History of Dakota Territory, volume III, Part 6

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1146

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The mines of Pennington County were equally as prosperous and successful as those of Lawrence County during the year 1902. The Holy Terror Company operated fifteen stamps at the Keystone mill with ore from the old slopes on the Holy Terror mine. It shipped concentrates part of the year to the Horse- shoe Mining Company's smelter in Rapid City. A cross cut was being driven to the Keystone vein on the 1,100-foot level of the Holy Terror shaft.

The Ohio-Deadwood Gold Mining Company owned a tract of 475 acres along Little Rapid Creek, half a mile from the Town of Rochford on the Burlington Railroad. A direct tunnel was started on a fissure vein of free milling ore, and an air compressor and air drills were at work.

The Columbia Gold Mining Company owned two tracts, one on Silver Creek near Rochford and the other near Castle Creek south of Rochford, all aggregating about six hundred acres. Development work was in rapid prog- ress throughout the year. This company was composed largely of Eastern South Dakota capitalists.

Golden West Mining Company was recently organized by Chicago capital- ists. They purchased the Benedict and Yellow Bird group of claims and other adjacent tracts, aggregating 300 acres, in Hornblend camp, five miles south- west of Rochford. They reached several strong fissure veins of free milling and concentrating ore. A small Chilean mill was on the ground.

The Black Hills Copper Company built a cross cut from its 800-foot level over 100 feet to the westward to reach a vein of copper-bearing ore. A shaft was equipped with steam house and machine bearing drills. This company had a lease on the Benedict group of claims, which was finally sold to the

GUARDIAN OF THE POOLS, SYLVAN LAKE DISTRICT, BLACK HILLS

BOULDER ROCKS, SYLVAN LAKE AND HOTEL, BLACK HILLS

SOUTH DAKOTA: ITS HISTORY AND ITS PEOPLE

Golden West Gold Mining Company. The Copper Cliff Mining Company pro- duced both copper and graphite. It made several shipments of graphite or plumbago to Chicago. This product was of superior quality.

Other companies operating in Pennington County were the following: Ajax Gold Mining Company was at work on the main ledge in the Standby mine at Rochford. The Cochran mine was under bond to the Cochran Gold Mining Company and much exploration work was done. The Gregory Mining Company was doing exploration work in the Old Montana mine. The Empire State Mining Company had a bond on the Golden Slipper mine and was run- ning a 5-stamp mill on ore from the main vein. Several valuable cleanups were made at the Stab mill. The Lakota Gold Mining and Production Company was formed during the year by Peoria men and secured possession of the Grizzly Bear mine 51/2 miles east of Hill City. They dismantled the old IO-stamp mill and planned a modern plant in its place. Gertie Mining Com- pany operated a shaft near Hill City, which was destroyed by fire five years before but had been replaced. In 1902 it had a new stamp house, air com- pressor and drill and a self-dumping skip. It mined both gold and tin. The Mt. Etna Gold Mining Company, formed of both eastern and local men, pur- chased the Lucky Boy group of claims near the Town of Keystone, put down a shaft and installed a steam housing plant. Tycoon Gold Mining Company, composed chiefly of Cedar Rapids (Iowa) men, owned the Ranger group of claims near Keystone and a 10-stamp mill. This company was carrying on systematic development work and were installing a system housing plant. The Sunbeam Gold Mining Company operated a tract of mineral land on Friday Gulch and a shaft was put down 140 feet and a high grade free milling ore was obtained in a vertical vein. The company had a steam house, air com- pressor and drill, also a saw mill and several new buildings.

The mines of Custer County were prosperous in 1902. The Northern Star Mining Company had a 10-stamp mill nine miles from Custer. The mill had sufficient power to run forty stamps and was designed for a cyanide plant in connection. The working shaft was over three hundred feet deep on a strong vein of free milling and concentrated ore. Explorations under ground were in progress. It was composed of Omaha and Council Bluffs capitalists.

Saginaw Gold Mining Company conducted deep explorations this year with diamond drills. At a depth of 550 feet they found that the main ledge of ore contained excellent value and a quantity larger than indicated at the outcrop. A steam housing plant, air compressor and drills were installed. The ore veins here dipped sharply.

