Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-03-16
How Mica Is Worked.

Inc CilcaRo MICA SOInpany snippcu i
another car load of mica this week from
the Crown mine northwest of town, to
the company's works at Valparaiso, In
diana. Speaking Of the company's
works there, Prof. Rothermel, who is !
now in the east, in a communication to |.
the Pioneer.Times under date Of : arch
7th says: To show the wonderful i'm
provement made by this company, will
state that in 1898 this company occupied
a space of 500 square feet, while at pres.
ent they occupy $4,000 square feet OF
space. and yet they are compelled to
rent parts of buildings in town to meet
their required room. The main build
ing Ii 125x65; a second building Is
l3Ox27; a large boiler and engine house,
also large store house, barns, &c. The
readers of this paper can hardly real
ize what is going on in the east and to,
what use the Black Hills products are
applied. This company employs in all
1872 men and in the various de
partments, such as splitting Of the mica
laying il for sheets, and stoves, and
blocks, in fact, for forms and shapes OF
all kinds as required by the electric
manufacturers. Shaping, pressing, cut.
ting for stove use, &c. grinding with
emery wheels and finishing up, all is
done substantially. New and imported
machinery is set up daily so as to create
new processes Of manufacture, as there
is much waste mica which may be uti
lized in various ways if possible, to take
the place Of other material now in the
market. There are many ways this
waste may be used as nearly all the pro-
fits heretofore have been dumped as q
loss-wall paper, curtains, linoleum, and
other lines will o o be one OF the many
industries that will use the product. 1t
is hard to say just what use this element
may be applied. Demand and cheap
ness will no doubt reveal its uses in due
time. The president, NJ. A. Snyder, is
ever seeking to find new uses fer the
product in every known branch, Great
ing, as it were, a greater demand daily.
Such men are more than valuable to the
miners and mine owners of the Black
Hills. Among his staff l found a most
congenial soul. Mr.. Robert Preston. the
treasurer of the company, who is very
cordial and who showed me the entire
workings. / spent several pleasant
hours in his company. Mr.. F. Hatch is
another very fine officer, Mr.. F. G. N.
Graydon. the general manager in the
Black Hills deserves all praises, for he
is the benefactor of The new mica indus
try in the Black Hills-the first to start
developing a mine from a practical
standpoint. During my visit here
have been the guest Of Mr.. Graydon at
his very pretty home, which, however,
is no more, because Mr.. Graydon sold
the same, and will start for Custer in a
day or so TO remain and look after the
many interests 0 under development
Mr.. Graydon takes his family with him.
1t is generally understood that the
Chicago Mica company have the finest
and best equipped plant in the United
States. Their new splitting machine is
a fine contriyance. The pulverizing
plant is u%nequalled. The company have
set aside a part of their building fol- the
sole purposes of Experimenting with new
models for the new and improved ma
chinery. No money is spared in the
development of the same in order to
bring this plant to the front from every
standpoint. / feel that the Black Hills
should supply the mica used in the
United States. Among the different
companies now in existence, OF course
the production of mica in South Da-
kota is but in its infancy as no deep
mining has as yet been done, although
for years pits haye been opened and
mica shipped on a small scale. 1t is the
intention OF the Chicago company to de-
velop at least one mine and give the
Black Hills a fair test. Thus the Crown
mine on which / have located and dis
covered rich mica chutes for the CON-
pany. has been selected as a test case.
Thus far the development and the out
put of mica have been more than salts
factory. There is no doubt but what the
Crown mine which has but recently
been opened up and shipments made
from, will become a great producer for
the supply Of this company. Whether
the Black Hills will be able to supply
the company's entire demand is a ques-
ton which only time and development
can answer. This is a quantity in the
Black Hills-it will depend on the quail