Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1883-09-22
THE BLACK Il

try is 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
43d parallel and east Of the l05th meri-
dian, and embracing about , $500 square
miles, or l4,500, 600 acres, ofwhIch about
%one-tourth is agricultural, the other
,hree-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
10 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
"heat, % 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 us four
pounds. The sol is a 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 cs-
tiriatcd at 5000 square miles, the timber
i, principally Norway pine, with some
>pruce, cottonwood, willow. aspen, OAK,
ash, elm. etc, along the margin Of the
streams which rise in the mountains
and how 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 and
shelter from the winter winds and
scarcely any snow, cattle keep fat ON tie
range the year round. never knowing
what ii j. to be fed; the stock raiser can
nave choice OF five different railroads TO
ship his stock, thereby getting the low
80 ~ van" ' ~ mar
r >i''"' 10 '"''e'
Large i'eids OF paitaio ar NJ" swarm
'h| over NE ranges norm and west of
ne Il''l~' WIN many thousands ~ cattle
mixed in with them. Two wear. ,go
t"c ilrfitTt Wlh'er ever Known IN the
west, TIE los, q! 'd'j'" was only about 8
per cent "hl't "a tA| safes Il i&fii-
torres South "hh ""@. al hrrr lhc loss
was rom ~ 10 {" ll" cent ih"r" are
ut TIE pi'@eht time about "W',OoD head
or cattle on 'hc ranges III thl> vicinity
ana room Tor l,F".fVO more without
oNers'orklhG ne county.
Gold mining is carried on from Bear
euIcll on the north to custer Citv in tue
rurhern part of The Hills, a di@..nre o..
1iuc;y mites. and from kc,hGGrd on the
&cst t . ~Rorker,iilc on the east. In 100
,;hci couutry in the world are there SO
many and extensive u.ine@ Of GOLD a. in
he Black Hills. From The northern to
he southern anai from the eastern To
he WcstcrE cXtrpn.otv god is found In
nv.,'y clt,y eui,i, and on ever, Hill
within the mineral belt. In other min
ing countries il il only found over :;
small Hlea of ~ccunjrr, covering but a
lew niles Of territory at the most here
there arc about 100 square miles in
what il called the mineral, and gold is
found IN almost every square mile Of the
POO. The lOdcs vary in size from 10 to
LOCO feet n width. and some as much
as 80 miles i'm length. The great MAORI.
" Of the mines are low grade ore. but
with the immense bodies Of pay ore and
good |agem these mines have
been made 10 paw better than any 9th
ers in the United states. Ore that will
90 81 Der ton Will pav TO work. while
that Which goes from = to so Der ton
will paw largely. The ore which is
worked bv the great TIomestake mills
at Lead CITY. does not average 81 ner
ton. vet that mpa has paid tifty xue
successive monthly dividends. part of
which have been $4,000 per month and