Grantz Gold Mining Company was organized during 1902 by the Black Hills and Colorado men. It acquired possession of the St. Elmo mine and a IO-stamp mill and still later purchased the Roosevelt and Aspen group of mines, thus securing 300 acres all told. They started a new shaft on St. Elmo prop- erty and at a depth of 115 feet made a cross cut. A large vein of rich free milling gold ore was discovered in the Northwest and Aspen groups. It carried free gold and excellent values in telluride of bismuth, sylvanite and calaverite. This vein was open about three hundred feet. Several new buildings, including an assay office and dwellings for the employes, were erected.

SOUTH DAKOTA: ITS HISTORY AND ITS PEOPLE

The Black Hills Porcelain, Clay and Marble Company did much good work in 1902. A carload of mica containing thirty tons was shipped monthly to a manufacturing concern in Cleveland, Ohio. They were under contract to furnish this quantity each month during one year. The mica was of excellent quality and large deposits were discovered. The company was operating sev- eral quarries of different varieties of marble. They likewise purchased land where gold deposits had been discovered. The Clara Belle Gold Mining Com- pany sank a perpendicular shaft to a considerable depth to catch the fissure vein of gold-bearing ore. Thus far the vein had been worked by incline shafts. On the property was a two-stamp Tremain quartz mill that was operated with some success owing to the richness of the ore. Late in 1902 experiments with tin ore were made at this mill. By special process a considerable quantity of metallic tin was saved.

For ten months during 1902 all of the mills except the Homestake, which reported for twelve months, yielded the following gold product: Tons of ore milled 1,621,601 ; gold value $7,342,227.56; total number of men employed 3,207. Thomas Gregory was state mine inspector in 1902. He lived at Lead.

In 1902 the authorities of the state agreed that the mining outlook had never been better or more auspicious. The old mines were apparently as good as new, and new strikes were made in nearly every part of the Hills. The new reduction processes were much better than the old and yielded a much greater product from the same quantity of ore. In 1902 the total output of the Hills in gold was $8,811,000, and the entire output of the Hills in minerals of every description was $10,417,000. For twenty-seven years prior to January 1, 1903, the Black Hills produced over one hundred and thirty million dollars' worth of gold alone. Many new strikes were made in the north and central portions at this time. Large quantities of silver and copper were obtained. The output of silver. and copper in 1900 was estimated at $1,500,000. In all, there were nearly forty different varieties of minerals that were being obtained from the Hills, the leading ones being gold, silver, copper, tin, nickel, antimony, cobalt, galena, graphite, mica, iron and arsenic. There were about thirty others.

In October, 1903, a very valuable collection of gold nuggets and curios gathered at great expense by M. R. Russell, of Deadwood, was sold to B. W. Carlow, of Boston, for a large sum of money. It was one of the finest and most valuable private collections in the United States and had required many years to secure it. Aside from the intrinsic value of the gold, the collection possessed great worth owing to the many rare and notable nuggets taken from the local placer beds. One was taken from a mine on Bear Creek and possessed almost exactly the shape of a bear; the gold therein was worth about fifty dollars. Another specimen worth about the same in value was shaped like the American eagle with wings outspread. The collection consisted of specimens taken from all the mines of the Hills. Presumably this collection is still at Boston.

The American mining congress which assembled in the Black Hills in September, 1903, was an event of great importance to the state and the nation. The twin cities, Deadwood and Lead, vied with each other in preparing a splendid welcome for the delegates and members. The streets and the most prominent buildings were gaily decorated with bunting and brilliantly illum- inated with electric lights. In the Bullock Hotel of Deadwood was arranged

