THE CLARA BELLE GOLD MINING COMPANY.
Frank Hebert, one of the early pioneers of the Black Hills, in the year
1886, discovered and located the Clara Belle mine in Pennington county. The
surface indications on the Clara Belle were wonderfully rich. Ore was found
which might easily rank with the best ever discovered in the Black Hills, and
the property at once achieved a reputation that has remained with it to this
day. Mr. Hebert is one of those indefatigable workers and prospectors who have
learned their lesson in the hardest school-that of experience. His knowledge of
mining was not limited to that of the Black Hills alone, for he had operated in
other western mining districts. He at once proceeded to open up his bonanza by
the best means at hand, investing his small capital and working underground with
the men himself. Thus for fifteen years, by close attention to duty, he
succeeded in opening up the Clara Belle to a depth of 200 feet and erecting a
small mill.
But as is the case with many another mine, there came a time when Mr.
Hebert was unable to conduct the operations alone and unaided, and he found it
necessary to organize a company. So in April, 1901, the Clara Belle Gold Mining
Company was incorporated with a capitalization of $1,000,000, divided into
shares of a par value of $l each. Stock was sold for the purpose of erecting a
hoist and sinking a shaft to a level below that of the old workings. This shaft
hag now reached a depth of 250 feet and is well timbered for the entire
distance.
The Clara Belle vein is one of the true quartz fissures of the southern
Black Hills. It has a width of ten feet, enclosed between well-defined walls of
the algonkian slates. Four feet of the vein next to the hanging wall is the
richest, although the entire vein from wall to wall is a good grade of milling
ore. The vein dips about 15 degrees from the vertical.
The property of the Clara Belle company is situated eight miles north of
Custer City, between Oreville and Sylvan lake, on Bear gulch. It consists of 75
acres in a solid group. Over half of the property is covered with a heavy growth
of pine timber, which will be sufficient to supply lumber and fuel for mining
operations for many years to come. On the banks of Bear gulch, a mountain
stream fed by never-failing springs, is located the mill of the company, which
contains two Tremain stamps, giving a capacity of ten tons per day. The ore
after crushing flows over amalgamating plates, where the free gold is saved, and
this summer the company will install a cyanide annex to recover the refractory
values. From this little mill, which is regarded by the company merely as an
experimental plant, to be succeeded some day by a larger and more complete
affair, has been produced about $15,000 in gold bullion. The ore which was
treated in this mill was worth at least $10 per ton free milling, while much of
it is worth over $50 per ton. Although this ore shows almost fabulous values,
Mr. Hebert places the average of the ore at from $6 to $8 per ton in future
operations with a big mill. Late reports say the ore is richer than ever.
Frank Hebert is president of the Clara Belle Gold Mining Company; F. A.
Gira of Custer is vice-president; Charles Hebert is treasurer, and L. M. Hebert,
secretary, all being residents of Oreville, Pennington county, S. D. The
principal office of the company is located at Oreville.
[Photo - FOUR VIEWS OF THE CLARA BELLE ABOVE GROUND.]