Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1883-02-24

What is termed the Black Hills coun-
try is all that part of Dakota lying south
Of the 45th parallel of north latitude and
west Of the l02nd meridian, and all that
portion of Wyoming lying north of the
43d parallel and east Of the l05th meri-
dian, and embracing about 300 square
miles, or li,500,0 900 acres, ofwhich 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 now open
to settlement, with the exception Of Il
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 can be found any
place in the world. Fifty bushels of
wheat, 80 of barley, 10 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 some have
been raised that went AS high as four
pounds. The sol is a rich vegetable
mold, strongly impregnated with gyp-
sum, Of which there is an incxhaustible
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 Eat ON the
range the year round, never Knowing
what it j. 10 be fed: the stock raiser can
have choice Of five different railroads to
ship his stock, II ereby getting the low
est possible rates to take them to mar
ket. Sheep do equally as well az cattle,
and horses do better.
Large herds ofbutfalo are now swarm.
ing over the ranges north and west of
the Wills, with many thousands Of cattle
mixed N with them. Two years ago.
tie hardest winter ever known in the
west, the loss of cattle was only abont $
per cent, while in the states and terri
tories south and west Of here the loss
was FROM 20 TO - per cent. There are
at the present time about 100000 head
of cattle on the ranges in this vicinity
and room for 100000 more without
oycrstocking the country.
Gold mining is carried ON from Bear
gulch on ,lr north to Custer City in tue
southern pam of the Hills, a distance Of
ninety miles, and from Rockford on the
west to Rockerviiie on the east. In no
other country in the word are there 50
maryland extensive mines Of gold as in
Tie Black Hills. From the northern to
the southern and from the eastern TO
the western extremely gold is found in
nearly every gGlch and on every hill
within the mineral belt. In other min
ing countries il IS only found over a
small area Of country, covering but "A
few mics Of territory at the most here
there are about 200 square miles in
what is called the mineral, and gold is
found IN almost every square mile of the
! POO. The lodes vary in size from III to
] eco feet in width, and some as much
as ~ miles in length. The great MAORI
ty Of thc mines are low grade ore, but
good management these mines have
been made to pay better than any 9TH
ers in the United states. Ore that will
90 - per ton will pay 10 work, while
that which goes from 81 to $40 per ton
will pay largely. The ore which is
worked 10y the great liomcstake mills
at Lead City, does not average s. per
ton, yet that comrany has paid fifty one
successive monthly dividends, part of
which have been $4,000 per month and
the balance $4,000, besides having a
large surplus on hand after paying all
expenses. These mines are better
developed than any others in the Black
Hills. bat equally as good and extensive
mines have been discovered.
The quartz mills are the largest and
most complete in the world, nearly all
have from 40 70 100 stamps.
The silver mines Of the Hills are all
of a high grade. Those of Galena have
been worked continuously ever since
1876, and tie ore shipped by wagon to
Sidney $50 miles, thence by rail to
Omaha, Nebraska, for treatment. At
the carbonate camp, seven miles west
of Deadwood, rich carbonate mines have
been opened, the ore from which is now
being shipped TO Oman. and Denver.