Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1883-09-15
II BLACK HILLS

' - - Nha' l'ib vi N vi Wv
of the 45th parallel ofnorth latitude and
west of the lO2nd meridian, and ali that
portion of Wyoming lying north Of the
43d parallel and east Of the 10th meri-
dian, and embracing about $500 square
miles, or li,500,000 acres, ofwhich about
II e-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, pre-emption and timber
culture acts. The balance is now open
to settlement, with the exception Of a
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. 60 of 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 we'll /;
potatoes that will weigh two or three
1917 CIV 'pli'iiipIiy III III a. Z
been raised that went as high as four
pounds. The soil is Il rich vegetable
mold, strongly i~mpregnated 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-
tinated 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 70 the stock
grower. The finest and most nutritious
grasses with plenty Of god water and
shelter from the winter winds and
scarcely any snow, cattle keep Fat on the
range the year round. never knowing
what ii 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 well as cattle,
and horses do better.
""'E' "c'u9 VI p''i''o "rT no" S"hrii'-
'"T oN'i ''e range iortl ana WcN' @!
the Hills, with many thousands of cattle
mixed in with them. Two Years AGO
'"c ''"''eN' winter ever known III tile
west '"c loss Oh c"''ie VAS only ab"n' y
f'' ''"''' ""1'c III ''e states anu 'efil'
'ot'eS Sou'h anu west Oh mere lie ioos
Wa FROM ''' - per GEM. lhere are
a. '"' present 'in'c ABOUT '""'"'" he;il
VI '''''o u" ''e 'V''-eH Ia 'tl9 N'lhi'E
"'' ''",n '' ''""'"" more "liton'
''''''N''S '"o county
void ml'l j. carried IN from Bear
"cich OF ne u.h 10; ',stct 'Ity in Tie
~"'IterA ,"r' 90 hp '@ii!'-, \ distance Of
ley nl e." ana rom lto"hiord oil the
fc>t To Ro"kervi!,r on thc'cast. In no
'i'cr country III ihe word are there 50
''ah> and eNien>lv" mli.cS OF cold as IN
ne BLACK lilIiS, FROM the northern to
a." southern and rom the eastern To
he western extremely gold is found in
nearly every sii'ii ana oil cvory hi!i
"i'hln The mineral helt. Ia other min
ing countries 1t L. only found over a
area OF country, covering but a
Few miles OF territory at the most here
ther" are about 100 square miles in
what Is called the mineral, and gold is
found IN almost every square mile of the
,HO. The Iodes vary III size from 10 TO
| eco feet in width, and some as much
as % miles IN length. HE great MAORI
ty Of the mines are low grade ore, but
with the immense bodies of pay ore and
good management these mines have
been made to pay better than any 9TH
erS III the United states. Ore that will
90 - per ton will pay to work, while
that which goes from 81 TO so per ton
Will pay largely. The ore which is
worked by the great Homestake mills
at Lead City, does not average 81 per
ton, yet that company has paid ti%fty-one
successive monthly dividends, part Of
which have been $50. 600 per month and