Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-11-30
DAMAGING REPORT.
A Blow 60 the Mining Interests Of the
Southern Black Hills and to Gus
ter IN Particular.

ana printed In tnat paper In their issue
Of Nov. End, 1901. This letter was in
response to an inquiry concerning the
general reputation of the Black Hills
Porcelain Clay and Marble Co., and the
merits Of their property in tho Hills.
We have not space to copy all that the
Investor" has to say about this COM
pany, but we desire TO comment on few
of the most Objectionable lines. They
are as follows:
"We do not think enough of this stock
TO advise a purchase oft. The company
claims to have recently shipped two car
loads Of waste mica for which they OBJ
tanned $4,000, but people in the mica
business inform US that two car loads OF
was mica could not have brought over
$500, and the expense of shipping doubt
less ate up the receipts. They say that
Custer mica is low grade and can only
be used for electrical purposes, and as
yet it has not been demonstrated to be
a success.
"They seem to 60 by spurts and starts,
and it is extremely difficult to keep
track of them.
"They brought in some machinery
some time ago and have since been work
ing with diamond drill prospecting for
marble.
They worked there awhile and then
went into another part of the country
prospecting for lthograph stone.
II can buy their common stock for a
song. Their reputation throughout the
country is not of the best"
If the extracts quoted above were just
and fair and true we would have moth
ing to say, but the people of this com.
munity who have become acquainted
with the officers of the company, both
in social and business way. will read
! with astonishment such statements and
charges with regard to this company.
They are SO manifestly unjust, ungener.
Gus, and untrue, that we would feel our.
selves remss in our duty il We did not
raise our pen to refute them. Who it is
that writes all this is known only TO the
editor OF the Investor" and he won't
tell. But it is exceedingly damaging,
not only to the company in question,
but to the mining interests ofthis whole
community as well. And thus it is it
seems that the old adage is illustrated,
we must &c abroad to learn the news at
home"
Here in Custer and at their different
mines many Of the representatives of
this company have their residences, near
to this point their mines are located and
here many of the operatives dwell.
And here it is understood and admitted
on all sides. that the reputation and
standing Of the Black Hills Porcelain
Clay and Marble company is good, very
good indeed. They own a group of
claims where their marble quarries are
located, likewise a group of mica mines
also mines of lithograph stone. and last,
though not least, large group of gold
mines, the chief Of which up.to-date is
the Saginaw" On these various prop
critics they are operating and have un-
der employ at this time forty three men.
They have in the aggregate, We are in
formed, paid out in this community for
.bor and supplies the sum of one hun
dred thousand dollars and have always
paid their bills promptly. We have ex-
amined the marble in the mine critical
ly. and we have the testimony of others
who are good judges of marble, having
worked for years in marble quarries,
and they agree with us in pronouncing
it good.
1t so happens that we also know some
thing about mica. We haye examined
the different mica mines of this section,
are familiar with their history, and have
made study of the mica question. We
have also seen the product tested along
side Of the mica of North Carolina and
other countries, and we know what the
very best authorities say about it, And
that is that it is superior to most of the
mica that is put upon the market, and is
equal for any and all purposes to the
best that is produced in the world. AS
to the lithograph stone, they haye a
large and excellent quarry of it. We
have examined it under the glass in
comparison with tine "Bayarian," and
can see no difference either in the fine.
ness of the grain, or the color and text
ure of the stone. We have also COM
pared the engravings made from both,
and the one is equal to the other in all
respects as far as we could discover.
These are valuable properties capable of
being worked proftably on large scale,
and their development is being pushed
with all the energy and speed that ex-
pert talent with men and money can
bring to bear.
In regard to the gold mines belonging
to the company we can only say this
That they are situated in camp that is
Justly famous for its large veins Of low
grade gold ore, and many smaller ones
of an exceptionally high grade. We are
familiar with most all of the mines in
the camp. but the Saginaw" We never
have seen. Nevertheless we haye talk
ed with many who live in the vicinity
and have worked in the mine, and they
all unite in saying, that it is grand
showing for large and profitable mine.
There Was one old time miner whose
thirty years experience in mines should
entitle his opinion to good deal of re-
spect, said to us "look out for the Sagi.
nav. She is going to beat them ALL"
We know that this was his honest opin.
ion after thorough examination of the
property, and the assay returns which
the company receive have thus far borne