Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1883-06-02

Nnat ~ termed the Hack Hills cOun-
try is all that part of Dakota lying south
J Of the 45th parallel ofnor;h latitude and
west Of the lO2nd meridian, and all that
portion Of Wyoming lying north of the
.3d parallel and east Of the l05th meri-
dian, and embracing about %, 500 square
miles, or 1850, 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. prescription and timber
culture acts. The balance is now open
To settlement, with the exception Of II
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, tD Of barley, 40 of oats, 400 Of
potatoes aud 800 of onions have been
raised per acre of ground. All other
kinds of vegetables do equally as well
BotaRpN' lIi1l VIII NN'Gu WV VI t'lNN
pounds are common. and some have
been raised that Went as high AZ four
pounds. The sol Is Il 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-
'inated at 5000 square miles, the timber
IL principally Norway pine. With some
spruce, cottonwood, willow, aspen, oak,
ash. elm, etc. along the margin OF the
streams winch rise in the mountains
and flow on to the Cheyenne river on
the 10, il and south side.
so other country in North America
Mn offer equal inducements TO the stock
grower. The finest and most nutritious
grasses with plenty of good water and
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
nave choice of five different railroads to
ship his stock, thereby getting the low-
est possible rates to take theusto mar
ket. Sheep DO equally as well as cattle,
and horses do better.
Large herds ofbuffalo Az" now swarm
ing over the ranges north and vest of
the Hills, with many thousands Of cattle
mixed in with them. Two years ago,
the hardest winter ever known in the
west. the loss Of cattle was only abou, $
per cent, while iii tho states aiid terri
tories south and west a. here the loss
was from ~ to IS pc. cent. There are
4, the present time about 100000 head
Of cattle on the range in this vicinity
and room fDr l,00n, $50 more without
overstockirg tnc country.
Gold mining is carried on from Bear
eUlcii GA the north to Custer City in the
southern part Of the Hills. Il distance Of
riue:v miles. and from Rockford on the
west 10 Rnckcryiile on tie east. In no
cher country IL HE world are There SO
many and extensive miur~ of gold rs in
the Black Hi!.S.~ From the northern -
the sou.i:crn and from th,. cu,!ern ("
HE western extremely gold j. ;unnd il
Yearly every Tui,h and IN every hill.
Within thr mineral heM Ii other min
in~ countries ii il oIly found oyc Il
mall are ~ country, covering but q
CIV miles of territory II the most here
there are about l,2th square miles in
what is called the mineral. and gold is
found IN almost every square mile OF the
200. The ludes vary in size from 10 to
! 900 feet in width, and some as much
as 30 miles in length. Tie great majori.
tv of the mines are low grade ore. but
with the immense bodice u. nav ore and
been made 10 pay better than any 9TH
crs in the United States. Ore that viii
90 50 per ton will pay to work, while
that which goes from 81 to SO per tou
will pay largely. TN" ore which is
worked by the great ilomestake mills
at Lead City. does not average 81 per
ton. vet that company has paid ti~fty-onc
successive monthly dividends, part of
Which have been 100000 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 ia the world, nearly all
have from 40 to 40 stamps.
The silver mines of the Hills are all
of q high grade. Those of Galena have
been worked continuously ever siuce
1876, and the ore shipped by wagon to
sidney $50 miles, thence by rail to
Omaha, Nebraska, for treatment. Al
the carbonate camp, seven miles west
Of D~eadwood, 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 micl mines of the Black Hills are
all in the vicinity OF Iarney's peak and