Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1884-01-12

Wcsy OF the l02nd meridian, and all that
portion of Wyoming lying north of the
sd parallel and east of the l05th meri
dan, and embracing ahoat 22 500 square
miles, or l1,IC0,000 acres, ofwhlch about
one-fourth is agricultural, the other
three fourths being mineral and pastoral
lanos. About 10000 acres, all Of which
are in Dakota, have been taken under
tie homestead. redemption and timber
culture acts. The balance is now open
- settlement, with the exception Of Il
snail portion lying east Of the banks Of
.FA Cheyenne river and the l03d meri-
dian. The farming lands Of the Hills
are rs productive as can bc found any
place in the world. Fifty bushels Of
eh.st. 80 Of barley, 10 of oats, 4D OF
potatoes and 600 of onions have been
-. ed 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 rs four
pounds. The soil is a rich vegetable
mold, strongly i%npregnated with eyp-
sum, of Hhich there il an incxhausiible
aupply, and consequently the land need
ncvcr become impoverished.
Tie timber lands of the Hills are es-
sinlatcd at 5000 square miles. the timber
il 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 tlow on to the Chey enne river Oh
;hc north and south side.
No other country in North America
can offer equal inducements to the stock
grower. The fiucst and most nutritious
grasses with plenty Of good water NC
shelter from the winter winds and
scarcely any snow, cattle keep IA OF the
range the year round, never knowing
what ii is 20 hc fed; the stock raiser can
have choice of five different railroads 10
ship his stock, thereby getting the low.
est possible rates To take them TO mar
ket. Sheep % equally rs we'll ais cattle.
and horses DO better.
Large herds ofbuN.lo are now swarm
''S over VIC i""Ie' "o''' az" "e' ~
~ ''.'' - "'"'' "'
mixed in with them. Two years ago,
NV h"i"rs' Winter cNe' "''"" =" ~H0
west '"e ''S' OF '"''e wa OH! "oo"' .
~ Ne''' N"'N =" Wv ''",0' V" =
'o'ie9 SCUM ana "e" Vi hVil VIC '"S9
vas rom ~ !" 80 per ce''' i'''r are
- ''e F'e7c"' 'i''e "'''' "o0'"'' "o""
- vi''iV y" Wv f""F'N !" MS Nr''"!
'''"i -, ''"'''~'' "" "
'F''''o1''"n "' N0""'!'
G"ld mining is carried on rom Fear
CnicI o" h north to Cn''er OK; In tie
'ou'I err part 81 N:@ i'm ""'''nce q
"l"tty ui'@S, "nd 'rohA l."rh'"rd on tie
r~~' +" N""h"-v'ile - $40 east. IL ="
"ther country ~ re ""r'i ar" theEc s."
'NaNN AND "N'7HSiI" n'i&tN % Eoi az in
Tic Black ii!i's. ,r"i1 u" northern 20
The southern n rom IN" eastern I"
the western extrene;t Goit ) to"nd ia
nearly every gn!ch and on every iii
within the mineral belt. In othtr min-
ing countries II y oAlv iouHd over q
small area of country, covering but a
few miles OF territory II the most; here
there are abont l,2UU square miles IN
what is called the mineral, and gold Is
found IN almost every square mile OF the
100. The !odeS vary IN SIZE rom 10 to
! Geo feet IN "ldth. and some as mach
as 90 miles IN length. The great majori-
~ Of the mines are low grace ore, Lut
with the imHcnse bodies Of pay ore and
good management these mines have
been made 10 pay better than any otn-
ers in the United states. Ore that VIII
go - per ton viii pay TO work, whl'o
that which goes from II TO SO FER to.i
will pay largely. The ore which is
worked by the great llomeStake mills
1t Lead City, does not average g per
ton, yet that company has paid lt;y-ono
successive monthly dividends, part OF
which h.ve heen ejO,to0 per month and
the balance $4,000, besides having q
large surplus on hand after paying al