The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1913-09-04
MINING AND MILLING
IN THE BLACK HILLS
TOTAL PRODUCTION, 81 YEARS,
s17o,ooo0oo WAGES, POWER
--NATURAL ADVANTAGES.

| A proper understanding Of condi
tons in general affecting mining ope
Irations in the Black Hills coult
scarcely be gagged upon a bar
statement on how the work Is con
Quoted Climate, topography. tn
price Of labor and supplies and mean,
OF transportation all have a bcarins
upon the cost of operation, write!
neering World
] Dramatically the Black Hill is q
favored section. During the winters
nearly sufficient moisture in the form
Of snow falls to furnish water for the
! entire year. The summers are long
and usually dry except for occasional
showers. The bulk of the snow comes
| In December. January, February and
March. For at least months OF the
year outdoor work is a pleasure. Tn
proof of claims of mild climate 1t
may be mentioned that the Wasp M.
II, which Is strictly an open air mine,
often works through the entire year
without suspension.
Transportation Facilities.
Good wagon roads and railroads
make 1t possible to easily reach every
mining section Of the district. There
is no mule back transportation, and in
fact very little teaming, as the rail-
roads have been aggressive in con-
structing lines to serve the mines.
The Bald Mountain district Is ver-
able network Of railroad tracks. The
highest elevation of any large camp
In Lawrence county Is Trojan, at 6427
feet above sea level. Lead is 5000 and
Deadwood 1900 feet.
Wages.
Labor costs are: Miners Cloth hand
and machine) drifting and stopping
$3.50. and sinking 81; chuck tenders,
muckers and TRAINERS, ST. hosting
engineers, 81; shift bosses, $3.50 and
up; blacksmiths, $3.50; carpenters,
timber trainers, etc, "a; top men,
$780, common labor and roustabout
work on the surface, $3.50; under
ground, So; solution men, battery men,
roll men, Zinc cutters, etc. $3.50,
crusher men 50. Eight hours consti-
tutes days labor. Salaried en-
ployes.such as assayers, receive 800;
oookeeepers. 1925 to $50; and engi-
neers about $3.50 per month each.
Electric power is furnished by the
Con. Power 4 Light Co. to prae-
ticallly all of the mines except
ing the Homestake, which company
its own power plants. The
Con. company has lines thoroughly
covering the mining sections of Law
renee county, and stands reay at any
time to extend its lines to any new
and contract to supply all
needed energy. 1t operates steam
plant at Puma and hydro electric
plant on Redwater river, and has
made a contract with the Dakota
Power Company. of Pactola. to take
1000 horse power developed at that
plant for which there Is no market in
is immediate neighborhood.
Power is furnished according to the
following schedule: Power rate---A
liked charge of 81 per month per
capacity of equipment in
stalled, plus meter charge of 5000
,er kiloWat II hour for all c,irrreut
Used. Quantity discounts; LIST 5000
# bill, I'd 5000 of bill. 10 per cent; 3rd
800 Of bill, 20 per cent; over 5000 of
ill., 80 per cent.
Supplies Reasonable.
Supplies cost about as follows:
liant powder, 40 per cent, $0.135 |
'ound, lumber, per 1000, native, $27 |
o $50, western tinbers. per 1000. $40 !
o $50, coal, ton, 50 to 81; lime, bushel,
o.2s to $032, cyanide (KCN), s0.2o5
er pound zinc. Sheet SOLO to SOIL
er pound.
Gold Production.
The following table shows the gold
reduction of the Black Hills from
arliest date of yield up to the present
me. the figures for the years up to
oil taken from mineral resources, i
age 1856, and for 1912 from the adj
ance estimates Of the Geological
urvey and director of mint:
s76.. .s1,a00,OQ0 1885. $S,S6s,500
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