Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-05-29
Letter from Gapville.
GAPvILLE, May 25, Is

4
your paper is about the only one in the
Black Hills that would publish letter
setting forth the wonderful advantages,
and surprising resources Of this new,
and rapidly advancing town, l submit
few lines, hoping you will give them a
place in your popular journal.
This prosperous town is situate be-
tween Rapid and Sturgis, is yet in its
infancy, is on the line of the +. f. Il. NJ
V. r. r., and is marked by the company
as the main town on the line west OF
Chadron. Three daily papers will be
established here before the railroad
reaches us. 1t is an assured fact, which
we have obtained from high railroad
official that the road will stop here fol
several years. Track laying is rapidly
progressing and the road is confidently
expected to reach Gapville by the 10th
of July, as no stop will be made at any
Of the way stations. Thirteen enormous
hotels are already planned, which will
positively be erected as soon as the
material can be procured and the nee
essary arrangements are completed. A
double geared back action Cable Car
company has been organized with head
quarters at the Board of Trade rooms on
st, Josiah street, which will put on
rolling stock as soon as deemed advisa-
bic by our town council A contract
has been let for strengthening Box
Elder creek which will be made to run
horizontally through the town, and he
the means of reclaiming large amount
Of land for city purposes, as well as a
vast quantity of fish, which our boys
will capture when the water is turned
off. Four first. class self-adjustable tin
smelters are to be put up at once, as
it has been recently discovered by a
newspaper man from Sioux City, that
all the tin in South Dakota is technically
tributary to the town, and prominent
attorney made us blush with JOY when
he told us we were also the geographical
"Our mlnes," according to statement
recently made by an experienced min
ing expert and tourist from the Black
Hills, who was interviewed by some of
our misleading citizens, will result in
placing us in the front rank of mining
| emporiums.
BY recent act Of congress the only
gap into the Black Hills from any point
of the compass is through Gapville,
which gives us all the travel, and more
too.
We planted an electric light here
some time ago, but it hasn't come up
yet, we 90 out every morning to see if
it has sprouted during the night. Great
preparations are being made to celebrate
the arrival of the railroad, three herds
of Texas cattle have been secured for
the barbecue that will be solemnized on
this grand occasion. 1t is expected that
ali nations will be represented, as ex-
cursion rates have been secured on all
railroads and steamship lines in the
world including the Erie canal.
Our place is literally running over
with people, and Notwithstanding our
expansive limits, which spread over a
whole township, we are sadly crowded
and will soon be compelled to add an
other township.
Our town vas thrown into a fever Of
excitement on yesterday by the discov-
cry of coal and hydraulic lime inside of
the city limits, which is known to be
non existant in any other part of the
Hills. City property went up twenty
per cent on this remarkable find, several
of our citizens disposng Of their lots to
other citizens at greatly advanced fig
ures, and vice versa. Everything points
to this place being the future Deven
shire of the Black Hills, and the back
door to all the mines that We know any
thing about, including the Big Bend
Hydraulic, and the Gypsum Mining,
Milling and Manufacturing company.
We have two chartered narrow guage
railroad companies already organized
and equipped for immediate action,
several stakes have already been driven
and we have still number of other
stakes which are about ready to drive.
The plans for the early construction of
the narrow guage roads to all the min
ing districts, as far west as Hill CITY.
will be perfected as soon as quorum of
members can be called together, at
present, there being so much excite
ment, and verybedy is SO overwhelm-
ingly ingulphed in the business of buy
ing and selling city lots, blooded dogs,
&c. that it is difficult to get the bows
together.
We have a full blown intelligence
Office established here, which promises
prosperity from the turn loose, but a
ray of intelligence eliminated from this
office last evening, which pointed to the
rapid transit of the tracklayers through
and by our town, struck many of our
citizens with dismay, but we keep up
show of courage that would surprise
you, and of course no one thinks we