Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1884-02-23
now used owing to the cost of transpur-

the entire Hills, just inside The foothill
and outside the main Black Hills. A
present it is only used by plasterers
With the advent Of railroads, il will b,
shipped to the states east of the Missouri
rive, there to be used as "a fertilizer OF
their worn ont lands.
Petroleum is found on the west side o
the Hills in Wyoming territory near tn,
boundary line between Dakota ant
Wyoming. No wors, have as yet beer
established for refining. 1t is only use,
for lubricating purposes by the Home
stake and other companies at theil
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 ground for two cents per pound.
Marble Off beautiful purple color is
found near Rapid City and Custer, AMI
sand stone, granite, slate porphyry and
limestone is plentiful, and is found in
every part Of the Hills.
The Black Hills is a well wateret
country, being drained by the forks o.
the Cheyenne river and their tributa
rics. On Hot Spring creek in Custer
county are situated mineral spring,
which are fast acquiring a reputation foi
curative powers second to none in the
United States. The average tempera.
ture is % degrees F%arenheit.
The average prices of the different
products Of the country are as follows:
Cogn, s. per bushel oats, 81 wheat,
$l.25; potatoes, 81 onions, $3.50; -four
IS 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 lodging $35. Farm hands, $50 per
month teamsters, $40 to $50; day labor
ers, $3 per day mechanics from 81 to So
per day miners, 81 per day.
Money is loaned at from Is to Sc per
cent per annum The reason ofsuch high
rate OF interest is that there are so 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,
Tie n;onoor, nvrn nftho HILL &c ,;t,ot
ed in the southern portion about twelve
or fifteen miles from the foothills and
its natural advantages are acknowledged
by all as excelling oil others either in
the mining or agricultural districts.
Located in Il 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 hat could be tapped by a
road running on an east and west line,
from either Pierre or Chamberlain. To
tap any other town, a road, having as it's
objective point the Yellowstone park or
the Pacific coast, would have to make a
detour from 100 to POO miles. Already
surveys have been run by various roads
having this point in view. Thus situat-
cd i. draws TO 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 for sixty miles to 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 understandable mica to
the mine. On the north, and from two
to ten miles from town are the bonanza
gold mines Of the 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 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, 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. n. Wright on seventeen
acres, located two miles west Of town
cleared 81 800 in ii summc On the
south, within six or eight hours ride
are the famous Hot Springs, whose cur
alive powers are already attracting tho
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,G00 square
miles, t%wo-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 a $4,000 court house, TIVE
fine church-buildings, belonging to the
Methodist and Congregational societies
and will soon have a large school build
ing. Business is increasing, improve
ments are being made daily and it il
bound to be the metropolis ofthe South
ern Hills. All those Of our eastern
readers who think Of coming to Dakot,