Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-02-23
The Outlook.

| The Outlook.
"The sun is rising higher in the sky;
as each day, as each day, 1t passes by"
Yes, the spring time will soon be here,
when the grass will be green, and the
hillsides redolent with the perfume of
ffowers. The rains will descend and
the cattle will gather on the sunny
| slopes to lick each other. The rahch-
man will rejoice as he looks forth from
his porch and he will say to his wife
"the cattle are doing WE'LL" The sheep
man in the foot hills will cease his anxi-
Gus gaze at the sky, looking for antici-
pated snow storms, and with feeling
of security and satisfaction he will say,
the "sheep are doing WE'LL" All nature
stands ready to respond to the industry
of the husbandman, and laughs to feel
her sides tickled with the plough. Yes,
everything seems serene and promising
along these lines, but what shall we say
for that large class of our comriunity
who delve in the bowels Of the earth to
bring up the shining ore? What is the
mineral outlook? To give anything
like an intelligent answer We must ex-
anime into our present conditioh some
what, compare it with the past, and then
see how near we can cast horoscope of
the future.
In the first place think it will read.
lily be conceded that there are more
men working today in the mine around
Custer than there has ever been since
the days of the Harney Peak tin boom.
Are they doing any good? Are they
making any money for the companies
who employ them? It would seem so,
as car load after car load Of the product
of our mines are daily leaving our sta
ton for the eastern markets, and those
men are not here for their health alone.
Neither are they the kind Of tiien who
do business for fun. Are there many
new mines being opened upH Yes,
quite a number. Most ofthe labor how
ever is being brought to bear on the de-
velopment of the most promising of our
old locations, which have been lingering
along for want of capital. Many Of
these mines have either been cold for
cash, or stock companies have been
formed with ample capital. and with the
avowed purpose Of sinking shafts 2OO,
800 and 600 feet deep without stopping,
and in every way to develop those mines
thoroughly. To this end they have
equipped these properties with heavy,
new and improved machinery, steam
hoists and air compressor drills, and are
prepared, while others are preparing to
go to the deep. Do you think the char
acler of the mines and the grade of the
ore justifes the great expense9 In most
cases do, although ] do not think that
every location that is worked will de-
velop into permanent paying mine: 1t
is not so in any camp have ever been
in, aud am no stranger to the mining
camps Of the west.
Further more, having been engaged
in mining and prospecting for the last
40 years, Il commenced in Colorado in
lSG0) | ought to be permitted to say
without charge Of egotism that am no
novice in the mining business. Let me
say too, that ] have been in the Black
Hills twenty-four years, with l6 years OF
that time in Custer county. l am here
still and expect to remain, except an
occasional trip as | have done hereto
fore, to keep posted on the progress OF
other mining sections:
Why do give this district the prefef.
ence? Simply because find (all things
considered) more and better prospects
here than in any other mining district
/ have ever been in. / have the same
faith today which / have entertained all
along Although our camp has been
slow, 'its merits to disclose" there has
never been but one thing that has, or
could retard the progress Of Custer as a
mining camp, and that is ignorance.
Ignorance of the charaCter of our ores
and the proper method of testing and
treating them. This deplorable condi
ton is now, | believe, happily drawing
to a close Men are coming in almost
daily Men Of broad mining experience
and backed by capital. and having made
their examinations they 60 away pleased
to make a favorable report.
We have had our bucm days and
flush times, but it was based upon moth.
ing substantial. Now it has the appear
ance, as in no time before, of solid busi-
ness. look to the coming spring with
more confidence than at any time since
l have been here, and most assuredly
consider the outlook good, very good.
G. w. ROBBINS.
Rehearsals on Train.
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