SOUTH DAKOTA: ITS HISTORY AND ITS PEOPLE

a complete and interesting display of all the ores and minerals of the Hills. Lead opened to the inspection of the visitors its splendid exhibit of ores with illustrations of the various mining processes. In one collection was an admir- able arrangement of representative samples of the Homestake ore body show- ing their general relations to one another on eleven 100-foot levels and of the hanging and foot walls. On the evening of September 7 an elaborate reception was given to all delegates at Franklin Hotel, Deadwood. Governor Herreid was present. On the 8th the congress was called to order by President Richards, of Idaho, in the skating rink, which had been transformed into a brilliantly decorated auditorium for the purpose. The invocation was rendered by Bishop Stariha of Lead, who showed his conscientious courage in a petition to the Almighty that "the Divine Majesty might speedily cease to be outraged by constant labor on the Sabbath day." Governor Herreid welcomed the delegates to the state in an eloquent and fitting address. Mayor McDonald welcomed them to Deadwood. An appropriate and encouraging letter from President Roosevelt was read. The invitation to President Roosevelt was written on an 18-carat gold plate 3 inches by 51/8 inches. He replied that he could not be present. President Richards responded fittingly to the various cordial and welcome addresses. Mrs. Dignowity, of Philadelphia, read an attractive poem. In response addresses were given by J. L. Webster, of Omaha, and Congress- man E. W. Martin, of Deadwood. In the afternoon came in succession the president's annual address; then speeches by Secretary Shaw of the Roosevelt cabinet on "The Importance of Mining to Other Occupations;" N. H. Darton on "What the United States Geological Survey Is Doing for the Black Hills ;" J. W. Abbott on "Good Roads for Mines ;" J. D. Irving on "Ore Deposits of the Northern Black Hills;" E. W. Parker on "Coal;" C. W. Merrill, superin- tendent of the Homestake cyanide plant, on "The Metallurgy of the Home- stake Ores ;" J. E. Todd on "The Geology of South Dakota ;" George E. Roberts, director of the mint, on "The Supply of Gold;" John Blatchford on "Ore Deposits in the Northern Black Hills ;" C. C. O'Harra, of Rapid City, on "The Geology and Mineralogy of the Black Hills;" John L. Webster, of Omaha, on "Money, Metals and Other Influence on Civilization;" E. H. Elftman, of Colo- rado, on "Ores of the San Juan District," and Mr. Bartlett, of Cleveland, on the "Mechanical Drying of Clays."

These various topics brought out every phase and purpose of the mining industries. The sessions of Tuesday and Saturday were held in Deadwood and those of Wednesday and Friday in Lead. Thursday was spent in excur- sions to Spearfish, to the mines of the Reliance and Golden Reward companies and to the lower levels of the Homestake mine, a privilege which was rarely granted to anyone. The visitors were taken down to the 700-foot level, where they were shown the practical and wonderful operations of taking out the ore. Over five hundred men were taken at once on this trip without discomfort and without having their clothes soiled. The weather was cold, and before the congress closed nearly six inches of snow fell at Deadwood. At this congress there was selected for permanent exhibit at the State University a fine collection of specimens of the different ores. One specimen showing several dollars' worth of free gold from the Uncle Sam Mine was presented by S. W. Russell, and another was a rich specimen of horn silver from Iron Hill Mine presented

SOUTH DAKOTA: ITS HISTORY AND ITS PEOPLE

by Mr. Bagley. Portland, Oregon, was selected as the place for the next meeting of the congress.

No mining school of the United States is better situated for giving prac- tical instruction in mining and metallurgy than the South Dakota School of Mines. It is located within a few miles of the various ore districts of the Black Hills gold fields. "Though several of the schools in the East have perhaps better facilities for research they can not compare with the South Dakota institution in the practical work of the mines. The school occupies the same relation to mining that the experiment stations do to scientific agriculture. The mining men of the Hills take great pride in the institution and afford the students every reasonable consideration and facility for the inspection and study of the detailed operation of the plant. The Hills region undoubtedly affords the best field for the special study of gold mining and gold metallurgy of any in the world. Succeeding the development of the cyanide process for the reduction of certain refractory gold ores a large number of mills have been erected and put into operation where the student of the school can study every phase of this extremely important process. There are mills which employ the wet crushing process, the dry crushing process, stamp amalgamation in conjunction with the cyanide process, all of which give the student unequaled opportunities for the study of all the processes. The great stamp amalgamation mills of the Homestake Company which have become famous and are complete in every detail, give the students the best insight possible into the principles and details of gold milling. Although the Black Hills are in the main a gold milling field, still an excellent opportunity to study smelting processes is afforded. The large smelting plants of the Golden Reward Company of Deadwood and the Horseshoe Company of Rapid City are open to the students for inspection and study. The school is situated but a few hundred feet from the latter plant. Through the courtesy of officials students are admitted to the Horseshoe plant whenever desired. The process carried on here and at the Golden Reward plant is known as pyritic smelting. The plants treat the siliceous ores, smelting them with iron and some copper pyrites. The product of gold and matte con- tain the gold and silver which is shipped to the Denver and Omaha plants for further treatment and refinement."-State Mine Inspector.

