Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1909-05-20


than thirty years, it now Is fully be-
lieved that the rich vein Of gold ore
which has made the Homestake Min
Ing company Of the Black Hills. one
Of the great gold producers of the
world. has been found outside Of the
mining ground owned by the Home
stake company.
The direction in which this vein led
has always been a source of keen
speculation on the part of mining men
Of the Black Hills. Now that a well
defined vein, continuation of the
Homestake vein. only much richer in
the precious metal, has at last been
discovered, there Is little doubt in the
minds of disinterested residents OF the
Black Hills that their mining region
will become only second to the Rand
In South Africa, and that the annual
gold production OF the Black Hills will
be increased many times over.
The Homestake vein Is what Is
known In mining circles as a vertical
formation. extending downward into
the bowels of the earth. Investiga-
tons during the past third of a GEN.
tury have demonstrated that south of
the huge tract of mining ground
owned by the Homestake company the
vein runs in sloping position deep
Into the earth, perhaps too deep to
ever be successfully worked for the
geld contained in the vein. When this
was demonstrated to the satisfaction
of mining experts they turned their
attention to the region north of the
Homestake tract and their efforts to
trace and strike the Homestake vein
In that region now have resulted sue
cessfully.
The tract of mining ground owned
by the Homestake company is in ex-
tent on the surface two miles from
north to south and one and one half
miles from east to west In the CEN
ter of this tract, or near the center,
the city of Lead is built, at which
place the entrances to the mine and
the mills of the company are situated.
North of the Homestake tract is a
region through which several streams
extend, among them being City creek,
Blacktail creek, Sheeptail creek, Dead.
wood creek and Gold Run creek. For
Hundreds of feet beneath the surface
of the ground north OF the Homestake
tract the ore veins are what are
termed blanket formations, lying in
horizontal position, directly opposite
to the vertical ore vein of the Home
stake mine, from which millions of
dollars In gold is taken each year.
In the belief that vertical forma-
ton, such as that which has made the
Homestake one of the richest mines
In the world would be found under
this blanket formation, some Nebras-
ka men secured tract of mining
ground at point about two and one
half miles north of the Homestake
tract and commenced the work of
sinking prospect hole.
They secured a diamond drill and
at depth Of about 1900 feet had the
satisfaction of passing through the
blanket formation like that In the
Homestake mine, and which they
fully believe is continuation of the
rich Homestake vein. When they
| struck the core of the vertical forma-
ton at a depth of 1900 feet they
found the core to be sprinkled with
| free gold
AS further evidence that the contin-
| uation of the Homestake vein has
been discovered, a mining company
composed largely of residents of Min
nesota, and which owns tract of min
Ing ground short distance southwest
of the ground owned by the Nebraska
men has also struck a vertical for
nation at some distance below the
surface of the ground. Some OF the
ore from this vertical formation has
| been assayed and found to run about
So in gold to the ton, double the value
Of the average ore in the vertical
formation in the famous Homestake
mine.
The discoveries make mining men
confident that the vertical formation
extends clear to the foothills of the
Black Hills, many miles north of the
mining tracts owned by the Nebraska
and Minnesota men, and that the en-
tire region north OF the Homestake
tract Will become second eQlLlOnS or
the Homestake mine and make the re-
gion one of the richest gold-producing
districts in the world Several 9TH
er companies have opened up good
ore in the vertical formation in that
, region, and there is no doubt that the
Black Hills is on the verge of an era
Of mining development and prosper
ity, such as the region has never
known, not even during the palmy
days of 1S76-7s.
The Nebraska men have decided to
put down several other diamond drill
holes for the purpose OF more def
nitely determining the strike OF the
Homestake ledge. 1t is thought that
by this means il may be possible to
find a point where the porphyry over
flow is not so thick as at the point
where the first drill hole was put
down and where the vertical forma-
ton was struck. II such a spot is