Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1883-07-07
THE BLACK l.

west of the l02nd meridian, and all that
portion of Wyoming lying north of the
I'D parallel and east of the l05th meri-
dian, and embracing about $500 square
miles, or l4,5o0, 600 acres, of (which about
one-fourth is agricultural, the other
three-fourths being mineral and pastoral
lands. About 100000 acres, all of which
are in Dakota, have been taken under
the homestead, ~pre-emption and timber
culture acts. The balance is nov open
TO settlement, with the exception of a
small portion lying east of the banks of
the cheyenne river and the l03d meri-
dian. The farming lands of the Hills
are as productive as car be found any
place in the world. Fifty bushels of
wheat, 90 of barley, 40 of oats, 400 of
potatoes and 600 Of onions have been
raised per acre Of ground. All other
kinds of vegetables do equally as well
potatoes that will weigh two or three
pounds are common, and ONE have
been raised that went as high as four
pounds. The soil is a rich vegetable
mold, strongly impregnated with gyp'
sum, of which there is an inexhaustible
supply, and consequently the land need
never become impoverished.
The timber lands of the Hills are es-
timated at 5000 square miles, the timber
is principally Norway pine, with some
spruce, cottonwood, willow, aspen, oak,
ash, elm, etc, along the margin of the
streams which rise in the mountains
and flow on to the Cheyenne river on
the north and south side.
No other country in North America
can offer equal inducements to the stock
grower. The finest and most nutritious
grasses with plenty of good water ana
shelter from the winter winds and
scarcely any SNOW, cattle keep fat on the
range the year round, never knowing
what il is TO be fed; the stock raiser can
have choice of five different railroads to
ship his stock. thereby getting the low
est possible rates to take them TO mar
ket. Sheep do equally as well as cattle,
and horses do better.
Large herds ofbufTalo are now swarm
ing over the ranges north and west of
the Hills, with many thousands of cattle
mixed in with them. Two Years .
the hardest winter ever known in the
west. the loss of cattle was only about =
per cent, while in the states and terri
tories south and west of here the loss
was from % to - per cent. There are
AT the present time about 100000 head
of cattle on the ranges in this vicinity
and room for 100, 900 more without
overstocking the country.
Gold miniug i. carr ed Oh from Bear
gulrh on the north o custer CtV in tac
;ou hern part Of the Hills, distance o
ninety mi'e,. and from Ro hford on Tic
west {, Ror!orvillo On The eat. In 10
,thcr cot try ia the world are thrre q
many and cX'cnsiE" u. sc@ Ot sold as in
the Black Hills. From The northern 70
the scuthcrN End from the eastern e
he western %citrcluct. gold Is louid l.
ne rlv every gu,ch ana on every hi
within the mineral belt. In o,her miI.
ING countries il is Only f3lnd over Il
small area OF country, covering but a
cw mics ofterritory q; The most her,
there are about 100 square miles IL
what is called the mineral, and gold l.
found IN almost every square mile OF tn,
,2C0. The lodes vary in size from 10 tc
1000 feet in width, and some as much
as 50 miles in length. The great MAORI
tv of the mines are low grade ore. hui
with the immense bodies of pay ore and
good management these mines have
been made to pay better than any 9th
ers in the United States. Ore that vii
90 So per ton will pay to work, Will,
that which goes from 81 to SO per tor
will pay largely. The ore which is
worked by the great Homestake mills
at Lead City, does not average 81 pei
ton, yet that company has paid fifty-on
successive monthly dividends, part o
which have been $4,000 per month anc
the balance $4,000, besides having
large surplus on hand after paying al
expenses. These mines are better
developed than any others in the Black
Hills, but equally as good and extensive
mines have been discovered
The quartz mills are the largest ant
most complete in the world, nearly al
have from 40 to l20 stamps.
The silver mines of the Hills are al
Of a high grade. Those of Galena hav'
been worked continuously eve sine
1876, and the ore shipped by wagon t
Sidney 250 miles, thence by rail 4
Omaha, Nebraska, for treatment. "A
the carbonate camp, seven miles Yves
of Deadwood, rich carbonate mines hav
been opened, the ore from which Is nov
being shipped to Omaha and Denver.
Rich and extensive copper mines hav
been discovered in several localities.
The mica mines of the Black Hills ar
all in the vicinity Of Harney's peak an
Custer City. They are easily worked, re
curing very little capital. All that
A.as.. A.. .-osl a aAiaa s,ira md na