Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1875-11-25


| ly separated from the Harney's Peak re-
gion. II does not exceed 50 square
/ miles IN area. The gold deposits are
small compared with those on Rapid
creek, and are remarkable for The ab-
sence Of quartz ia the gravel sl1e gold
| being delivered from tho iissaisgTatiOn
I fegulsf masses of iron and maaganese
! ores.
THE DAILY SHOWERS OF SUMNER.
It is difficult 70 determine the agricnl-
! tnral resources or climate of the Black
Hille, by the observation OF a single sea
son, especially as | could gain but little
Information respecting the severity of
| the winter or the prevalence OF early
and late frosts. The Black Hills rise
! like an island out of an ocean of grass
| covered aud treeless plains, wateTed by
occasional and scanty supplies OF rain
! The winds IN passing over these plains
| gather some moisture which they part
4 With as rain, oB being chilled by contact
| with The colder and more elevated re-
| gion of the central portion ot the hills
/ The result Of this i the prevalence CT
| frequent though not heavy rginfails,
! giving tn the bills a peculiar climate.
| Thereis scarcely day from May 10
| August. without one or two SHOWERS
yet, owing 10 the dfyness Of The atmos-
phere, the climate vas found 10 be very
/ healthy. During the past season after
Angus 1, very little rain was expert
eDced, and some Of the smaller streams
contained water in pools That THE
rainfall, ia a region where the aTe.sge
fall does not exceed ten inches icr the
whole year, was Lot the exhibition of
peculiarly wet season. / can only Judge
by observation on the growth If the
plants and trees The abundance ct
trees and the COarseneSs OF their grain,
as we'll as The growth Of plants 0r dry
hillsides, exposed 10 both sun and wind.
tend to show that the sea son which /
Witnessed was by M means very anon
2,r.sls Ole. though the amount Of rain
may have been somewhat greater than
usual.
s0ME GOOD FAJ.NiSG AID TIaBEE LANDS.
The area Of land suitable for cultlYa-
tiOn is, from the mountainous character
of the region, limited, as compared 10
the vast area embraced il the hills, but
the soil along the streams and In most of
the valleys is deep and fertile. and viii
be sufficient for the requirements OF the
population which the hills will support
as a stock raising community. ] should
Judge from the observations which !
have had the opportunity to make that
at least one-twentieth Of the 1900
square miles embraced ia the Black
Hills may be fairly described as grable
lands, and that among these lands, lying
near the streams and continuous
through the hilly country, are large
tracts of land forming the slopes of the
which, while not arabic, will
afford fine grazing, thus largely enhanc-
ing the value Of lands TO which they
are contiguous.
Among the rocky areas of the. Har-
ney's Peak range and in the northern
portion of the hills, there are regions
where the grasses are comparatively
wanting, but generally throughout tbe
whole area Of the hills, luEuriant
growth of the fi1est gTasses Is TO be
found, even covering the ground under
t.Sa,ed ai,1 I'd, divides iB5s9w Be9 wteEff lo9 tAa e
The abundance and fine quality OF the
grasses and the shelter afforded to stock
by the denseiy timbeTed slopes and deep
valleys, will make it Il region well adap-
ied to stock raising purposes. 49, #.
The timber of the hills is YaEietyEssr'f
pine known as yellow or heavy pine.
The grain OF the wood Is strajEht. rather
coarse, splitting readily, and where the
trees have escaped. the action OF fires and
violent gales, good straight logs, free
from knots, aud from so to co feet II
length, and from 10 to "a inches in d.
ameter, can be obtained in abundance.
Spruc OF good quality is to be found
among the Canons in the interior, and
white birch, oak and elm of medium
size, among the bills On the eastern
dope. The water throughout the hills
{ excellent in qualify, mostly derived
from the springs among the limestone,
granite, or schistose rock. Only in 10
,alities among the foot hills Il Il con
animated by alkali.
There was no evidence found that the
Indians ever lived in the hills, or ever
yisited them, except in the spring to cut
Odge poles, or occasionally 10 stop and
lul deer ia tie foot hiil7, y hile passing
rom the agencies to the Cpper Miss0u-
i. The only reason advanced for tbs
'ause of their not living in the hills ia
he prevalence of severe thunder
torms and the frequency Of trees being
truck ny lightning.