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

tI1e LOUISVILLE cNOIlltlleTClal TepOTteT I'll
terview with Col. j. p Luse, Register O
the U. S. land Office at Deadwood:
Col Luse said "As we are now stu
ated industry in the Black Hills j.
paralyzed Transportation is carried or
over 200 miles Of road by teams Of mule.
and oxen, and as consequence the
price Of living is very high. The grain
raised by the 5000 farmers in thai
region is largely in excess of the home
demand and cannot be transported tc
market with any profit"
Speaking the industries Of the Black
Hills, Col. Luse said: "The HomestakC
Mining company is the greatest. II
keeps ] 300 men in constant employ
ment, and pays them $3.50 per day
Every fortnight Sl500DO worth Of gold
bricks are shipped, This company alone
has paid $4,000 for transportation &c
the Missouri river within the last year
| have known as much as 100000 to be
paid for transporting freight from Dead
wood to the Missouri river in one
month"
''Deadwood is bright, lively town,
and the business ceutrc Of the Black
Hills. 1t has electric lights, water works
and telegraph and teleplonic cominuni-
cations with surrounding points. Con.
sidcring the fact that the town was
burned down once and washed away on
energetic cities of the west The popu.
iation Is $4,000, mostly composed of east
ern people, who 90 there backed with
capital and ready to invest their money.
The general impression that men go
armed 10 the teeth in Deadwood is a
mistake. There is hardly any law!ess-
ness. There are plenty Of churches and
good school"
When gold was first discovered, eight
years ago, in a little mine near where
the city now stands, the surrounding
country WAS covered with dead trees.
the result of some great cyclone. In
his way the name "Deadwood" origin
ated, and after IA settlement of miners
collected there it was proposed to call
their homes "Deadwood."
9Th two National banks in Dead
wood do thriving business, the usual
rate of interest being from two TO four
per cent per month, the rate being fixed
by law There are two daily papers in
Deadwood, and the society is as cultured
and refined in certain circles as you will
find in any eastern or southern city"
"What other towns are there in the
Black Hills ?"
"Spearfish, Rapid City and Custer are
fourishing places situated in beautiful
localities and adorned by magnificent
residences. They are the headquarters
of the cattle interests. Sixty thousand
head are herded in ani around the
Black Hills. subsiSting and thriving on
buffalo glass alone from year to year.
A herd, large or small. doubles itself
every three years, besides paying all ex-
pense for care. Buffalo grass has been
found 10 be a more profitable discovery
than gold in the Black Hills"
"The climate is equitable and is free
from dampness. The coolest day this
winter the thermometer never went
more than fifteen degrees below zero.
Besides the gold mines there are large
dep sits Of coal, iron, copper and silver.
At Custer, on southern slope OF the
Black Hills mica is found in abundance
These resources can never be developed
profitably until we secure the Sioux res
crvation and build railways The bill
directing this step will probably be
reached at this session OF congress. an,.
then the country with the variety Of re-
sources-grazing mining and farming
can he converted into the wonder Of the
west"