The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1910-11-04
STATE UNIVERSITY WILL MAKE
ANALYSIS OF COAL FROM
THE Ignite BELT
DATA WILL BE PUBLISHED
Much Valuable Information Gathered
BY the U~niversity's Survey
Party Will be Publish
b. ed in Bulletin

ne party WHICH IOr tu0
past summer has been making a
study Of the coal, soil, water and
animals and plants of Harding eoun-
ty and adjacent areas under the
state geologist recently closed its
work for the season. Now remains
the making of the chemical analysis
Of the coal samples. the ca. eful
study of the extensive collection OF
plans and animals which was made
for the state museum and herbarium
and the general preparation of the
reports.
AS soon as practicable, a state sur
vey bulletin will be issued and dis
tributed from the state university at
Vermillion dealing with the resources
of this part of our state. Dean Peri
sho will write upon the geology, soils
water and agriculture. Professor w.
erson VIII discuss at length the exact
occurrence, quality. quantity and val
ue of the Ignite coal of Perkins and
Harding counties. Professor Visher
will treat fully the natural history of
this perhaps now the most natural
part of our state. Lists of plants and
animals which occur, and facts of in
terest and of value about them will be
given. A map Of Harding county will
be published showing the location Of
the buttes, streams, coal outcrops,
etc, as accurately as possible. The
revision of the available maps Of the
area was made by Messrs. Iverson and
Pipal.
The party entered the state at its
extreme northwestern corner. The
territory west of the Little Missouri
river was worked as far south as
Camp Crook. Then a swing was made
to the north. Professor Perisho 10 n
ed the party for extensive work in
and about Cave Hills. From the Cave
Hills the work was continued east
ward to the Perinks county line to
connect with the work done by the
survey there during the summer of
1909. Slim Buttes we're next examin-
ed. From their southern end, almost
in Butte county, the outfit turned west
J to the Short Pine Hills. Of the sew
enty-four townships of Harding coun-
ty the party worked N all but five.
The personnel of this party was:
Dean E. C. Perisho, the State Uni
versity, director.
Professor B. A. Iverson, Vermillion
!, In charge of the work ,on Ignite.
Professor S. s. Visher, state uni
versity. Biologist.
, William Pipal, State University
Geographer and assistant g%eologist.
F. D. Fromme, State Agriculture
. College, Brookings, Collector Of GER
, tain plants for the state herberium.
Mr.. Iverson found that good seam:
: Of Ignite coal under-lie much OF the
. area and out-crop along the larger
streams and about the buttes, especial
ly the Slim Buttes and Cave Hills
Seams of from seven to ten feet thicl
: are not infrequent and some ever
: thicker occur. However, due to the
! geeral absence of a rock roof, tun'
neling can not be cheaply done. Thi
Ignite propensity to Stake to {
powder further decreases its present
commercial value. Methods will
; doubtless be devised to overcome thu
first objection, just as briquetting i
the second, SO that some day this Goa
, will be very valuable since it burns
r readily after once started, and give
. much heat. At present there is onl!
one mine with a tunnel-Hilton's a
{ the South Cave Hills. The scores o
' other mines" are merely pits.
Practically everyone of this are,
burns the Ignite, since it is more con
> venient and cheaper than wood. II
most places it can be had for tn
8 digging and hauling or at most TO
two dollars a ton, loaded in you
wagon.
8 Much of the area recently with
drawn by the national government
q until inspection for coal, Mr.. Iverso1
believes will be quickly retured TO
: free entry, since the available Goa
is not enough to justify the land a
: being classed as coal land, in spite o
L perhaps, there being enough for do
mesttc use exposed.
Mr.. Visher found the biology o
Harding county to be more interest
t ing than expected. Over 120 kinds O
birds were met with, several of whicl
q had not previously been found In tn
= state. More than 400 sorts of plant
were collected, showing that thi
county, because of the forested buttes
Is asawell favored in regard to var'et
Of plants, as any of the more easter
3 counties.
Antelope and deer were both seer
The party ascertained that there ar
g at least forty deer left in the buttet
and probably more than twice as man
q antelope on the plains.
1t is hoped by the state geologis
that copies of this bulletin will prov
interesting reading to every citizen {
the state, and of considerable value t
: the inhabitants and prospective sci
! tiers of the entire western half {
Z South Dakota.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. new oper
Is house, which has been in course {
d construction since early In the sun
mer, will be ready for the opepin
dates which have been announced fc
= November / and 2. "8he Man on til
(, Box" will be presented the first Nigh
:. and ."Ishmael' the second night.
y large number of tickets at S. hay
q been sold for both nights as a help |
d the promoters to pay for the built