The evening times., 1900-01-20
THE BLACK HILLS COUNTRY.
Some Facts ON u Given by Well
Known Biographies.

known HeoSrapnef.
Some very interesting facts concerning
the Black Hills we're given in lecture de-
livered before the National Geographic So
ciety last night by n. H. Darton,of the
United States Geological Survey. In part
Mr. Darton said:
"The Black Hills are an outlier of the
Rocky Mountains rising prominently above
the surface of the great plains, mainly in
southwestern South Dakota. The region
presents great contrasts to the semi-arid,
treeless plains, with its wooded hills and
| rugged mountains, grassy valleys and run
ming streams. 1t has great resources in
| mineral wealth and timber and presents IA
vorable conditions for sustaining rela-
| lively large population.
THE area is about 5000 square miles. or
| slightly more than that of Connecticut, and
! its peaks rise from 2,000 to 3,000 feet above
! the plains The higher peaks attain an ele-
walton somewhat above 1000 feet.
"The mineral production from the Black
| Hills was about $1,000, 000 in 1899, and 1t is
| steadily increasing Gold is the principal
| product. bur coal, silver, lead and other
minerals are worked. Cattle sheep, and
]
cattle and sheep ranges are mainly on the
adjoining plains and the total shipments OF
| their products in 1899 yielded nearly So
| 0OO, 900. About 3,00o square miles of the
| Hills are covered with pine forests now In
! larger part embraced in Government tim
ber reservation.
| The Black Hills are due to a local DOM
| ing of the crust of the earth. The streams
| have cut away much of the crest of the
| dome and exposed the upturned edges OF
| the complete series of rocks which under
! lie horizontally the adjoining plains.
In the centre are GRANTEES and crystal
line schists rising in high peaks and rug
ged hills while on the outer slopes are the
| off dipping beds of sandstones, limestones
and shales Some volcanic rocks were in
| truded during the uplift, but they are not
| of great extent. The naturalization is
principally in the crystalline schists, basal
sandstones, and adjoining eruptiye rocks.
In the grayels and sands along the streams
there are accumulations OF placer gold
eroded from the original ledges.
The Black Hills were almost unknown
until 1874 when General Custer visited
them. He was accompanied by large
force OF soldiers for the region was occu-
! pied by the Sioux and they were unfriend-
! ly. Gold was discovered. and an influx OF
prospectors began Notwithstanding great
| opposition from the Indians and the United
/ States Government.
In 1875 a geologic expedition was sent
! to investigate the resources, and as its re-
port was favorable the Government al
once began TO bargain for the purchase oi
the hills from the Indians.
The Sioux war Of 1876, with the
massacre of General Custer, delayed
negotiations. but in March. 1877, the
! Indians accepted 81 500 000 for the hills
and they were at once made available BY
Presidential proclamation.
Meanwhile miners had focked TO the
region and large amounts OF gold were oh
tanned from placer deposits in the Dead
wood region. Mining is now conducted on
| a large scale, notably in the famous
| Homestead group of mines at Lead City
wsere the yearly production of go d j:
! nearly 81 00o,0 Geo.
The ore of these mipes averages some
what less than s. per ton so that over %
coo tons per day have to be mined anC
pounded into powder in the stamp mills tC
WELD this output. The ore is free milling
so that ii is worked at a relatively gOoC
profit. One Of the smaller mines o. free
! milling ore known as the Holy Terror.
has yielded nearly 100000 in gold pei
year, at one time with the daily outpu
of 81 eco from a 10-stamp mill.
There are extensive mining operau n:
in gold ores that require TO be treated b.
smelling chlorination or cyaniding which
add largely 10 the gcsd production of tht
Hills New ore bodies are constant!
being discovered, usually of ore of modeg-
ate value but which will yield good profit
if worked economically on large scale.