Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-08
MINING IN The BLACK HILLS
Copper Properties in the Vicinity Of Shsri-
dan Are to Be Developed.
BAXTER PEOPLE TO ERECT A SHELTER
Fire which Threatened 20 DO Great
Damage in sundance Mine EHtIn-
Euished After a Hard
Fight.

HILL CITY, Sept. 7.-(specisl)-The
copper leads about Sheridan are now In a
fair way to be made productive and to re-
turn something more than promises 10
their owners, for 1t is now an assured fact
that before the winter sets in a 10O-ton
smelter plant will be built on the Lii
liam group of claims, which has been under
development for a number of years by s.
A. Baxter and associates. The ground Is
located near the town of Sheridan and
comprises twenty full claims and two
fractions. The work which has so far been
performed upon IL consists of open cuts
and tunnel upon known ore body and is
quite extensive, exposing several deposits
Of ore which carry a high per cent, in
many instances, of copper, with a few dol
lars in gold. None of these workings
have given any depth on the veins which
are being worked, but, as the surface in
dications are excellent, II is believed that
deep workings will prove them to be as
rich and perhaps more extensive than on
the surface. The owners Of the ground
have recently organized a company to
prosecute development and to work the
ore which is now exposed in the surface
W. II aho NhNlt " ~
enough Of this ore in sight, in the opin-
ion of the owners, to warrant the cree
tion of the 1OO-ton smelter which will be
put up on the ground. Ground has been
broken for boarding houses, offices and
other buildings and the new company will
at once put a large force Of miners at
work getting out ore and doing other work,
while that of exploring and developing
the ground will be continued. The ground
adjoins the famous Maloney Blue Lead on
the south and has been looked on as a
good property by those who are acquainted
with 1t. The new smelter will be of great
assistance in the development of the dis
trict once II is in operation, for 1t Will
make a convenient market for smelling
ores Of the vicinity. 1t will be convenient
to a line of railroad and can be easily
reached by a short spur from the B.. &
NJ. Work on the new plant will begin at
once, or just as soon as the plans which
have been submitted to eastern manu-
facturers can be figured on and the ma
chlnery delivered.
Lakota Branching Out.
The Lakota Mining company has re-
Gently purchased the Grizzly Bear group
of claims and is preparing to resume work
on it where it was left of several years
ago. The Grizzly Bear at one time was
the property of Robert FlorClann, who
worked 1t for a number Of years and took
good pay from it, but poor mine manage
ment resulted in the property becoming
an expense instead of a profit to its own
ers, so work was suspended on 1t and the
mine practically abandoned. The vein was
a small one and it's owners worked 1t only
for the purpose Of getting at the ore and
the result was that when depth was made
on the vein 1t cost as much to get the ore
out of the ground as 1t was worth. It
was, like most Of the mines In this vicin-
ity, famous during a part Of its career as
a specimen mine and II is said that Flor
mann made several very handsome clean
ups from runs made in the little ten
stamp mill which he built on the ground
and which is still In a bad state of re-
pair. The Lakota company has had a
force of men at work for several weeks
cleaning out the old tunnels, drifts and
shaft and proposes to place the mine in
condition to work again. 1t has built a
wire rope tramway from the mine to the
mill and will begin taking out and milling
ore in a few days. The mill, which was
built about fifteen years ago, is being
placed in good repair and additions made
to it which will brink 1t up to date and
make 1t first class in every particular and
the Lakota people feel confident that they
will be able to get enough ore from the
mine to keep it running after they have 1t
started, for 1t is their intention to open
up the mine again on practical lines.
The Cumberland Mining company, which
is at work on the ]. R. mine, has estab-
lished a station on the 20O-foot level of the
uOrktnQ shaft and has 80 rfad a awIFt $1,000
the ledge. The ledge can be reached from
the shaft within 200 feet, and should the
vein prove to be as large as at the surface
when 1t is struck at this depth, drifts will
be run upon it and preparations made to
stope out ore. The company has already
made arrangements to put a mill on the
ground and work on It will be started before
the drift reaches the ledge, for the vein
nearer the surface Is quite extensive and
carries good values.
Developing the Sunbeam.
The Sunbeam company. the ground OF
which is on Friday gulch, has purchased
the compressor plant, power drills and
hoist which have been operated on the
Wabash ground and will move them to the
Sunbeam mine, where they will be erected
and the deep shaft which is being sunk on
ma PIOPSi'y con'luueu' lne Work on the
Wabash ground will be continued by hand
The shaft on the Sunbeam is now down
about $50 feet and It is the intention to
sink It to a depth OF 500. This is the old
Hawk Wright property, and when in the
possession Of its former owners had beer
worked In a mail way and with a good
profit.
There are a number OF people working in
a small way the dry placers in this vicinity
and quite a little gold dust is being re-
ceived at the bank. Some Of the men who
are working are compelled to haul theiI
dirt quite a distance TO water. but the