At this time one of the shafts of the Homestake Mine was 1,400 feet deep. This company had a complete plant, hoisting engines, gallows frames, pumps, compressors, etc., which gave the student every opportunity to study. modern mining machinery and methods. Plans of mining and the timbering of mines could be seen here in perfection. While many students made individual trips to the mines for study, the actual work of the school in the practical study of mining and metallurgy was carried on under the direction of the professor of the department. The whole of the mining and metallurgical part of the course was divided into the various proper subjects on which lectures were given dur- ing the last two years of the four-year course. When a practical illustration was necessary the body of students in charge of the professor visited the prop- erty and there inspected and studied the feature under discussion aided by the lecture of the professor. A summer school of from four to six weeks duration was usually conducted.

SOUTH DAKOTA: ITS HISTORY AND ITS PEOPLE

During 1903 the production of gold decreased somewhat owing to the shut- ting down of the Golden Reward Smelter at Deadwood in March, caused by the walkout of the employes. Its continued idleness greatly reduced the pro- duction and caused great inconvenience and suffering among the workmen. All other mines in the Black Hills showed an increase in production, while there were three more producers than ever in operation during 1902. The gold production of 1903 was $7,159,400.70, and of 1902, $7,342,227.56. According to the state mine inspector's report the total number of fatal accidents during 1903 was eight. The number of fatal accidents in 1902 was thirteen. In a measure the decrease in fatalities was attributed to improved operations in mine work and to greater care used by the mining companies for the safety of their men.

In the fall of 1903 there were many indications that the annual gold produc- tion in the Hills would be materially increased by the 'discovery that a peculiar black sand taken from the placer bars of French and Rapid creeks contained a large percentage of gold. Samples of this sand concentrated from the gravel below the sluices where all the gold had been collected by the common method employed in placer mining, yielded by fire assay $60 in gold per ton. These sands when crushed were found to be amenable to the cyanide process and showed that a profit could be made whenever the sands were found in sufficient quantity.

In 1904 the gold product of the Hills was valued at $7,090,481. The total mineral value of these products was estimated at almost $9,000,000. The state authorities in estimating the resources of South Dakota annually, invariably figured in the minerals of the Hills, which assisted in building up the actual product records of the state. In 1904 South Dakota was fourth in gold pro- duction in the United States. Alaska, which was part of the United States, produced $9,000,000 and South Dakota $7,270,000. During the 1904-5 session of the Legislature and of Congress, new mining laws were put in operation and proved excellent. There were at this time 3,500 workmen on the rolls of the South Dakota mining companies. The average pay of the principal workers was $3.50 per day, helpers $3, mill hands $2.50. The total gold products of the Hills in 1903 were $7,159,400.

In January, 1905, the employes of the Golden Reward Smelter, numbering nearly one thousand, went on a strike at Deadwood. The strike was caused by the arbitrary laying off of one man employed as a helper on the feed floor of the smelter. Eight men who made complaint at this action were at once discharged by the superintendent, whereupon all the other employes peremptorily demanded reinstatement of the eight men as well as the helper. Wages cut no figure in this strike, because the men received the highest wages in the United States for this class of work. At this time Harris Franklin was general manager of the Golden Reward Company, which ranged next to the Homestake in the number of men employed and the quantity of ore handled. The smelter at Dead- wood had been treating 500 tons a day, not including what was handled at the cyanide plant. At this time the cyanide mills of the Wasp and Alder Creek Min- ing companies on Yellow, a mile from Lead, were adding from $23,000 to $25,000 a month to the gold product of South Dakota. Of this amount the Wasp was yielding about fifteen thousand dollars monthly and the Alder Creek Mine about

SOUTH DAKOTA: ITS HISTORY AND ITS PEOPLE

ten thousand dollars. Their mills were working on Cambrian quartzite and porphyry with some shale. The ores were low in gold product, but the profits resulted from rapid and economical handling. In sight of these concerns was ore that would last for many years. As soon as the men had left the Golden Reward Smelter, the fires in the furnaces were drawn and the doors were shut. The Deadwood Labor Union, a branch of the Western Federation of Labor, held a meeting and concluded to stand by the strikers. Satisfactory settlement was finally effected.

At no time in the history of the Black Hills has it been unusual to make new and valuable strikes of high grade ore running up into thousands of dollars to the ton. Such discoveries were expected and accepted as a matter of course. Often they occurred in rapid succession. In the spring of 1905 such a strike was reported at one of the lower levels in the Homestake Mine, and this exceeded almost every other strike' in the richness of the ore. It was at first stated that an average of $1,000 to the ton was taken from this ore, but this later was found to be an over-statement. The vein was of considerable size and from the dip it was thought to extend to the surface.

