Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-10
MINING IN THE BLACK HILLS
Strawberry District tho Scene Of Great
Activity at Present.
ORE IS BEING HAULED TO THE RAILROAD
Gilt Edge the Principal Producer,
but other Claims Are Being
Rapidly DcvelOped-Several
of Great Promise.
ORE IS BEING HAULED TO THE RAILROAD

EaD WooD, .. IL, Jan. S.-lSpeclAl.)-
Twenty-eight four-horse teams have been
put on the haul force from the Gilt Edge
mine to the railroad in this city. The
wagon road between Deadwood and Straw
berry camp is lined with teams from morn
ing till night hauling ore from the several
mines in this district. From the Gilt Edge
mine alone. seventy-ive tons are being
hauled daily. Most of the ore is shipped to
the new chlorination works at Rapid City,
which are now in operation under the
is doubtful II there is another such mine
in the Black Hills as the Gilt Edge. There
seems to be one solid body OF ore from the
grass roots Town to the lowest level, thus
far opened UP, which 10 about 200 feet from
the surface. The ore is broken down to the
lowest level and taken out through the new
tunnel which has recently been completed.
The mine contains mostly tale and limonite
ores, intermixed with iron, copper and
pyrites. The average value OF all the ores
is said to be $40 a ton gold. There are
places In the mine which will give assays
as high as 1915 and considerable $100-rock
has been shipped. A Chicago capitalist Wis
tied the mine recently and was told to take
a sample of the rock from a certain tunnel
to satisfy his own curiosity. He broke a
piece Of rock from the side and had 1t as
sayed, the result being 1896 gold to the ton.
The chlorination plant at Rapid City has
been completed and is running full capacity.
Work has commenced on the erection Of a
100-ton smelter joining the chlorination
plant.
Joining the Gilt Edge mine on the east
is the Dakota Maid property. The north end
is leased to three different parties and
lodges Of rich ore have been opened up on
them all. The Morrow lease Is directly
east Of the Gilt Edge shaft. A remarkably
rich strike Of ore was made at the grass
roots a week ago in a ledge forty feet
wide and apparently vertical. Wagons were
loaded from the open cut, 1t being q~uarried
out like building stone. In the lower work.
ings several large shoots OF ore have been
found and large shipments are being made.
Some Of the ore is found to be free-milling.
1t carries a value Of $l4 a ton and 1t is
said that $12 can be saved by the amalga-
mating process. Negotiations ere In prog
ress by the company to lease zoe Union
Hill stamp mill at Galena to treat the ore.
A tunnel is being run on the Rossiter &
Graham lease. adjoining the Morrow lease
on the south. to strike the ore body at the
lower level. c.. e. McHugh has the north
lease Of the Dakota Maid. He has two tun-
nels 100 feet in and a shaft down thirty
feet. Ore has been struck in each Of the
tunnels OF high grade and shipments are
being made. 1t is the sam kind OF ore
found in the Gilt Edge. A fine shoot OF
ore was broken into this week at the bottom
Of the shaft.
New Companies Organized.
Two new companies have Just been or
ganized to operate in this district. The
British-American Mining company has pur-
chased seven claims which lie north Of the
Gilt Edge. and Union Hill ground and
the same rich ore shoots from these prop
critics can be easily traced northward across
all Of the claims. From several places on
the property ore has been found in guam
titles assaying from sl4 to SIG a ton gold
on the surface. The ore taken out resem-
bles the Gilt Edge ore and Is as rich as the
first surface findings Of that mine. The
company is capitalized at 81, 900, 900, at 81
a share. The officers Of the company are:
DR.. Thomas C. Cowan, Sombra, Ont, pres
ident; Frank w. Savigney. Detroit, vice
president; J. NJ. Sweeney. Detroit, general
manager; Leroy G. Hoyt, Deadwood, mine
superintendent
W. L. Rothermell Of Chicago. and asso-
ciates are organizing the Gold Edge Mining
company, with a capitalization OF 81, 900, 900,
at 81 a share. The parties were interested In
this district through C. f. McHugh. the
leaser Of a portion OF the Dakota Maid
ground. The company has secured Ave claims
which are also located north OF the Gilt Edge
mine. In the Strawberry mining district
there appears to be a network OF ore veins
running north and south four miles, from the
Ora Fina mine to Butcher gulch and three
miles east and west. Five distinct shoots
OF ore have been found on the claims pur-
chased by the Gold Edge company, samples
assaying from $14 to $50 on the surface. A
shaft is being sunk at present on a cross
vertical. 1t is expected that ore will be
shipped from both these new mines in a few
weeks.
The old Eigemont and Union Hill Min
ing company has been reorganized and ap-
pears with a new name and new officers
throughout. 1t is now known as the Galena
Mining and Smelling company, taking the
name OF the camp in which the company's
Office and mills are located. George b.
Luper OF Philadelphia has been placed In
charge as general manager and he Is giving