
though | haye usually found that where
the zone is single. the veins are too
small and too poor to pay for working.
But where two mineral belts cross each
other, it is here that the largest and best
ore bodies are found. These mineral
| belts may cross each other at most any
angle, but most generally they cross at
| nearly right angles, and it is the cross
ing which gives the veins double
strength and richness, and here it is
that your pay chutes are found Again,
the length of the pay chute in your vein
is regulated and determined by the
width of the cross zone by which your
vein is fed, and from which its excess of
mineral is derived.
To make this plain as possible, we will
say that you are running in on your
| vein and you strike cross zone. Here
your pay chute will commence, and it
will continue until your vein h as passed
through the cross zone, which may be
800 or perhaps 400 feet, and throughout
this distance your vein should be rich,
or as we say a bonanza. When your
vein has passed through this belt or
zone, it Will narrow up and become poor
and by this you may know that you
have passed through and have got be-
yond your pay chute.
Now, as have said before, the length
Of your pay chute is determined by the
width of the mineral zone. 1t some
times occurs, however, that there are
companion zones running parallel wit h
each other with barren rock between,
except at crossings where they widen
out and often very nearly connect
When this is the case, however, | have
always found that they vary in the kind
of mineral they carry. For instance il
the predominating precious metal in one
pay chute is gold, in the next one you
strike, while following on your vein,
will be silver, or copper, or some other
kind of mineral, as the case may be
This will be owing to the fact that the
vein has entered another cross belt OF
zone.
Again, there is another feature which