Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1910-04-02
THE HYMALULU MINE.

After several years of persistent and
well directed work, Superintendent
| George M. Bennett, of the Hymalulu
Mining Company has accomplished his
purpose which was to develop the min
ing ground owned by the company to
such thorough extent that there could
be no failure in the plans which will be
ultimately adopted for ore treatment.
Benefiting by the experience of others
who have neglected to fully develop
their ore bodies before erecting mill,
Mr.. Bennett determined at the outset of
his work to avoid the possibility of
erecting as a monument to misdirected
enterprise, mill which in later years
might be pointed out as "Bennett's
Folly" His plan. was to be absolutely
sure he had the ore in paying quantities,
before even allowing a suggestion of
building a mill. He has reached the
point, now, where he is satisfied beyond
all doubt that he has accomplished this
purpose and he knows he can call on his
company for the funds necessary to
erect mill of large capacity with the
assurance that their money will be in
vested in paying undertaking.
1t was not alone by mine develop
ment that Mr.. Bennett arrived at this
conclusion, but he has subjected the ore
body opened up, to tests on scale that
amounts to practically mill run. He
did not depend on assays of the ore,
although he kept up careful sampling
of the ledge as it was being opened up,
but he erected on the property a small
mill that has demonstrated beyond all
doubt, the worth of the property. His
test mill made its last run during the
month of December last past, and last
week Superintendent Bennett was in
Deadwood with collection of small
gold bricks, weighing from half ounce
to an ounce which he has presented as
souvenirs, to persons who have been
directly interested in the development
of the property.
The mill, which is operated by steam
power, is of the gyratory kind, being
constructed in the form of a muller and
capable of accomplishing a very fine
grinding. 1t is rather crude arrange
ment, but Its operation was so carefully
checked by system of assays that it
was possible to arrive at definite conclu-
sions as to values and extraction. The
pulp from the mill was run over an
amalgam plate six feet in length. The
capacity Of tie plant was something
less than one ton day. The result of
the run showed that about IS per ton
was collected on the plate and the sub.
sequent amalgamation of the tailings,
showed that from $3.50 to 81 per ton in
free gold had escaped the plate. In ad-
dtion to this the tailings were assayed,
after they had been carefully freed of
any metallic gold that might have passed
over the plate, and it was found they
contained about $3.50 in refractory val.
ues. The rock contains no minerals
which might seriously interfere with
|
values may be readily recovered. One
of the results most forcibly prominent
was the demonstration of the fact that
the ore requires fine grinding and that
when this is accomplished, high ex-
traction is possible.
The ore from this run was not selected,
but was taken from a part of the ledge
which appeared to be somewhat better
in value than the average of the entire
| width. The vein matter is designated
as hornblend schist impregnated with
quartz and iron pyrites and carrying
metallic gold in very fine particles. 1t
has been opened in well constructed
tunnel. which has penetrated 65 feet of
the ledge without reaching the foot
wall. This property lies about three
miles southeast of Mystic, on Slate
creek. There is ample timber on the
grocnd for extensive mining operations
for sometime to come and Slate creek
offers sufficient water supply for mill
ing purposes. An ideal millsite has
been selected, which will permit of the
ore from the present workings being
transported to the mill at low cost.
Superintendent Bennett has thus far
given out no definite information regard
ing the plans for the mill which the
company will doubtless erect in the near
future. His long experience on the
ground and the results of the recent
test run have given him an accurate in
sight into the requirements of such a
plant and it will doubtless be constructed
on the lines suggested by him. That it
will be fine grinding plant is GER
tainty and it will probably have capa-
city of close to 500 tons per day.-Dead-
wood Pioneer-Times.
Mules, Mules, Mules for Sale.