Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1884-02-02

try is al! that part of Dakota lying south
of the 10Th parallel of north latitude anC
west of the l02nd meridian, and all tina
portion of Wyoming lying north of tht
I'D parallel and east Of the l05th meri
dian, and embracing about -, 800 square
miles, or II 100000 acres, ofwhich abon'
o%ne-fourth is agricultural, the other
thrce-fourths being mineral and pastoral
lands. About 100 acres, all Of which
are in Dakota, have been taken unde,
the homestead, presumption and timber
culture acts. The balance is now open
TO settlement, with the exception of a
small portion lying east Of the banks OF
tue Cheyenne river and the lO3d 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, li0 of oats, 400 OF
potatoes and 600 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 u rich vegetable
mold, strongly il~mpregnated "ith gyp-
sum, of which there is an inexhalstible
supply, and consequently the land need
never become impoverished.
The timber lands of the Hills are cs-
timaicd at 5000 square miles, the timber
j. principally Norway pine, with some
spruce. cottonwood, Wow, 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 10 the stock
grower. The finest and most nutritious
grasses with plenty Of good water ana
shelter from the winter winds and
scarcely any snow, cattle keep lat OH the
range lie yer round, never Knowing
what il is to be fed; the stock raiser can
nave choice % five different railroads t,
ship hiS stock, thereby getting the low
est possible rates 10 take them To mar
ket. Sheep do equally rs well as cattle,
and horses do better.
Largc herds orblaio are now swarm
ing over The ranges north and west Of
the Wills, with many thousands Of cattle
mixed in with them. Two years ago,
the hardest winter ever known in the
west, the loS~ nf cattle was only abort S
Der cent, while in the states and terri
tories south AMI west Of here the loss
Was from 20 10 - per cent. There are
at tle prcsc1 ut time .bout 50O,0nO head
OF cattle oa the range, in this vicinity
and room for 100000 more without
cv~ers.oching the county.
Gold mining is carried on from Bear
g,,lch or the north 20 Cus.er CITY in tie
F uthern part Of the lmIillc, a distance o.
.,;rety miles, and rom Rockford on the
west - kogke.N;!c ou iEc east. In no
other cou..:ry ia the wor; are tlrre 50
many and cItenriv" mines o. 2o!i - in
lac Hio,h .H'is. F-0n She nnr,hcrn T."
t,.c snuthern and from the eastern to
the w-a!cru "Xtremet! gold is found in
within the miAera! belt. In other min
ing countries il is only found over 4
small area Of country, covering bat a
few miles Of territory at the moa.; here
there are ahou: 200 square miles in
what is called the mineral, and gold is
found IN almost every square mile OF the
200. The lodes vary in size from 10 to
! l.lN0 feet in width, and some rs much
; as % miles in length. The great MAORI
~ &c lie mines are law grade ore. bnt
with The immense bodies of pay ore and
rood management these mines HAY"
been made Ia pay better than any 9th
ers in the United states. Ore that Will
80 go per ton will pay to work, while
that which goes from - to SO per ton
will pay largely. The ore which il
WOTkeu IVY lht S'N'' i'''''N"'"NN ''''"
nj Lead City. does not avcr"pc - per
ton. vet that COMPANY has paid fty.one
successive monthly dividends, part OF
Which have been S;20,000 per month and
the balance $4,000, besides having 4
large surplus on hand after paying all
expcnses. These mines are better
devcloned 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 in the world, nearly al
lave from 40 to l2O stamps.
The silver mines OF Tie Hills a:c al
Of a high grade. Those Of iia'euA nave
been worked continuously " since
1876, and the ore shipped by wagon t.
Sidney 80 miles, thence by rail &c
Omaha, Nebraska, for treatment. Al
the carbonate camp, seven miles wcS'
of neadNood, rich carbonate mines have
been opened, the ore from which is now
being shipped 10 Omaha and Denver.
Rich and extensive copper mines have
been discovered in several localities.
The mica mines of the Black Hills are
all in the vicinity of i~iarney's peak an'
Custer City. They are easily worked, re
o,,;r,py vary LITTLE %capiial. All that !.