Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1883-07-28
II A HILLS

portion OF Wyoming lying north or the
43d parallel and east of the l05th meri
dian, and embracing about 22,500 square
miles, or l4,100,0oU acres. ofwhlch about
one-fourth is agricultural, the other
ihree-fourths being mineral and pastoral
lands. About 400, 600 acres, all Of which
are in Dakota, have been taken under
the homestead, pre-emption and timber
culture acts. The balance is now open
10 settlement, with the exception of a
small portion lying east of the banks ol
the Cheyenne river and the lG3d mcri.
dian. The farming lands Of the Hill.
are AZ productive us can be found any
place in the world. Fifty bushels OF
wheat, 60 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 some have
been raised that went as high as four
pounds. The sol is a rich vegetable
mold, strongly impregnated with cyp.
sum, Of which there is al inexhaus,ible
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 10 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 90 equally rs well as cattle,
and horses do better.
Large herds ofbutIalo are now swarm
ing over the ranges north and west Of
the Wills, with many thousands Of cattle
mixed in with them. Two years ago,
the h0rdcs, winter eve known in the
west, the loss Of cattle was only about s
per cent, while in The states and terri.
tories south and west Of here the loss
Was from % to rs per cent. There are
al the present time about 100000 head
Of c@tt'e or the ranges in this vicinity
and rcoIn fer 100000 more without
cycrst ockiuG the country.
Gold miring is c4wied on from Bear
gulch on the north 10 Custer City in the
southern par; uf the Hills, . distance Of
ninety mi. G., and from Rockford on the
west t. RockorviIc IN the east. II no
other country in the world are there so
many aud extensive mines of gold as in
the Black Hills. From the northern 10
the sortheru and from IA" eastern ~
the western extremely gold Is found In
nearly every Eulch and on every hill
within the mineral belt. Ii otter min
ing countries it is only found over a
small area Of country, covering but a
few miles Of territory at the most here
there are about 1900 square miles in
y hat 80 80 f.nh tln ,,sttarni aud cold -,
found III almost every square mile OF the
! 200. The lodes vary in SIZE from 10 to
! 900 feet in width, and some AS much
as so miles in length, The great MAORI
" Of the mines are low grade ore. but
with the immense bodies Of pay ore and
rood MANAGEMENT these mines have
been made 10 pay better than any 9TH
ers in the United States. Ore that will
90 g per ton will pay TO work, while
that which goes from "a to $40 per ton
will pay largely. The ore which is
worked by the great Homestake mills
at Lead City, does mo- average 81 per
ton, yet that company has paid ffty-one
successive monthly dividends, part of
when 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, but 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 10 l20 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 Omaha and Denver.
Rich and extensive copper mines have
been discovered in several localities.
The mica mines Of the Black Hills are
az in the vicinity of Harney's Peak and
custer Gu. They are easily worked, re-
curing very little capital. All that is
necessary to work a mica mine and get
the mica ready for market are a pick,