Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1884-03-08

now used owing to the cost of transpor
tation.
I~nexhaustible beds %ofgypsum encircl
the entire Hills, just inside the foothill
present it is only used by plasterer1
With the advent Of railroads, it will b.
shipped TO The states east of the Missouri
rive, there To be used rs "A fertilizer OF
their worn out lands.
Petroleum is found on the west side o
the Hills in Wyoming territory near the
boundary line between Dakota and
Wyoming. No works have as yet beer
established for refining. 1t is only USED
for l~ubricating purposes by the Home
stake and other companies at their
mills.
Salt springs are situated about eight
miles northeast of the oil springs and in
Wyoming territory. Salt for the entire
Hills is manufactured here, and sold on
the gr ind for two cents per pound.
Marble OLA beautiful purple color is
found near Rapid City and ulster, and
sand stone, granite, slate porphyry and
limestone is plentiful, and is found in
every part ofthe Hills.
The Black Hills is a we'll watered
country, being drained by the forks of
the Cheyenne river and their tributa-
ries. On Hot Spring creek in Custer
county are situated mineral springs
which are fast acquiring Il reputation for
curative powers second to none in the
United States. The average tempcra-
ture is 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
The average prices of the different
products Of the country are as follows:
Cogn, 81 per busheI oats, 81 wheat,
$l.25; potatoes, 81 onions, 81 so flour
So per hundred weight; eggs, fifty cents
per dozen butter, forty cents per pound;
groceries cost about 5 cents more than
in Chicago; dayboard SO per month
with lodging $35. Farm hands, S35 per
month tcamsters, $40 to $50; day labor
ers, 50 per day mechanics from 81 to So
per day; miners, 81 per day.
Money is loaned al from IS to SO per
cent pcrannum. The reason of~uch high
rate of interest is that there are 50 many
opportunities of investing money to
good advantage that few people have
any to loan. and the demand has always
exceeded the supply.
CUSTER CITY,
The pioneer town oftlc Hills is situat-
cd in the southern portion about twelve
or dfteen miles from the foothills and
It's natural advantages are acknowledged
by all as excelIing oil others either in
The mining or agricultural districts.
in a valley ten or twelve miles
long hy ore mile in width, it is easily
accessible to railroads either from the
east, south or west, ana is tle only town
N the Hills that could be tapped by a
road running on an east and west line,
from either Pierre or Chamberlain. To
any other town. q road, having as its
objective point the Yellowstone park or
The Pacific coast, would have TO make a
from 100 to 200 miles. Already
Surveys have been run by various roads
this point in view. Thus situat-
cd it draws TO It's support the business
of the mining districts Of the Southern
Hills and also that OF the farming and
stock raising interests, the latter eX-
tending for sixty miles to The south and
west. 1t is also the centre Of the richest
mica district in the world. there being
a radius of three miles no less
than a half dozen producing mines the
annual yield Of when is upward of
10000 pounds Of merchantabie mica to
the mine. On the north, and from two
10 en- miles from town are the bonanza
gold mines Of tie Southern Hills includ-
ing the Grand junction, Old Bill, Hart
ford, Atlantic, Salmon, ST. Elmo, Penob-
scot. Gold Star and others, a majority Of
which, have mills, hosting Worhs, etc,
now in operation. On the south for ten
or twelve miles are to be found rich cop
per and silver mines and on the Yves.
the coal fields, gypsum beds, salt and oil
springs, while fertile farming lands are
sandwirhed in between all. As an illu
stration of the money to be made on
even a small piece of farming land in
he valleys surrounding Custer we will
state that j. y. Wright on seventeen
acres, located two miles west OF town.
cleared 81 800 in one summer. On the
south, within six or eight hours ride,
are the famous Hot Springs, whose cur
alive powers are already attracting the
attention of the outside world, and
which are cqnal to those of Arkansas.
The town is the county seat of Custer
county, which hasan area of 5000 square
miles, two-thirds of which is agricultural
and grazing lands and the other third
mineral, the latter occupying the north
ern portion of the county are covered
with Il heavy growth of Norway pine.
The town has a $4,000 court house, two
fine Observation-Disclosures, belonging to the
Methodist and Congregational societies,