TIN ORE. 731 
Kansas has the wealth of Colorado's gold and silver mines in her coal mines, 
when fully developed, and seconded in their productive power by the manufac- 
tories, they will attract attention and capital in the near future. — Kansas City 
fournal. 
TIN ORE. 
The public has so often been advised of the discovery of tin deposits of 
commercial value through premature and in some instances groundless reports 
that it is scarcely in a humor to credit such statements now, even though they 
come from respectable authorities. Casserite tin, it is known, occurs in several 
widely distant localities in the United States, but inasmuch as capital has never 
been largely enlisted in developing the occurrences the notion obtains that they are 
of mineralogical interest only, and as regards most of them this is undoubtedly 
true. Still the possibility of building up a domestic tin-plate industry, should 
really valuable deposits be discovered, encourages the hope that somewhere in 
our vast domain tin occurs in such quantities and of such quality as to be com- 
mercially valuable. 
The most promising occurrence of tin ore thus far made known probably is 
in the neighborhood of Custer City, Dakota. This district was visited by Prof. 
Blake some time ago, and from a letter of his to the Engineering and Mining 
Journal we quote as follows : 
* * * Since my former communication upon the discovery of 
tin ore in the Black Hills of Dakota, other localities have been found. One 
especially, upon Spring Creek, is worthy of notice. The ore occurs there not 
only in alluvial deposits, in crystalline grains and masses about the size of grains 
of corn, but in veins of considerable extent and regularity. Samples sent to me 
show tin stone (black tin) disseminated in a gangue or veinstone of white quartz, 
with a little white mica in small crystals, thus approximating to the composition 
of typical "griessen." The chief vein is said to be about three feet wide, and 
to be traceable, but with occasional breaks and interruptions for a mile or more. 
It traverses a mica slate. ^ ^ -^ Development work has begun on 
the Etta or Tin Mountain claims, and the ground opens in a very encouraging 
way, showing large masses of the griessen, well charged with casserite. A mill 
has been contracted for and will soon be erected for the purpose of crushing and 
concentrating this ore. As the concentrations will be very pure and of high 
grades it is proposed to ship them to a smelter until arrangements are made for 
smelting at the locality. 
Prof. G. F. Randall, of London, England, has also visited this district, and 
•expresses the belief that "the tin mines of the Harney Range will control the 
markets of the world." 
In the Temescal Range, San Bernardino County, California, 400 or 500 tin 
claims were reported located a year or so ago, but only one mine, the Cajaica, 
