Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1884-01-19
THE BLACK l.

Whist is termed the Black Hills cOun
try is all that part of Dakota lying south
Of the i5th parallel ofnorth latitude and
west of the i02nd meridian, and all that
portion Of Wyoming lying north of the
43d parallel and ea>t of the lo5th meri-
dian, and embracing about 22,y0O square
miles, or 11,5pD.gN acres. ofWhich about
one-fourth is agricultural, the other
three-iourlhs being mineral and pastoral
lands. About 10000 acres, ali Of which
are IN Dakota, have been taken under
the homestead, preemption and timber
culture sets. The balance is now open
TO settlement, with the exception of q
SMALL portion lying east of the banks Of
I've Cheyenne river and the 1880 pleri-
dian. The farming lands Of the Hills
are AZ productive AZ can be found any
place in the world. Fifty bushels Of
wheat, GO Of barley, 40 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
pounds are common, and some have
been raised that went ~ high as -four
pounds. The sol is a rich vegetable
mold, strongly im~nregna;ed With ey!,-
sum, Of which there is an incxhaustible
supply, and consequently the land need
never become impoverished.
The timber lands Of the Hills are es-
'imate1 at 6,Grc square miles, the timber
il principally Norway pine, with some
-piucc, cottonwood, willow, aspen, OAK,
ash, elm. etc, along the margin Of the
streams which rise in the mountains
ma flow on to the Chtyenne river on
he north and south side.
No other country in North America
al rj:er equal Inducements to the stock
rover. TIE finest and most nutritious
-r@sses with plenty OF good water II
heller from the winter winds and
,~carccjy u c.iow, cattle keep ft on the
ranGe he year round, never Snowing
hat il is 10 be fed; tie .tork raiser can
| rave choice Of i've different railroads TO
hip biz stock. thereby |ecliin. the low.
IT uost'b!e rates to take them 10 mar
;et. Sheep 30 equally ~ sell AS cattle,
md horses d better.
Lar.e hc!ds oihuna'o ere now swarm
ny over :hc ranges north and vest Of
hc Hills, with many thousand. Of cattle
liked in with them. Two years ngo.
he hardest winter ever known ia the
est, The loss % cattle Was only about S
Der ceut., wi,ilc in .i,e states and terri
cries south and a'eai - here the losa
vas froul 90 10 - per cent. There are
Il tl,e present .i,nc about 500.uDU he?d
pf cattic on tie r-uges In ltiS vicinity
ana Room :nr 1900 000 more without
oyer,to ,siHr tle country.
,,old mining is carrie! on from Bear
Julch - the Cortii 10 Cater City IN toe
..uthe'r >,srt aGi.e .til'>, q distance 81
uirc;v miles. lUi rom i;ncji.nrl on The
-. 20 Rocker 10 ~ 'ha ..e:. IN m
5th.r crd,irv ia IRE w"I Il are there 50
Mans ahri ".Y'.usjv" nli'"a o: eo'.! rs IN
ne Hnck ;;..is. PROM he Dor .vru 20
ne spu:l,.,n ana from he t@>trn 10
:Ae western extremely 20" i G."lld IN
neatly every Su(' 4 and on Gerry hil
within rhe m.nera, belt. IT, other min
ING countries it - only torn.i over a
small area Of country, "cvtrirg but q
,cw mics ot trr,i.ury =: :lc NOS; here
there re about Lee square miles il
what is c,ll.l ;le inirtrai, ard gold il,
| found II almost every square mi!e Of the
| 300. Tie lodes vary il size from 10 10
| geo sevt in width, and some as mucli
as 80 mi IS in ,ength. The grea. majori-
ty of the mines are lo~ grade ore. hu,
! ai;h the immense bodies Of pay Gre and
good management these mines have
been made 10 ray better tlnn any 9th
ers i'm the United States. Ore that nii
- 81 DER ton will pay to work. Whilt
that whi.h goes from s. 10 SO yer .oi
will pas largely. The ore whicli i
worked hy the great liomcst.lke mill
Il I.e"d City. does not average - re'
'nn. vet that comrany has paid tity-onc
successive monthly dividends, part o
nl,ich have been $4,000 per month ane
the balance S+n.CN0, besides having :
large surplus on hand after paying al
ex penses These miaes are better
developed than any Others in the Black
Hills, ba; equally Is good and extensive
mines have been discovered.
The quartz mills are the largest and
most comrlete IN the world, nearly al
have from 40 to l2) stamps.
The silver mines az the Hills are al
OF a high grade. Those of Ga!ena have
been worked continuously ever since
1876, and the ore shipped 10y wagon t
Sidney $50 miles, thence by rail t.
Omaha, Nebraska, for treatment. A
thc carbonate camp, seven miles ives
of peada God. rich carbonate mines hay,
been opened, the ore from which is nov
being shipped To Omaha and Denver.
Rich and extensive copper mines hav'
been discovered ia several localities.