Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-04-05
The Trouble at the wabash Mine.


1t was on Thursday, the Goth Of March
that four gentlemen stepped of the trair
at Custer. They were Mr.. VIM. Kerche
fer, president, G. Kerchefer, secretary
Henry MaDgold, and Edward Fink, the
chemist and consulting engineer of the
Wabash mine. They took q carriage
and were driven direct to the company't
property about eight miles west from this
city. The next day there came from
the north man by the name of Jones
1--WE did not learn his first name but il
don't natter. He also took team and
drove to the mine. Had this mans mis-
sion been for good he would have tarried
till the storm abated, for good things
come slow and never in hurry. But il
seems that this man was charged with
evil intent and the elemental strife could
not for q moment deter him from his
deviish work. He came upon the mine
and was introduced all around, and not
withstanding the ground was covered
and the prospect holes which disclosed
score Of veins were half full of snow, il
was no hindrance whatever, for he was
gifted with Xray vision. He did not
need pick, pan, nor mortar. Assayers
crucibles, and the solutions of the chem
list, were to him all idle toys and utterly
useless. He went down the shaft, look.
ed around, shook his head wisely and
came up, and in the short space of hall
an hour he had completed his examina-
ton, made his report to the president
and the mine was closed down.
There are many mining engineers in
the United States, expert in their pro-
fession, none Of whom would have taken
less than a week to examine and report
on property like the Wabash. There
are 80 locations, in which there are net
work of veins, which have been opened
at the surface, and their values ascor-
tanned TO be far above the average of
many of the best paying mines in the
Black Hills All this cuts no figure with
Mr.. Jones. 1t is presumed that he had
his instructions, done what he had been
employed to do, and left to return whence
he came. 1t was well for him that he
did not remain longer upon the scene,
for the men at work upon the mine
when they came to realize the full enor-
nifty of the outrage which had been COM
mitted were hot, and fast growing hot
ter, and it might not have been healthy
for Mr.. Jones had he tarried longer on
the ground.
There are many rumors on the street,
and many have surmised that Mr.. Fink
recommended Mr.. Jones to the company
aud was a party to the transaction in
l. hn nv II
F. Sidey the general manager, was seen,
and would say but little about the mat
ter, but he said:
II will say this much that in regard to
Mr.. Fink being party to this damaging
proceeding, it is not so. For ifthis shut
down is final, and don't think 1t Is. the
blow falls the heaviest on Mr.. Fink, as it
was he who promoted the deal, and
recommended his friends to invest their
money in it, Aside from this, Fink is as
honest as the sun and incapable of doing
o mean act. He Is bright man and
eminent in his profession as q chemist,
but as l regard it his place is in the lab
oratory and not in the mine. 1t is true
we did not always agree in regard to the
policy and management Of the mine, but
to do justice, ! must exonerate him
from all blame in this matter. Further
than this if the company choose to with.
draw from their contract the property
will revert to me and can organize an
other company, and the work will go on
until the merits of the mine is fully dis
closed. and the Wabash is recognized az
one OF the grandest producers OF gold in
the southern Black Hills"