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

try is all hat part of Dakota lying south
Of the 18th parallel o. north latitude and
west Of the l02nd meridian, and all that
portion of Wyoming lying north Of the
43d parallel and east Of the l05th meri-
dian, and embracing about 22,500 square
one-fourth is agricultural, the other
three-fourths being mineral and pastoral
lands. About 100000 acres, all Of which
are in Dakota, have been taken under
the homestead, presumption and timber
culture acts. The balance is now open
to settlement, with the exception Of a
small portion lying east Of the banks of
the Cheyenne river and the l03d meri-
dian. The farming lands Of the Hills
are as productive as can be found any
place in the world. Fifty bushels of
wheat, 60 of barley, llG 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 ~imrregnated with gyp-
sum, of which there is an inexhaustible
supply, and consequently the land need
never become impoverished.
The timber lands of the Hills are es-
tima,ed 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
streams which rise in the mountains
and flow on 10 the Cheyenne river on
the north and south side.
No other country in North America
can olcr equal inducements to 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 Cat on the
rancc the year round, never knowing
what il is To be fed; the stock raiser can
have choice OF five different railroads 10
shin his stock, thereby getting the low
est possible rates to take them to mar
kot. Sheep do equally as well as cattle,
an horses DO better.
Large herds ocblTlloa are now swarm
ing over the ranges north and west Of
the Hills, with many thousands Of cattle
in with them. Two years ago,
the hardest winter ever known in the
west. the loss Of cattle was only about 8
per cent, willie in the -tates and terri
tories south aud west OF here the loss
was from 20 To - per cent. There are
ut The present time about 500,0o0 head
Of cattle on the ranges in this virinity
and room for 100000 more without
the country.
Gold mining il carried on from Bear
rulch on the north to Custer City in tue
southern part Of the Hills, a distance Of
miles, and from Rockford on the
west 20 Rockcrvilic on the east. In 10
country in the wor..'l are there so
,uany and extensive mines of gold as in
HE Tlack Hills. From The northern TO
the southern and from the eastern 10
the western extremely gold is found in
nearly every gulc!i and IN every h!'l
within the mineral belt. In other min-
ing countries it is only found Owe a
small area of country, covering but a
few miles of territory at the most here
there are about 1000 square miles in
what is called Tie mineral, and gold is
found IN almost every square mile OF the
]. 200. The lodes vary in size from 10 to
1000 feet in width, and some as much
as 80 miles in length. The great majori-
ty Of the mines are low grade ore, hut
with the immense bodies of pay ore and
good management these mines have
been made TO pay better than any 9th
ers in the United States. Ore that will
go 50 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 llomestake mills
at Lead City, does not average s. per
lOn, NSl lidl 'oihlhh's h"- i"i' nay WV
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 100 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 $50 miles, thence by rail to
Omaha. Nebraska, for treatment. AT
the carbonate camp, seven miles west
of Deadwood, rich carbonate mines have
been opened. the ore from which is now
being shipped to Omaha and Denver.
Rich and extensive copper mines have
been discovered III several localities.
The mica mines of the Black Hills are
all in the vicinity OF Harney's peak and
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