Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1881-09-03
OUR BIRTH DAY.

nrSr volume OF Hlty-tWO numbers IL
completed. and il is with grateful senti'
ments that we take retrospective view
Of the year we have spent in Custer, Che
Eden Of the Hills" inhabited by class
of people who are nothing if not liberal.
generous and sociable. During news.
paper experience OF ten years we have
never met with their equal and we have
yet to see the town where business men
are mere liberal IN their use of printers
ink than here in Custer.
We resuscitated the CHRoxIcLE at a
time when the attempt was viewed with
distrust by majority of the people,
many of whom came to the front with
their subscriptions to the defunct CHRoS-
ICLE only to see the paper suspend
caused by the mismanagenent Of the
former proprietors) and themselves
made the losers by the money literally
advanced; this, too, at a time when a
paper was most needed to advertise the
valuable resources of the cotinty. A
year ago when we received subscrip-
tion it was with the remark, "Well, be-
fore, subscribed for the CHRONICLE fo'
one year and only received one or two
copies. How long do you expect to run?
Our answer was, "till Custer is no more" "
Fhis generally met with an unbelieving
5mile and the words, put me down for
three months" But as time has sped
and the Chronicle has continued to
make its appearance, apprehension has
vanished, and for the past six months
when we have received subscription it
has only been accompanied with re-
marks of Il complimentary character.
Consequently our circulation has doub-
led in that short time and is now second
30 no weekly paper in the Hills, our
columns arc filed with local advertise
ments, every business, from Chinese
laundry up, being represented.
For this unqualified support we have,
in our poor way, tried to rcciprocate by
advertising the cxhaustless mineral,
agricultural, and stock raising resources
of Custer county, thus inducing the In
iustrious farmer and prospector and the
experienced capitalist to locate in our
midst; also, by advocating every munic-
ipal, county or legislative measure that
we have thoIght would work benefit
to the peopl,, and in every Case where
they have hal an opportunity to declare
themselves by vote, we have been vim.
dicated. Whether we have been instru-
mental In bringing about the gratifying
result. or not, VIC leave our readers to
judge, but no time in the history of Gus.
ter has her financial condition been
better or her future prosperity more as.
surcd. In fact,
''rhcre Is tide n the affairs OF men,
Which taken at the food, leads on to fortune
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shadows, and miseries.
On such sea are we now afioat;
And we must take the current when it serves
Or lose our ventures"
That the above fitly describes oui
present condition no one will deny, and
we feel sure that the tide IN eur affairs
will be taken at the food.
In the spring of of 1870 Custer was al
most deserted village, the total amoun
of taxable property in the county only
amounted to $3S,l47. In the fall of tha
year two or three mines of undoubtec
value were discovered and in some in
stances, bonded, then, as is always tin.
case upon new discoveries, stamped,
followed and everybody predicted tha
Clusters boom" had set i'm. The infiuy
of prospectors gave an impetus to al
kinds of business, but this was Of shor
duration, the properties bonded were
not taken and as natural consequence,
the outside world had it that the mines
and country we're no good, prospector
left for other fields and business fel
back to its former dull condition, still
there were those who had faith and tn
nerve to stay. In the spring Of 1880 TIN
placer miners of Dansby and Frencl
creek discovered their pay streak, tn
Grand Junction came to the front, wa
bonded, and mill built; the owners O
the Hartford erected mill, the Old Bil
began to make itself known, as also til
Penobscot and the Four Mile mines
After a suspense of four or five month
the Grand Junction failed to sell. an
1.-The mill on this mine and the Hartfor
did little more than to prove thei
solidity and value. This was also the cas-
with the Penobscot, on which mill wa
erected last fall, and during 1880 our onl
producers were the placer mines Of tn
county, which yielded about $25. 900 an
helped us to stand off hard times. Still
an increase in our population was o.
Icasioned by the advent of the stoc
raisers. and the taxable property rcacl
ed $lO2, 1880 an increase of 6i,l92,I
the proceeding year. Then came viii
ter of unusual severity, mills were frose
lup and business was at a stand still Il
the first three months. But with Il
! frs. of April timce began to mend, IL