Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1909-10-09
RARE METALS.
TIN. Tungsten, and Tantaium Deposits OF
South Dakota-by Frank L. Hess.
From Bulletin No. $50, Contributions to Eco
nomic Geology, 1908, Part II
TIN DEPOSITS IN THE

South Dakota-by Frank l.. Hess.
, From Bulletin No. $50, Contributions to Fec
nomic Geology, 1905, Part IL
TIN DEPOSITS IN THE
SOUTHERN BLACK HILLS
Naiad Queen Claim.
The Naiad Queen claim, held by II. A
Albien, is situated on the north side o
valley one-eighth of a mile south o
the Sallie Cavanaugh claim. The valley
is possibly due to fault The claim il
on pegmatite dixie S to 6 feet wide
dipping steeply n. 55 degrees w. 1t hal
been followed for about 200 feet. A
shallow shaft that has been sunk at one
place is said to have contained some
good ore, and smaller excavations have
been made at several other points The
cassitsrie is not so coarse or 30 conspic
nous as on the Sallie Cavanaugh claim,
and the rock would have to he tested tc
obtain any adequate idea Of its rich
ness.
Tin City Claim.
} Frank Hebert holds the Tin City claim
adjoining the Naiad Queen on the north.
east. 1t is located OH what appears to
be lens Of pegmatite about feet thick,
which shows in the side of low hill
and over which the schists haye closed,
as described in the notes on the Gertie
mine. A short incline which ran into
the dixie was filled with water at the
time visited (September, l00s), but good
ore could be seen on one side.
Louise Claim.
The Louise claim, held by +. e. Hunt
is about mile southwest of Ureville, on
the west side of and several hundred
feet above the Burlington railroad and
the wagon road which parallels it. Two
pegmstite dikes outcrop on the steep
hillside, whose general direction On. IL
degrees E.) they follow, with pinched
places here and there, for more than
half mile toward Oreyille. The dikes
are about Is feet apart at the point at
which Mr.. Hunt was prospecting. The
lower dixie ia to feet thick, with a
dip of 80 degrees n. 73 degrees W. Cas-.
siterite is sprinkled through shoot a
foot thick in the middle of the dixie.
The length Of the shoot along the dixie
was not clear, but could not have been
many feet.
The upper dixie is of coarser structure,
is to & feet thick, and shows but little
cassiterite. 1t carries CLASSY, little
weathered spodumeue, the largest crys-
tails of which are from 3 to inches
thick by several feet long. The mineral
includes some quartz aud green tourma-
line, and appears to be in two shoots a
few feet wide. Apatite and lithiophi-
lite, the latter coated with its decompo-
sition product, purpurite, also occur in
the dixie.
At several places prospect holes and
shallow shafts were dug by the Harvey
Peak Tin Mining, Milling and Manu-
featuring Company, or others, aud some
cassterite may be seen in the dikes at
these points.
Forest City Claim.
The claim formerly known as the
Clara Bell is now called the Forest City.
It is (by road about 6 miles south Of
Hill City and Il miles east of Oreville.
The claim is being worked for gold, but
at depth of 25G feet and about 200 feet
northeast of the shaft tin-bearing peg
MATTE dixie 3 feet inches thick, of light
color and fine grain, was cut. The cas-
sterite is in small pieces with black
tourmaine PARTICLES Of equal size, and is
mostly in the outer 3 or inches of the
dixie. The cassiterite is difficult to dis
tinguish from the tourmaline, as both
are black; the grains are small and of
equal luster, and their occurrence to-
gether makes the dixie appear much
richer than it really is. Feldspar is
absent or in minute amount in this part
Of the dixie; quartz occurs in granules,
generally of small size, flling the spaces
between the mica. The mica in the peg
Matte is in narrow blades one. eighth to
one fourth inch across, the books OF
which are tbinner than wide and stand
at right angles to the wall.
Albert Dany reported obtaining 4
per cent of tin from samples taken across
the dixie. The dixie is apparently not
exposed at the surface. though other and
| larger pegmatite dikes are close at hand.
This dixie is especially interesting from
its close relationship to the gold-bearing
quartz vein, which is probably rs feet
away. The vein is from 2 inches to .
feet in thickness and in places is