Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1910-09-03

straight line COM
pressor, driven by belt from an 80
hp. 500-volt d. C. Westinghouse mot
Or A 25-hp. hoist is about to be
replaced by steam-driven machine
Of higher power in order to handle
the cage and cars from the SCOTT
level.
The largest generator is used to
operate the compressor, hoist, trip
lex-plunger station pump on the ZOO
#. level, the machinery in the grind
ing house, etc. Four Ingersoll-Ser-
geant 2 IA in. drills are in constant
use, as is Davis Calyx drill, for pros
pecting. This machinery is operated
on it's first hole near the level of
Hay creek about 500 It. south Of the
shaft. 1t is expected that this hole
will enter the pegmatite at zoo It.
or a little more.
Ordinary methods Of overhead stop
ing are used in mining the mica with
the exception that separate chutes
are maintained for the mica. The
mica is sorted from the breakdown
and dropped into these chutes, from
which it is drawn for hosting to the
surface. A large portion Of the
breakdown is used for filling Slopes,
so that but a small percentage Is
hoisted. Owing to the character OF
the slopes, timbering is confined al
most entirely to stulls, and as the
slopes are soon filed a relatively
small number of stulls are used.
The mica mined at this property is
ordinarily / to ins, thick and to
| ins, in diameter. r. p. Harris, as
sistant superintendent is the writ
| ers authority for the statement that
the mica on the 200-ft. leve> was
better grade than above, being lS
brittle and thereby giving better sat
isfaction in working. This is no
doubt due to its distance from dis
turbing atmospheric and surface wat
er conditions.
The mica cars as taken from the
cage are trammed direct to the trim
ming and grinding house, 100 yds,
distant, where, after passing over
grizzlies, it is turned over to girls
armed with knives. These operatives
split and trim the mica to sizes ap-
, proximating even inches. This pro-
duct is packed in barrels and boxes
for shipment to Lincoln, Neb. The
refuse from this department, COM
bined with that portion passing thru
the grizzlies, goes to the grinding
plant situated on lower floor. Here
, it is again sorted and that portion
which will be available for the manu-
facture of the character of washers
is piled separately from the fines.
The finest portion is ground to powd-
9 er, after being screened on trommels
for the removal of quartz grit, etc,
@ and is sacked for shipment.
: At Lincoln, Neb., is located the
8 plant where the final trimming and
: preparation for market and use Is
e conducted. Here 500 hands, the ma.
1 jority of whom are children, are
: employed. This portion of the work
: was at one time conducted at Gus
ter, but as it was impossible to Sc
e cure the quantity of operatives nee
e essary, the work was transferred t
e Nebraska.
o At the White Spar mine, owned BY
II the Westinghouse Co., sinking Il
e now in progress below the 100-ft
Z level. At the 100-ft, level and above
q large amounts of mica have beer
: mined. AS the New York ant
y Crown mines are large producers a
e present, the entire force at the Whit,
e Spar-about 80 men is being US
ed in development work. One o
u the largest books of mica ever min
y ed in the Hills was taken a yea
IL ago from the White Spar. Tn
y weight was 162 lbs. The quality wa
= excellent. The White Spar is equip
g ped with a steam hosting and al
L COMPRISING plant, as well as a smal
III lighting set. Work is being carrie
Is forward expeditiously, and when tn
Ls 200-ft. level is reached, mica produC
tion will be resumed. A small sort
W ing and trimming house has been Ell
'e ected. The mine is little less tha
't miles southwest of Custer.
- The Crown mine has recently com
,e under the control of the Westine
house Co., after having passed thr
number of hands. The Chicag
% Mica Co. Tin litigation) has turne
the property over to the Westine
house Co. upon that concern satisfy
~ ing the court that it is competent t
u satisfy the existing judgments an
entanglements. The property is
40 1-2 miles northwest of Custer.
Work at this property has bee
- largely confined to several open cut.
the largest of which is over 100
is long and 25 #. deep, with about th
= same width. A vertical shaft 100 +
8 deep connects, by drift, with the pei
a. Matte at that depth. The propert
is equipped with steam machiner
:. for mining, a sorting house, bun
20 house, boarding house, etc. A goo