Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1910-01-29
A DEMAND FOR MICA.
The Westinghouse Electric & Manu-
featuring Company Will
Build An
ELECTRIC LIGHT AND POWER
Plant in Custer and Double the Pre-
sent Force of Active
Miners.

W. j. Longmore, purchasing agent,
Pittsburg, Pa; j. R. Sanborn of the En-
gineering department at East Pittsburg,
Pa; P. F. Lowery, manager of the Laur-
entide Mica Company, Limited at Lin
coin, Nebraska, all officials of the West
inghouse Electric & Manufacturing COM
pany, after spending a week here
inspecting the company. property and
looking oyer the sites offered for the
light and power plant, departed for
their respective homes Monday even
ing.
Just before their departure a reporter
for the CHRONICLE had brief converse
ton with Mr.. Longmore who informed
him that negotiations were now pend
ing for the paint factory building for
their power plant. If successful the in
terror of the building will be remodeed
for the necessary machinery for light
and power plant
If they do not get the paint factory
building they have options on three 10.
cations all centrally located, and will
select one of them for site for the
plant. 1t is their intention to furnish
the light and power for all their mines
from one central point end as mine No.
l and mine No. 4 are ten or twelve
miles apart it will require large plant
to generate electricity to keep all of them
supplied and at work at the same time.
Besides they expect to furnish lights
for our streets and residences. When
our streets become well lighted and our
citizens place electric lights in their
business houses and residences we will
then have City of which we may feel
proud.
When the plant is fully established
grinding machinery will also be attach
ed and the product of the mines sorted
here for shipment, the waste ground
up and also shipped so that all will be
utilized. Those departments will re-
quire quite additional help, so it will
give employment to a number of per-
SONS, thus increasing the population of
our City.
As soon as few minor details can be
adjusted work will actually commence
upon the proposed buildings, As they
are building for permanency all the
structures will be substantial. The
plans have already been drafted for the
buildings.
For several months the company has
been working two eight hour shifts at
Nos. and 2, but as the demand for
mica is much greater than the supply,
they are going to double their force of
active miners and proceed at once to
develop mines Nos. 3 and 4, and in a
few months will have them producers.
Mine No. is out toward Sylvan lake.
For the past year the monthly pay
roll of the Westinghouse Electric & Man
ufacturing Co. has averaged $s, 900. Doub-
ling that amount will be of vast benefit
to our community. The increased force
will bring additional families to our city
and as a sequence will improve all lines
of business This large expenditure al
so shows that the Westinghouse people
have faith in our country as producer
of mica.
Joseph H. Pyne, the resident superin-
tendent of the company, is quiet, un-
assuming person, held in high esteem
by all the employees as evidenced by the
presentation to him of an elegant gold
watch Christmas, from the workmen of
mines No. and 2, or to be more ex-
plicit the New York and White Spar
boys.
During the past year a large building
has been erected at the New York mine
and furnished, now being used as a
Miners Union hall and church and
school purposes. Religious services are
held on Sunday. A school of thirty We
scholars, with Miss Alta darkness as
teacher is now in progress.
This mine being six miles from the
city there is nothing to detract the min
er from rest and recreation when not at
labor. We believe We can assert, with
out fear of contradiction that there is
not another mine in the United States
where the environments are more con-
ducive to health and happiness than the
New York mine.
Mr.. Longmore will visit Custer again
in June. 1t is expected by that time the
work upon the power plant will be un.
der good headway, and upon his arrival
will be rushed to completion as fast at
the weather will permit and men can be
worked to advantage. Speed the day
when the plant is finished and fully
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