Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-26
MINING IN TIE BLACK HILLS
Activity is Reported from the Iron Noun
tain District,
MUCH RICH ORE IN A NEW SPOT
white cloud Mining Company Organ
ises and VIII start work at
once on some Valuable
Claims Near Custer.

Sam Scott came in from Iron mountain
district this week, where he has been de-
v~eloping a group Of claims, and reports
that there has been a great deal Of activity
in that 1isrict since the FIRST OF the year,
and that some good prospects are being de-
veloped. The district is a comparatively
new one, but the work which has been
done shows that the ore will average in
richness as high as most Of the ore Of the
southern hills. The ore is free milling and
is found in large vertical veins, which are
easily worked. 1t averages about IS a ton
and cysnides easily.
The White Cloud Mining company was
organized in Custer City last week for the
purpose Of working some valuable claims
near this city. The company has a good
proposition. Some development has been
done on the property. but the company
proposes to begin work in a systematic
manner as soon as the weather will permit
TO put the ground in shape TO take out ore.
The officers Of the company are: A. Will
coz, president; J. e. Pitcher, secretary; T.
". Delicate, treasurer; John a, Collins,
general superintendent and general man
Ager. The property is located in one Of the
richest districts in the southern hills, and
as it's management is in the hands Of prac-
tical men its chances Of becoming a pro-
Queer are very good.
Make a Rich strike.
While the assessment work was being
done on the Grand Junction and Hartford
group Of mines, seven miles west Of this
city. a strike of unusually rich ore has been
made. The ore is a sulphide and carries
very high values, but the rich streak in the
vein is not a large one. although the sur
rounding ore carries values much higher
than the average. The ore is rebellious,
the treatment has never been satisfactory,
and although a great deal has been treated
from the Hartford and the Grand Junction
nothing like the value contained in the ore
being saved. Experiments will be made
with the ore until a system OF treatment
has been perfected, and then 1t is probable
something will be done toward building a
plant on the property. The Grand Junction
vein is a very large one, being over 100
feet in width, end OF this about sixty feet
carries good commercial values. The mine
is one Of the oldest in the southern hills,
but, as stated, the ore is so refractory that
It is difficult to find a process by which 1t
can be treated economically.
KEYSTONE, s. D., Jan. 24.-(Special.)-
The Holy Terror company has within the
past two weeks doubled the working force
in the mine, and the prospects Of the COM
pany being again placed upon a dividend
paying basis were never better. The drift
which has been started on the 1.1OO-foot
level, and which has opened up the Key
stone vein at that depth, seems to have
been one OF the best investments the COM
pany has made. II was an expensive piece
Of work, but the results are proving that
the expense was warranted. The drift has
crosscut the Keystone vein. and It is said
that the ore at that depth is rich. and that
The body Of 1t, which shows at the surface
to be twenty-five feet wide, is Just as large
en- that level. Another drift has been
started from the crosscut and has been run
for 1876 feet along the course of the vein,
and the values in the ore keep mp. This
will give the company at least 100 feet OF
an ore reserve, which 1t will begin to draw
upon at once. and which should give hand
some returns for treatment.
Hidden Treasure Buys n Mill.
HILL CITY, S. D., Jan. 2~5.-(Special. ,
The owners Of the Hidden Treasure mine,
on Palmer gulch. have purchased the old
ten-stamp mill which years ago had been
used for custom work on Jenney's gulch and
will move 1t over to the mine and set 1t up.
The mill is a good one and, as the ore
which is now being taken from the Hid
den Treasure is very rich. even IL there
should be a little loss, 1t will pay we'll to
treat in the mill. Concentrators, however,
may be added to the equipment Of the mill
and the concentrates, which will be very
rich, saved for shipment.
The cyanide plant Of the Black Hills
Central Copper company, which It Is erect
ing on the Palmer group Of claims near
the Gillette ranch, is nearly completed and
should be in operation this week. Steam
was raised In the plant last Thursday and
the rolls will be started in a few days.
The plant is a small one, having been built
more for experimenting on a large scale
than for anything else, but should the
tests which will be made on the ore from
the Palmer group prove satisfactory, the
present plant will be continued In opera
ton and large additions made to 1t. The
ore is said to cyanide freely and to carry
values ranging from So to $25 a ton.
Has Good Water supply.
The machinery for a ten-stamp mill IL
on the ground at the Sunbeam mine and Il
being put together. There is plenty o
good ore in the Sunbeam, some OF it fabu.
lously rich, but a great drawback, and on,
which has heretofore prevented the cree.
tion OF a mill upon the property has beef
a lack OF water, but the indications ar,
that this deficiency VIII soon be remedied
for the volume of water which is at presen
coming into the mine is large enough Il
furnish a supply to keep at least nv,
stamps running. Every bucket Of ere whicI
is taken from the shaft shows free golt
specimens.
The shaft OF the Fraternity Gold Mimi.
company Is now down ninety feet and will
be continued to the iOO-foot level, when
station will be established and a drift
started to intersect the main ledge crop
ping out on the surface. Some very goo
prospects are gotten from the ore take
from the ledge In the surface workings
but II is believed the ore will be fouu
richer when the main ledge is struck in tn
drift.
FInIander strike a Rich One.
DEADWOoD. S. D., Jan. 25.-(special) J.
The Finlander strike on Elk creek. abor
threa-Quarters OF a mile west from tn
Glover Leaf, is still attracting considerable
attention. This is the ground concernin
which the ghost story, published in n
dispatches TO some OF the eastern paper
was told. in which II was related hat II
discoverer died Of JOY when the richne'
OF the mine was disclosed TO him. III
present work. which, by the way, is beiI
done by the fellow who died. consists Of