Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1903-06-20

| Great preparations are being made to
work the tin mines of Bear Gulch and
Niger Hill, in the northwest portion OF
the Black Hills. And this causes us to
wonder why It Is that our own tin mines
Of Custer and Pennington counties are
Neglected and remain in statu quo. Is 1t
because our mines are not as rich as
those of the northern Hills or Is /; De-
cause the veins are smaller and confined
to more citcunisctibed area7 No it
can be none of these for those Who have
examined the mines In both Sections
have rendered their opinion other!
wise. In the days when tin was worth
twelve cents per poGnd, the great tin
captains of Cornwall who were employed
by the English Lords to inspect and re-
port upon our mines. did so and with
out an exception they agreed that the
mines would pay. They further report
ed that the ore was the most free from
base combinations and yielded the pur-
est tin in the world, and they further
agreed that the most extensive tin mines
in the world were found in and around
the Harney range of the Black Hills.
They reported unqualifedly that our
tin mines could be worked at profit;
and they were in most cases men who
had spent their lives in the mines and
were familiar with every branch OF the
tin business. This was in the days when
tin metal was worth in the market IL
cents per pound, now 1t brings more
than double that price, and yet it seems
there are none who want to make money
bad enough to induce them to touch it.
This is singular situation. Can any
one account for it7 We can not. We
know what people say is the reason but
we are prepared to maintain that what
they advance as reason is in fact no
reason at all. They say that the English
spent large sums in its development, be-
came discouraged and dropped the whole
enterprise. We do not dispute this but
we who were here and familiar with the
whole proceedings, know that it had no
logical bearing upon the question of
"Are the Harvey Peak tin mines rich
enough to pay" Wemaintain that they
are, they were declared to be mines
which could be made to pay at that time,
and the mines have not dsteriorated in
the least since that time. Ifthey would
yield profit in those days when tin was
worth IL cents how much greater profit
would they yield when tin is worth Is
cents per pound. That is the question
and the only question to be considered. |
We know how the unsuspecting English
man was swindled, we know how the |
money was squandered, we know how
The large Sums Which they appropriated |
10 develop the ground never went into
he ground but went into the New York |
mans pocket. We know Of the bitter |
and litigation which grew out |
Of all this and We contend that it has no |
bearing upon the question at issue what.
sver. We remember at that time when |
Ji1e Of these English men asked friend |
If ours IA miner) as they stood at the
mouth of certain shaft. How much |
will you take to sink shaft like this
'ne, giving the depth, dimensions and |
pecifcations, and our friend after fgur-
ng upon the proposition answered $IO,; |
'oO.0O. Well said the Englishman 81
rave no contract to let, as I have moth
ng to do with it, but want to tell you
hat we paid for the sinking ofthis shaft |
S0, 10000. We do not contend that the
in mines would yield a profit while |
,aying such prices for labor as that, but
We do contend that an honest company
With business methods could take hold
# these tin mines and make q dozen
olosal fortunes out of them before thsy
we're exhausted. A hundred genera.
ions may COME and pass away and the
ast will not witness the playing out of
he tin mines of the Harney Peak range.