Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1883-07-21
THE BLACK HILLS

portion Of Wyoming lying north of the
ADD parallel and east Of the iO5,h meri-
dian, and embracing about -, 300 square
miles, or ii, 800 900 acres, of which about
~une-fourth is agricultural. the other
.hlee-fourths being mineral and pastoral
are in Dakota, have been taken under
the homestead. pfe-emption and timber
culture acts. Tie balance is now open
70 settlement, with the exception Of a
small portion lying east OF the banks OF
the Cheyenne river and the 1854 mrri-
dian. The farming lands of the Hills
place in the world. Fifty bushels of
wheat, so Of barley, 10 Of oats, 400 OF
potatoes ana 500 Of onions have been
raised per acre Of ground. All other
kinds Of vegetables DO equally as we'll
potatoes that will weigh two or three
pounds Gre common, and some have
been iaiscd that went as high as four
ponds. The soil is a rich vegetable
mold, strongly impregnated with eyp-
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 Gow on 10 me Cheyenne river Oh
the north and south side.
No other country in North America
can offer equal inducements to the stock
grower. The nucst and most nutritious
grasses with plenty Of good water aud
shelter from The winter winds aud
scarcely Aly snow, cattle keep tat o. the
range the year round, never knowing
what il is to be fed; Che stock raiser can
have choice Of tive d.Hcren. railroads. 10
hi. hi stork. thereby getting ttlo low
est possible raIps to take them to mar
ket. Sheep ID equally az well as cattle,
and horses d. better.
Large herds ofhujKalo are now swarm
ing yer the ranges north anA wc-t Of
thc lille, with many thousands of cattle
mixed in with them. rwu wears ago.
the hardest wiuter ever known in The
west, the loss Of cattle was only abaut s
per cent, white in the states and terri.
tories south and west sc here the loss
TGs from . I" - per cent. There are
81 thc present tim" about 500 900 head
OF CATE un thc ranges in This vicinity
and room FOR 100000 more without
Overlooking III" country.
Gold mining is cared Oh hcm I;eaf
gulch OH tic north 10 [us.,r C:ty in tho
southern part . it.e Hills, a distance of
ti.ety ni'es. ard 'ram Rockford IN thc
vest T. kockcrvillc cn tie at. In no
other c"u4try in the wor.i are there so
man, aDu .>;t~s;"cN G;Gcs oFcci! &c IN
the Black Hills. From he northern 10
the >nutheru and from Tie eastern "a
the Western c%tromety gold i. lou"d IN
nearly every pul"h end On every hitl
within tho mineral htlt. IL other min
ing countries il is only found over a
small arca Of country, covering but &
Few mics If territory at the most here
there arc .hout 200 square miles in
shat is called the mineral, and gold j.
found IN almost every square mile Of the
] ,200. The l"des varv in size from 10 to
] 900 feet in width, and some as much
as 50 miles in length. The great MAORI
y Of the mines are low grade ore. bu;
with the immense bodies Of pay ore and
good management these mines have
been made 20 pay better than any 9th
ers in the United States. Ore that will
90 go per ton will pay TO work. while
that which goes from 81 20 SO per ton
viii pay largely. The ore which is
worked by the great liomestake mills
at Lead City, does not average s. per
ton, yet that company has paid ttty-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, but equally as good and extensive
mines have been discovered
The quartz mills are the larges, and
most complete in the world, nearly all
have frem 20 to 40 stamps.
The silver mines of the Hills are all
Of a nigh grade. Those of Galena have
been worked continuously ever since
1876, and tie ore shipped hy wagon to
sidney 2Jo 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 i 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
all III the vicinity Of Ilarney's peak and
Custer City. They are easily worked, re-
curing vey little capital. All that is
necessary 10 work a mica mine and get
the Mica ready for market are 4 pick.