very valuable in constructing trestles and small bridges on account of the strength of the timber. The wood is white, fine-grained, and remarkably tough and elastic. The small slender spruce-trees are much sought after by the Indians, who visit the Hills in the spring for the purpose of procuring them for lodge-poles.

It is difficult to estimate accurately the area covered by valuable timber in the Black Hills. Taking into consideration that the foot-hills are but sparsely wooded; that there are extensive parks and valleys in the interior destitute of trees, or where there are only scattered groves of pine; that over an aggregate area of several hundred square miles the timber has been destroyed by fire, I estimate that one-half the surface included within the timber-line is covered by forest of more or less mature growth.

By careful measurements of the map, the area within the timberline, or outer boundary of the forest at the edge of the plains, is three thousand eight hundred square miles. One-half of this, or one thousand nine hundred square miles, is covered by woods, including the large forests of young trees, as well as the sections of valuable timber.

Portions of this area are difficult of access, or the timber is wind-shaken and injured in quality, and the forests of small pine are relatively more extensive than the tracts of timber of a mature growth. Hence I estimate that onefifth the above area of the Black Hills, or nearly eight hundred square miles, equal to 500,000 acres, is covered by timber of merchantable quality, suitable for cutting and sawing into lumber.

Col. R. I. Dodge, commanding the escort, by an entirely independent series of observations, estimates the merchantable timber at only about four hundred square miles, and comparing it with the pine forests of North Carolina, he says:

"I estimate that there are in the two sections something over four thousand square miles of country more or less covered with pine. Of this, including the Red Valley, the

parks, the bare bottoms and valleys of creeks, I estimate that four-tenths are entirely without timber. Another four-tenths is composed of young forests, excellent for railroad-ties, small buildings, fencing, etc., but not yet fit for the sawmill. One-tenth is wind-shaken or injured by lightning or fire, and one-tenth is good lumber. In other words, I think that this four thousand square miles will furnish not more than one-tenth of the merchantable lumber that would be obtained from an equal area of the virgin pine forests of Michigan or North Carolina. There is an abundance of lumber for all purposes of the country itself, but, except ties, it will not furnish any very large quantity for exportation."

MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE BLACK HILLS.

BY FRANKLIN B. CARPENTER.

CHARACTER OF DEPOSITS.

The metalliferous deposits of the Hills are both extensive and varied. Iron, copper and tin abound, as well as gold and silver. Nor are other mineral resources wanting. Cement, fire clay and gypsum, as well as a great variety of building stones, exist in inexhaustible quantities.

The mines of the Black Hills are of such a character that prospectors cannot, alone, develop their claims into paying properties. They call, not only for the judicious. investment of capital, but for correct technical knowledge as well, and are rather to be compared to the coal and iron industries of Pennsylvania or the copper, industry of the Lake Superior region than to ordinary precious metal mining enterprises.

CLASSIFICATION OF DEPOSITS.

The metalliferous deposits of the Black Hills belong to many different classes, none of which, in my opinion, can be called true fissure veins. For some reason,as Williams has said, there seems to be an unaccountable glamour surrounding the expression, "True fissure vein," and a miner's first and most emphatic declaration about his claim is apt to be that it is a "true fissure," and he often seems to think that no higher compliment can be paid it. Now, while many true fissure veins have paid well, the actual advantage seems to be with deposits of a different type, of which may be instanced the Leadville silver mines, the Lake Superior copper mines or the Rammelsberg deposit in the Harz, which has been worked continuously for nearly a thousand years, having been discovered in A. D. 933. It