294 GEOLOGY OF THE BLACK HILLS. 



rest till sink in their beds among the foothills, several miles from the plains. 

 Among some of these dry ravines, cutting through the gravel deposits, 

 miners in the future may make good wages washing the earth from the 

 bottoms of the gulches in rockers during the early spring months, when 

 there is sufficient supply of water in the vicinity. 



SECTION IX. 



CONCLUSION. 



Very few minerals were found during the exploration, and until the 

 quartz ledges have been more thoroughly prospected and opened it is pre- 

 mature to discuss the occurrence or non-occuiTence of any of the valuable 

 minerals or ores in the Black Hills. 



A number of samples of quartz were taken from ledges in different parts 



of the gold field, and submitted to Mr. P. De P. Ricketts for assa»y, but were 



found to contain only traces of gold. The following is Mr. Ricketts's report 



in detail : 



School of Minks, CoLTBrniA College, 



Neic York, January 24, 1876. 

 Certificate of assay. 



Sir : The samples of ores from the Black Hills, marked as below, submitted to me 



for examination, contain no silver, but gold as follows : 



Gold. 

 No. 1. Jasper, from Jasper Hill, Box Elder None. 



No. 2. Porphyry ledge, Warren Peaks Trace. 



No. 3. Empress lode. Box Elder Heavy trace. 



No. 4. Great Quartz ledge. Box Elder None. 



No. 5. Lee Anna lode. Spring Creek Trace. 



No. 6. Sullivan's lode. Castle Creek Heavy trace. 



No. 7. Lode ou Eapid Creek Trace. 



No. 8. Iron pyrites from Spring Creek Trace. 



No. 9. Lode on Eapid Creek — quartz Heavy trace. 



No. 10. Lode on Rapid Creek — quartz Heavy trace. 



No. 11. Empress lode, Box Elder — quartz None. 



No. 12. Lode on Eapid Creek Trace. 



The amount of gold found in each case was too small to weigh, although the charges 

 of ore were large. 



Very respectfully, 



P. De p. EICKETTS, E. M. 



Walter P. Jenny, E. M., 



Geologist Black Hill Expedition. 



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