Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1882-07-22
der the homestead and pre- -emption

/ WV tcIIitoig DcEah III io'ci COHtihuiHk
! in an increasing flow until the census Of
1880 showed white population of 1885,
600 ard an acreage of one and half
millions under till;sge
These are the principal channels Of
immigration. One being the natural
channel across the southeastern border
into the fertile valleys of the Sioux and
Missouri. The second being the Black
Hills first brought to general attention
by the gold excitement, and the thi.d
being the Northern Pacific railroad.
To-day the population of the territory
number 25o,0OO, as follow: 10000 in
the southeastern sectioh; $4,000 in the
Black Hills region. and $4,000 in North
ern Dakota.
The latter "a marvel of fmaterial devel.
opment atd possibilities. Under the
bill IN the calendar Of the house Of rep
/, resentatives for the admission of Dakota
as state that portion north Of the 46th
parallel, embracing seventy-four square
miles or nearly fifty million acres is left
to be organized into separate territory,
40 in this article only the other two Sec
tons will be treated of, leaving the other
for consideration at some future time.
! The proposed new state is parallelo-
grain two hundred and ten miles north
and south and three hundred and ssxtv
miles east and west. The southern line
being the 43d parallel or u little north of
Chicago, but the climatic influences re-
duce the temperature, making the win.
ters less rigid than that ut Chicago and
of much shorter duration. The climate
| is dryer and subject to fewer violent
changes. There is no part Of the con-
tinent where the husbandman having
the energy TO sow seed is SO absolutely
sure Of bollnteous harvest.
Containing upwards Of fifty million
acres of land, there are fifteen millions
already surveyed in the proposed state,
twenty millions of which have already
passed into the hands Of settlers, leaving
about forty millions still open to occupa-
ton, title TO which can only be acquired
through the homestead, pre-emption and
timber culture law.
Every acre of this land is susceptible
Of cultivation and will produce all varie-
ties ofsmall grain including corn, wheat,
flax and especially barley. 1t is un-
equaled in its production of grass, either
native or cultivated, making it a pecul-
iarly fine stock region.
Fruits, including apples, plums, grapes,
raspbcrries, currants, gooseberries, &C.,
grow without difficulty and are produc-
Ell, where Cultivated, in al parts oftho
territory, in great abundance.
The Sioux reservation "a bill is now
on the calendar of the house providing
for placing these lands in the market)
contains more than twenty-one million
acres, of the best lands in the new state
| and reaches from the south to the north
line, completely dividing it, isolating
the Black Hills region, embracing six
thousand square miles, and leaving it at
least one hundred and seventy miles
from the nearest civilization and rail-
road facilities.
The Black Hills, while mining Sec
ton, is pre-eminent!y an agricultural
country; every acre not covered by
heavy timber, or in actual use as mining
grounds, is susceptible of profitable cul-
tivatiop to the very apex of the noun
tains.
These. hills are covered with dense
forests of Norway pine on rich clay
soil. the forests being interspersed with
many natural parks of great beauty
ranging from few hundreds to thou
sands of acres, being the very best agri-
cultural and grazing lands imaginable.
Many Of these parks, as well as much
of the valley lands bordering the forests,
are occupied by settlers who produce
fine crops beside having at least 100000
head of cattle which were pastured upon
the indigenous wild grasses through
all last winter without other food, at q
loss of less than n per cent. There are
also large herds Of sheep, which were
similarly wintered without loss or dete-
rioration in value.
This section produced 100000 in
gold last year, making Dakota the Sec
ond of the gold-producing states, and
the quantity produced per annum in
rapidly increasing. All the petroleum
and salt used in the mining regions are
obtained there. Mica, gypsum, lead, sill
yer, copper, platinum, asbestos, &C., are
produced and exist in great quantities.
These facts speak for themselves and
need 10 elaboration. Labor is always
in demand and wages are high. Immi-
grafton is met with cordial hospitality,
with certainty of soon acquiring homes
and competency.