Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-12-08

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place, aud expressed himself much sur
priseG at finding them in such excellen
+ condition. The professor Is une of the fore
most educators In the territory. and ha
brought the schools of Yankton to degre,
of excellence which is seldom equalled. w,
hope be may be able to Welt us again.
DAKOTA's GOLD FIELDS.
Rapid City and the Country Which is tu
Feed 1t.
4 The location of Rapid City is not one
which will strike the casual observer as
one promising speedy growth. 1t Is out
side the foothills and miles from any active
mining operations. Situated upon besu
tiful prairie slope it stands directly in front
of the narrow pass through which entrance
to the Hills is effected by the old route
leading from Pierre an the present Sidney
route Recent cu,-offs have been made ON
the former route which turns the bulk ot
travel in the direction Of Deadwood before
it resches Rapid. A project is on foot how
ever, to make a new cutoff, which will re
store this lost travel. The present road
from Rapid to Deadwood follows nearly the
base and perpendicular sides of triangle.
The proposition is to follow the hvpotenuse
instead of travelling around the corner The
road thus laid out would strike direct for
Central City from R,pd creek gap, follow
ing the summit of low ridge and passing
within mile of Deadwood. making a
saving Of some fifteen miles The route
has been examined and the project
pronounced entirely feasible But it
is not contemplated by the people of Rapid
that Deadwood is to remain the only objec-
tive point in the Hills. They are convinced
that next season will open up the quartz
resources of Pennington and Custer counties
and will fully develop the placer claims
lying along Rapid, Spring and Battle creeks.
All travel to these points must go through
Rapid and the scheme Of its inhabitants is
to make their city the supply point for the
mining camps and towns which will spring
up wherever the soil or the rocks yield good
pay. This is their hope and already the
tendency of trade points to such result.
The merchants Of the mining caps and vii
lagos in this portion Of the Hills come first
to Rapid when in search of fresh stocks Of
goods and if they fail to find there what
they want trip to Deadwood must be made.
The complaint of mountain meechants is
that there is no general stock of goods in
Rapid large enough to draw from. At pres
int there is probably not sufficient demand
for supplies to warrant any very ex-
tensive investment in the wholesale business
in Rapid City. Still it is place which
business men Of means would do we'll to
keep an eye on. If mining operations open
up favorably in the spring it will become
good point.
1t was not my good fortune to visit upper
Rapid and Castle creeks, but there are many
Yankton men interested in that region who
speak in the highest terms of its resources
and are waiting for the day when capital
shall bring forth its goods fruits. There
are opportunities in these Southern Hills
for varied industries out Of which men will
thrive and through their medium pleasant
homes will supplant the solitude which now
holds possession of so large portion Of
this country. Not the least important OF
these will come out Of the timber re-
sources ofthe Hills. The pnes which cover
the valleys, slopes and hill tops furnish an
abundance Of the raw material. Ga Rapid
creek water power can be pro6tably used,
but in other portions of the Hills the steam
engine must furnish the power which drives
the saws.
Inthe Rapid creek valley and up and
down the foot hill range all the way from
Hayward City to Crook City are extensive
deposits of pure white gypsum, which crops
out through the soil on all the elevations.
1t exists in solid mass throughout the range
and can be easily quarried
We found also extensive
deposits of mica in this locality, and there
is abundant evidence of the presence of
copper. 1t is asserted that near Rapid City
coal deposit has been discovered, but as it
has not yet been opened, its extent is one
IF the uncertainties to be solved by future
investigation. With 80 much of natures
raw material to work upon, l can see no
reason why prosperity must not come to
this section of Dakota. 1t is yet new to the
knowledge of the world. and must bide Its
time. B.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL.
fyou want to make your children hap.
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