Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1884-01-26
THE BLACK l.

W it' - ttiI it'' III to'li
try is all that part of Dakota lying south
of the 18th parallel of north latitude anC
west Of the l02nd meridian, and all that
portion Of Wyoming lying north of the
l3d parallel and east of the l05th meri.
dian, and embracing about 22,500 square
miles. or l4.5,0.0OU acres. of which about
one fourth is agricultural, the other
three-fourths being mineral and pastoral
lands. About 100000 acres, all Of which
ere in Dahota, have been taken under
the homestead, prescription and timber
culture acts. The balance is now open
10 settlement, with the exception of q
small portion lying east of the banks OF
the Cheyenne river and the lO3d meri-
dian. The farming lands Of the Hills
are as productive as Gan be found any
place in the world. Fifty bushels of
wheat, TO of barley, JIG 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 a rich vegetable
mold, strongly ~impregnated with gyp-
sum, OF which there is an inexhaustiblo
supply, and consequently the land need
never become Impoverished.
The timber lands of the Hills are es-
,imated 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
strcams 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 fit on the
what il il TO be fed the stock raiser can
nave choice Of five different railroads TO
hip hi, stock, thereby getting the low
est possible rates to take them to mar
Net. Sheep "a equally Az well as cattle,
and horses do better.
Large herds ofbunaio are now swarm
ing over The ranges north and west of
the Hills, with many thousands of cattle
mixed in with them. Two ye.rs ago,
the hardest writer ever known in the
vet, the loss Of cattle was only about 3
per cent, while in the states and terri
vas from 20 10 - yer cent. There are
at the present time about 5oG,010 head
Of cattle on the ranges in this vicinity
and room for l,0OG 100 more without
overlooking the country.
Gold mining is carried on fruM Pear
gulch Oh the Forth to Custer City in ne
southern part Of tie IIi'l. q distance o.
nir.'v niles. pu1 from, { "Lforl on tive
west to ltockerril.c on the east. In no
other country in the word are there So
many and tx ensire MINIS OF god rs in
the Black lIijls. From tie northern 10
ihe southern and from the eastern .
me western extremely gold is found ia
nearly every gulrl sud un eVC"y hi
within tie mineral belt. In other min
ne countries it is only found over q
small area Of country, covering but Il
few mites Of territory at he most here
there are about l,200 square miles in
hat is called the mineral, and gold is
found Iii almost every square mile Of the
300. The ludes vary in size from 10 to
900 feet in width, and some as much
as 50 miles in length. The great maioyi-
tv of the mines are low grade ore. but
with the immense bodies Of pay ere and
good management these mines have
been made to pay better than any 9th
ers in the United States. Ore that will
go 81 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 liomestake mills
at Lead City, does not average II per
ton, yet that company has paid 6ftv-ore
successive monthly dividends, part of
which have been $4,000 per month and
the balance $4,000, besides having a
large surplus on hand after paying all
expenses. These mines are better
developed 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 all
have from 40 to 30 stamps.
The silver mines Of the Hills are all
Of a high grade. Those Of Galena have
been worked continuously ever since
1876, and the ore shipped by wagon to
Sidney 250 miles, thence by rail to
Omaha, Nebraska, for treatment. At
the carbonate camp, seven miles west
Of Dead God, rich carbonate mines have
been opened, the ore rom which i now
being shipped to 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 H%arney'a peak and
Custer City. They are easily worked. re-
curing very little capital. All that is
necessary 20 work a mica mine and get