Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1883-11-17
THE BLACK HILLS

try is all that part of Dakota lying south
of the 10Th parallel of north latitude and
west of the l02nd meridian, and all tina,
portion of Wyoming lying north Of the
4ad parallel and east of the l05th meri
dian, and embracing about 22,50O square
miles, or ii 100000 acres, ofwhich about
one-fourth is agricultural, the other
three-fourths being mineral and pastoral
lands. About 1000 NM acres, all of which
are in Dakota, have been taken under
the homestead, pre-emption and timber
culture acts. The balance is now open
~ settlement, with the exception Of a
small portion lying east Of the banks of
the Cheyenne river and the l03d mcri-
dian. The farming lands Of the Hills
are as productive as can be found any
place in the world. Fifty bushels of
wheat, 80 If 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 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 flow on to the Cheyenne river on
the north and south side.
No other country in North America
can offer equal inducements 10 the stock
grower. The finest and most nutritious
grasses with plenty Of good water ana
-he.,cr from the winter winds and
scarcely any snow, cattle keep fat on the
range the year round, never knowing
what it 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 we'll AS cattle.
and horses do better.
Large herds ofbuffalo ARE now swarm
ing over the ranges north and west Of
the Hills, with many thousands Of cattle
mixed in with them. Two years AGO.
the hardest winter cver 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 20 TO - per cent. There are
IT the present time about 500.OO0 head
Of cattle on The range in this vicinity
nd room FIR 1905 90 more ~Ni,ilou:
vers;o, ..i:.g the country.
GolA mining is carried on from Bear
guIIn on the north to Custer Ciiy III tue
Snu,herI part or Tie Hills. a dis .,nce of
ninety niles, end from Rockford on the
vest 10 iiocEcrri..e on tie east. Ia 10
XIV ) A''fis9NI \ III ltiN WI 81 tff t'ltIc ~
mar" and extensive mines Of god AZ in
ne .lack Fills. From tie northern tn
the sou ncrN and from the e.. tern TO
thc western extremely geld j. found in
nearly every gulrh and on every In
within the mincral belt. In other min-
ing countries il is only found over a
small area of country, covering but Il
few miles of territory at the most here
there are about 200 square miles in
what is called the mineral, and gold is
found III almost every square mile of the
! ,2G0. The lodes vary in size from 10 to
900 feet in width. and some as much
rs 30 miles in length. The great MAORI
" Of the mines are low grade ore, bu.
with the immense bodies Of pay ere and
good management these mines have
been made To pay better than any 9TH
ers in the United States. Ore that will
90 50 per ton will pay TO work, while
that which goes from - TO SO per ton
will pay largely. The ore which is
worked by the great liOmestake mills
at Lead City, does not average 81 per
ton, yet that company has paid ffty-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 i'm the Black
Hills. but equally as good and extensive
miEcs have been discovered
The quartz mills are the largest and
most complete III the world, nearly all
have from 10 to 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 the 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
all in the vicinity of H~arney's peak and
Custer City. They are easily worked, re.
$500. al Al. :.