Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1883-09-29

What is termed the Black Hills conn-
try IL all that part Of Dakota lying south
OF the 45th parallel ofnorth latitude and
west of the l02nd meridian, and all that
portion Of Wyoming lying north of the
+3d parallel and east of the lO5th meri.
dian, and embracing about %, 500 square
miles, or l4.5OU 600 acres, ofwhich about
one-fourth is agricultural, the other
tiiree-fourihs being mineral and pastoral
lands. About 400 600 acres, all Of which
are in Dakota. have been taken under
the homestead, presumption and timber
culture acts. The balance is now omen
to settlement, with the exception of a
small portion lying east Of the banks Of
the Cheyenne river and the 1881 nieri-
dian. The farming lands Of the Hills
are ~ productive as can be found any
place in the world. Fifty bushels Of
wheat, 60 Of barley, 10 of oats, 400 of
potatoes and 800 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 gyp-
sum Of which there is an inexhans,ible
supply, and consequently the land need
never become impoverished.
The timber lands oP 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 anu
.helter from the winter winds and
scarcely any snow, cattle keep fat on the
range the year round, never knowing
wha; it is 20 be fed; the stock raiser can
have choice OF five different railroads TO
""s e''.'"e INC io"
est possible rates 10 take them to mar
kot. Sheep do equally as we'll as cattle.
and horses d. better.
Large nerds 81 buffalo ar" now swarm,
ii'- over The ranges north and west Of
he Mills. with many th,nsand. of c.ttio
hlAed III with them. Two years ago,
ne hardest winter ever known in the
west, tie loss Of cattle was only about 5 !
per cent, Nl!.C III HE states and terri
'"ries south and west OF here the loss
We from 20 to - ger cent. There are
at lac present time aboat 100000 head
OF cattle on lie ranges in this vicinity
ana room for l,oiopW more without
"f~erS'ocklng tHe country.
cold miiiny is carried on from Bear
1lch or the Lorh 10 Custer CITY in the
.at.,rn part of the iiil,S. a distance Of
.i.c'y mi.c~. am rom Rockford ON the
&cS, ia i,ortpryi',e an tne east. In no
tier cuum +, il lhc world are there so
many and extensive mines oC gold "s in
II" Black lij'iS From the northern to
ihc soa'hcrn anil FROM thc eastern 10
ic western rx;ltu.cty gold is folnd il
nearly every gulch and on every Hill
within the mineral belt. In other min
inc countries il is ONLY found over a
small area Of country. covering but a
few miles Of ttrri,orv at the most here
there are about lee square miles in
hat is Gale. the mineral, and gold is !
found IN almost every square mile of the
/. 900. The Iudes vary in size from 10 TO
1000 feet in width. and some AS much
as 50 miles in length. The great MAORI
" of the mines are low grade ore I'm,
with the immense bodies Of pav ore and
good management these mines have
been made to paw better than any 9th
crs in the United States. Ore that will
90 81 DER ton will nav 10 work while
that which goes from 81 10 SO Der ton
will paw largely. The ore which is
worked bv the great Homestake mills
al Lead Civ, does not average 81 ner
ton. vel that compan, has noid fnv.nre
monthly dividends. part of
which have been 10000 per month and |