Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1884-03-29

now used owing to the cost of transpor
tatiOn.
: Inexhaustible beds ~ofgypsum e%ncircl,
the entire Hills, just inside the foothills
and outside the main Black Hills. A
present it is only used by plasterers
|. With the advent Of railroads, II will b.
shipped to the states east Of the Missouri
rive, there TO be used as q fertilizer or
their worn out lands.
Petroleum is found on the west side OF
the Hills in Wyoming territory near the
boundary line between Dakota and
Wyoming. No works have as yet been
established for refining. 1t is only used
for lubricating purposes by the Home.
stake and other companies ut their
mills.
Salt springs are situated about eight
miles northeast Of the oil springs and i'll
Wyoming territory. Salt for the entire
Hills is manufactured here, and sold on
the or 'und for two cents per pound.
Marble Of beautiful purple color is
found near Rapid City and Custer, and
sand stone, granite, slate porphyry and
limestone is plentiful, and is found in
every part of the Hills.
The Black Hills is a well 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 a reputation for
curative powers second to none in the
United States. The average tempera-
ture is 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
The average prices of the different
products Of the country are as follows:
Cogn, 81 per bushel oats, 81; wheat,
81. % potatoes, 81 onions, s. 80; -four
$5 per hundred weight; eggs, fifty cents
per dozen; butter, forty cents per pound;
groceries cost about 5 cents more than
in Chicago; dayboard $25 per month
| with longing $35. Farm hands, $50 per
month teamsters, $40 to $50; day labor
ers, So per day mechanics from 81 to Sc
per day miners, 81 per day.
Money is loaned at from Is to &c per
cent per annum. The reason ofsuch high
rate Of interest is that there are so many
opportunities Of investing money 10
good advantage that few people have
any to loan, and the demand has always
exceeded the supply.
CUSTER CITY,
The pioneer town ofthe Hills is situat-
ed in the southern portion about twelve
or fifteen miles from the foothills and
its natural advantages are acknowledged
by all rs excelling all others either in
the mining or agricultural districts.
Located in a valley ten or twelve miles
long by one mile in width, it is easily
accessible TO railroads either from the
east, south or west, and is the only town
in the Hills that could be tapped by a
road running on IN east and west line,
from either Pierre or Chamberlain. To
| objective point the Yellowstone park or
the Pacific coast, would have to make a
dctou- from 100 20 100 miles. Already
surveys have been u by various roads
having this point in view. Thus situat-
ed it draws 10 its 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 Tor sixty miles IL the south and
west. 1t is also the centre of the richest
mica district in the world, there being
within a radius Of three miles no less
than a half dozen producing mines the
annual yield Of which is upward OF
10000 pounds Of merchantable mica to
the mine. On the north, and from two
to ten miles from town are the bonanza
gold mines Of the Southern Hills inciud-
ing the Grand Junction, Old Bill, Hart
ford, Atlantic, Salmon, st. Elmo, Penob.
scot, Gold Star and others, q majority OF
which have mills, hosting works, 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 west
the coal fields, gypsum beds, sal. and oil
springs, while fertile farming lands are
sandwiched in between all. As an illm.
s~tration Of the money to be made on
even q small piece of farming land in
The valleys surrounding Custer we will
state that j. n. 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
ative powers are already attracting the
attention Of the outside world, and
which are equal to those Of Arkansas.
The town is the county seat of Custer
county, which has an area of3.ON0 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 a heavy growth Of Norway pine.
The town has n $4,000 court house, two
fine church.buildings, belonging to the
Methodist and Congregational societies
and will soon have a large school build,