In 1905 a company known as the Black Hills Traction Company filed articles of incorporation and prepared to build a trolley line between Spearfishı and other valley towns and the Northern Hills section. Henry Keates became president of the new organization and J. F. Summers vice president. The company was capitalized for $400,000 with $50,000 paid up. It was planned to have the cars running over at least a portion of the line by November. In time this road was constructed.

In 1905 Nicholas Treweek, Sr., of Lead, was appointed mine inspector for South Dakota. He was one of the best mining experts in the Black Hills. For many years he was mine foreman for the Homestake Company and was later in charge of the Cloverleaf Mine. He succeeded Thomas Gregory, who had served for the previous two years and had given general satisfaction.

During the year 1905 still better measures were adopted for the safety of the employes in all the mines of the Hills. The number of deaths from accident was still too large. While many unquestionably resulted from the carelessness of the employes themselves, still the precautions and safety appliances needed improvement. The kindest relations existed between employer and employe. In fact, there were no complaints from either against the other. Several of the producing mines in 1904 were idle in 1905 and had turned their attention to development work, particularly in enlarging their treating capacity in order to lessen the cost and facilitate operations. The state mine inspector reported that all companies and individual operators had faithfully complied with the require- ments of the law. In 1905 there were fourteen serious accidents, eight of which were fatal. This number was still too large, and renewed measures to prevent such loss of life were taken by all the companies.

The following figures show the tonnage of ore mined and milled, number of men employed and the production by companies during the past year :

Tons. No. Employed. Production.

Alexander Maitland

48,000

IIO

$ 320,000.00

Clinton Mining & Mineral Co.

78,171

10,754.74

Dakota Mining & Milling Co.

39,910

120,337.69

111

BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF LEAD

SOUTH DAKOTA: ITS HISTORY AND ITS PEOPLE

Tons

No. Employed Production

Gilt-Edge Maid Gold Mining Co.

28,000

I 10,665.00

Golden Reward Cons. G. M. & M. Co.

48,000

150

391,350.69

Hidden Fortune Gold Mining Co.

21,235

80,724.24

Homestake Mining Co.

1,437,400

2,800

5,080,000.00

Horseshoe Gold Mining Co.

50,440

379,172.00

Imperial G. M. & M. Co

52,250

251,000.00

Lundberg, Dorr & Wilson.

27,500

184,400.00

Portland Mining Co.

129,722

8,905.59

Spearfish Gold Mining Co.

68,493

157,918.80

Wasp No. 2 Mining Co.

51,150

86,324.96

Placer Mining

....

10,000,00

Total.

2,080,27I

3,547

$7,191,553-71

In 1907 the output of the mines was considerably less than in former years, due to the fact that several of the heaviest producers had been closed down owing to labor troubles. In addition a fire in the Homestake Mine lessened the production of that plant alone about six thousand dollars. The labor union had asked for an eight-hour day and after considerable maneuvering had succeeded in securing it. Perhaps no year showed a greater degree of care to prevent accidents than 1907. The appliances and facilities for prompt and effective rescue were better than ever before. As a consequence the fatal accidents were fewer in number, there being but six in 1907. There were seven the previous year. The non-fatal accidents in 1907 were three and in 1906 fourteen. There was thus a steady improvement for the safety of the employes. The big fire in the Homestake Mine was the most striking event of the year. It started in No. 5 slope on the 500-foot level. Owing to the large amount of carbonic acid gas that was liberated in the passages, it was found next to impossible to reach the fire with hose. But efforts were made, the men working in 15-minute shifts. to flood the mine, and the streams from the hose were turned in and left running three days, but the cave-ins prevented during part of the time the water from reaching the fire. Attempts to reach the fire by running cross-cuts from the foot wall drift to the fire were made, but this was found impossible owing to the heated condition of the rock. On April 12 the complete flooding of the mines commenced and by the 29th the water had risen to a point seventy-eight feet above the 300-foot level. At the same time, to prevent delay, the company made preparations to unwater the mine as soon as the fire should be subdued. This process began on May 30. Four skips of 1,000 gallons each, two skips of 500. gallons each and two skips of 2,000 gallons each, besides other methods, were adopted to remove the water. During this work more than 600,000,000 gallons of water were hoisted. During all this hazardous work not a life was lost nor limb broken.

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History of Dakota Territory, volume III, Part 6

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920 Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1146

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1146