Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-06
MINING IN TIE BLACK HILLS
Victoria Company iI Busy on Ii Ragged
Top PrOpsrtieL
OMAHA PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED
LOcated Among some OF the Best Pro-
ucers of the Hills and Prom
Uses weIl-New Plants
Being Erected.

DEADWooD, S. D.. oct. 5.-(special)-
The Victoria Mining company, controlled
by Omaha and Deadwood people. is doing a
great deal of work on its property in the
Ragged Top district. The westerly end OF
the Victoria company's property abuts on
the canyon Of the Spearhsh river and then
extends north and east over the great Rag
ged Top lime plateau. The property car
ries all Of the potsdam formation. from the
Quartzite resting OF the states, up through
the ssndstones and the shales to the car
bontferous limestone. which is here Of great
thickness, everything the potsdam and reach
ing to the surface. The ground is thoroughly
mineralized, containing numerous small
verticals Of ore, while float in great guam
titles is scattered over the surface. These
indications apparently traverse the entire
group Of claims In a southerly direction.
Two drifts enter the ground from the side
OF Spearhsh canyon, the upper drift going
in on a slight incline, has developed ore
OF a fair working grade which has been fol-
lowed for a distance Of 100 feet. At this
distance water has been encountered which
has temporarily interfered with work in
this drift. At a distance OF 1900 feet
e~asterly from this drift a shaft has been
1NH"t "AaNh h0o NV" aAAaAhNh q htpNh VI
about eighty feet. This shaft is following
down a small vertical OF about twelve inches
in width. which is supposed to be an Off
shoot from the main horizontal ore body be-
low, and the intention is to follow 1t down
to the contact. The ore which is being
taken from this small vertical is Of high
grade, The shaft is intended to explore
the ore shoot and to determine its extent
and qualify. The pitch Of the ore body will
bring 1t In contact with the lower work.
ing tunnel on the e~asterly side Of the prop
erty when it shall have been driven in far
enough, this tunnel now being in $50 feet.
Til tunnel will drain the ground and give
an exit for the delivery OF ore to the sur
face from all Of the ground lying above it.
Producers on All sides.
The Victoria ground is favorably located
on one Of the great producing belts of
the Black Hills. The Cleopatra, q pro-
ducing mine, joins the Victoria's territory
on the northeast, and on the s-outhwesterly
side 1t adjoins the Spearhsh company's
ground, and the Star group. recently pur-
chased by G. A. Duncan OF Salt Lake City,
one OF the heavy mine owners Of Mercur,
Utah. The Spearish Mining company's
ground is on the same ore belt, and in the
ooHo ilmS luuaNlOul anu udS Ont ore SHOOT
developed for a length OF 1000 feet and
for a width Of 100 feet, on which 1t is OPP
Grating e 300-ton cyanide plant. The ore
in the Victoria is an ideal cyaniding prop
~osition, and the ore shoots have the same
strike and pitch as those on the Spearfsh.
The Victoria company is backed by men
OF means. who are conservative, and in
the management are men whose experience
in mining is large and practical. 1t is the
intention of the company to erect a mill
on its property, which will be located below
the mouth of the lower tunnel, in which
place the company owns a millsite con,
ventent to the mines and to the water
right which 1t owns on Squaw creek. The
ore from the mines can be delivered to the
mill by gravity, so the item OF transporta.
ton will be a small one. Work on the
mill will begin as soon as good weather
opens up next year, but in the meantime
the work Of developing the property will &c
right ahead.
The work of sinking the shaft on tn,
Cleopatra mine to the lower contact Is
progressing as fast as men can sink it, and
the superintendent in charge believes thai
it will be struck within the next twenty
Ave feet. The shaft is now down about
$50 feet.
Quarter MILLION OF bullion.
The Imperial Mining company last
Wednesday cleaned up it's cyanide plant IN
the First ward Of this city. and the re-
suit was exceedingly good. During the
month the plant had treated 5000 tons Of
ore. which has returned values Of better
than Sc a ton. The Wasp No. 2 has pro-
duced 81, 900 worth Of bullion for the month
the Alder Creek company about the same
amount, the Spearhsh company over $50, 900
the Dakota company SIS, 900, and the Holy
Terror $40. 900, all of which has passed
through the United States assay office IN
this city, besides the c~leanups from a mum
Der of smaller plants throughout the Hills
The bullion from the mines mentioned II
not the only gold which is handled by the
assay once, however, for some OF thu
larger plants send their gold to the cas-
through that ONCE. and the amount o.
bullion which 1t will ship for last month
will amount to something ever $3.50, 900.
The Home Mining company. situated
within the limits Of the city. is sinking
deep shaft on a large body OF pyritic or
and has the hole down now about eight!
feet. The company is installing a steam
hoisting plant, which will have a capacit,
for lifting from a depth Of 1000 feet. 4
pumping plant is already in operation oil
the ground.
A representative Of the Colorado IroI
Works company on Thursday closed a con
tract for the erection OF a cyanide plan
at Puma for Messrs. Hall and Mcconnell
who own a large acreage Of ~tailings whicI
they saved before the Homestake compan
had put in It's cyanide plant and whicI
carry values ranging from SO to Sc per tor
II is estimated that In the pile there ar
10000 tons of tailings and II is for the pur
pose Of working these that the plant will
be erected. The plant will have a dali
capacity OF fifty tons. The building vii
be s6x44 feet In dimension. The we'll know
/ pneumatic process will be used and
; wenty-hve-horsepower boiler and a Ley
ner air compressor will be used. Unde
the contract the plant must be complete
) and ready to be put in operation With
sixty days. After working over these tail
; lngs It is the intention of Messrs. Hall an
Mcconnell to run the plant on custom ores
Quarries FIfteen-DoIIar Ore.
The Eleventh Hour. which is bein
worked under a lease by Madill & HizeI
will begin sending down twenty-five ton
OF ore daily to the Imperial cyanide plan
in this city. This mine is situated on tn