Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-01-20

A Eorty Foot Vcrtloal Vein az Onyx and
Kaohn. With Ton keet 81 MIN
erA near Custer.

a Forty Ncot N9Stfonl Vein Of OnEH ana
KaoIan. With Ton h'eef pf Min
srsa near Custer.
n has oftea been remarked BY Sihe
most sDinsnt geolcgists and mineral
ffugists who have Waited the Black Hilia
that this region exhibited TIE greatest
variety and abundance not only Of min
eral In ysins, but also nou-metalIic
Stones cl commercial value. This time
II was the good fortune Of MessrA WI.
III bond, q w. Book and +. M. Hnghes
10 discover one OF the most remarkable
veins which have thus far been opened
ia this section ee county, which ie AZ
ready famous for lie great variety of
mineral and stone. They were pros-
pecting on the southern slope of the
harpey Peak. about nye miles east 81
Cuater, where they fonne . ledge Of
what appeared 10 beh gariegated marble
and onyx. with three foot strata of
ore. heavy With q Ysriety OF mineral,
the constituents and value Of which
have not as yet been anaIyEed or aScer-
talned.
The country rock here is granite Of
the coarseIy chrystalfine variety, which
IComposes the whole or the IfRrnUy
range, while the vein is Enclosed be-
tween walls OF feldspar and
mica schIst IN cross-cutting the vein
at the surface they found on the foot
wall feet OF ine grained, blush
gray granite quite solid
and free from Aaws Oyerlaying this a
granulated mass or partly chryssallized
material Of about 10 feet ia width.
Then comes 10 foot strata OF what ap-
pears a white and variegated marble,
which Is also susceptible OF = very fine
polish. Then comes vein OF highly
mineraliEed rock, carrying manganese
and other minerals, which will need 10
be analyzed 10 determine their value.
Next comes 4 foot OF a variety Of onyx,
or what might be more properly des-
eribed as agate, slthough it Is similar
in appearance to the finest Mexican
onyx. This stone is harder than the
rest and far the most beautiful, as II
takes an exquisite polish, and has all
the colors Of the rainbow.
Lieing nsxt this is is foot strata ol
"kaolinp or China clayp which has
very much the appearance Of white tale,
But We have been told that It has been
expert pronounced by an
in clays as very fns variety Of
kaolin, which IL decomposed heldsparr
or ''silicats Of allDhina" II Is extern
EiHalz aaaa in -fIaa- manufacture OF fine
norcelain, and should be considered ia
itself valuable acquisition 10 our dis
trict, Rs no such body Of pure kaolin
has eyer been found in America, at least
it is not on record in any Of the geolo
gical reports II is said that thia clay
can be mined and taken direct to the
factory without washing, and that they
work it in this manner in different
places In Enrnnh1 nntahlv in ST Ytinx
in France. This clay is at present i'm
portod into this country from different
parts OF Europe, the United States year
ly. consuming about seVenty-five thous.
and tons. 1t would seem that the
necessity ofimporting this material into
the United States would now be obyiat-
%, as this mine is ona scale sufi icientiy
grand to supply all tho demands Of this
country, "and then some.' We shall
give further report OF this valuable
discovery, as development work goes
on, and the mineral has been more
thoroughly tested,