Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-01-21
Custer Prospects Reviewed.

resident of Deadwood, who Will be re-
membered as a visitor in this city last
week in the interest Of the Phoenix and
other leading fire insurance companies,
IA interviewed upon his return to
Deadwood by a Pioneer reporter with
reference to Clusters prospects and in
answer to questions touching upon the
business snd our Of this place says
Custer City is more than holding its
own. Since my last visit several bus;-
ness houses have been fixed up and one
Messrs. Smith q Fitch, have built a
good fire proof, which they will extend
to the street In the sprnig. Several new
and good styled dwellings have been
erected. There is a general feeling OF
satisfaction with the situation and hope
fitness for the future. Mr.. Paul klee
mann expects to add, in the spring, 100
feet TO his two-story brick hotel. /
stopped there and found his house as
warm all over, day and night, as could
be dseired, ever with the mercury RAJ
ing up and down between ID and 30
below. Capt. Hazerodt is running his
Vienna and seems TO have a good
business. Booth q Webster, the old
stand-bys of the place, have three well
filed store rooms, besides their fire
proof. They are doing business on the
spot cash or approved security plan,
and say ifthey are not handling quite
SO many goods, they are not losing any
money by the change. Mr.. Booth says
he got tired of wrapping up SO many
goods for nothing The inference is
that he didn't care SO much for the
goods as the wrapping up Mr.. Albien
has the first floor and basement Of his
two-story brick well filled with general
merchandise and is evidently increas-
ing his trade year by year. L. V. Gar
lock, in the hardware line, has a good
stock and good trade. He will build in
the spring ! also met l.. III. Flynn,
who in spite of his mercurial tempera-
ment has stuck to Custer to some pur.
pose. The responsibility of the county
treasury and being the father of three
children has sobered him some, but his
tongue is as flexible as ever. Sam
Shankland and Joe kubler are running
the CHRONICLE and deserve well OF their
countrymen whether they gather
sheckels or not.
Mr.. Tamlin, the form er county treas
urer, drove me out to the Tin Mountain
company's new concentration mill, and
on our return l had the pleasure OF
dining with him and his excellent wife.
The mill had made a trial run, and it
was found, as might be expected, that
some things could be changed to adj
vantage, hence it was not running the
day | vas there. Mr.. A. l.. Sivyer, the
superintendent, lives with his family
near the mill and gives every detail of
the work his personal attention. He
has tackled one of the most difficult
problems in practical metallurgy, and
one of the most hopeful signs that he
will succeed, is the fact that he Is aware
Of it. He has satisfied himself and all
who have investigated that his general
scheme of concentration is all right, but
that TO do satisfactory work he may
have to increase his power, and modify
some OF his apparatus. The company
at his back is Il strong one, including
such men as Mccormack OF reaper fame
and millions, Bartlett of Spencer, Huh.
bard a Bartlett, and other successful m n
who have taken hold not rs "a flyer bu,
to win. Confident as is everyone who
has investigated, that there is plenty of
tin ore and that they have a good mine,
they have determined to head the
column in finding how to ntilize it. This
property is about eight miles westerly
from Custer, and Is a part of a great
group Of tiK locations, one Of which was
lately sold to the Harvey Peak company
for $4,000, they paying 5000 down.
North from (I,gtnr - IN moth n l.r,n ,.o,,.
of tin mines; also anotherin the vicinity
of Hill City, or Spring Creek.
1t is very evident that the b. & NJ.
railroad folks believe in the future of
this section of the country, most fully.
Their survey comes up Red Canyon to
Custer. The engineering party of owe
twenty men and a dozen animals is
campedfo four miles from town at "A farm
house. They have run several lines
and are still searching for the best route
to Hill City or the tin mines i'm that
vicinity. The way they have pushed
work through the holidays and severe
cold weather indicates that they mean
business in the near future. The end
of the grade is about IS miles from
Custer. 1t would be q notable fact if
the second railroad to enter the Hills
should come in by the the Red Canyon
route, which was the first route of the
pioneers. Mr.. Gillette the engineer in
charge is a man Of experience, having
been engaged on 800 miles of the Den
yer and Rio Grand on the upper Colo
RADIO and Utah end. He is a mountain
engineer anu If anyone can find a line
from Custer through Hill City to Dead
wood he will do it. He is aware that
higher line near the limestone range
presents less difficulties but does not
take them through the section they
want to occupy.
Mr.. j. +. Moore showed me some
coal from the recent find in Red Can
yon equal if no superior to the Hay
Creek coal. He owns or is interested
in a vein four feet thick, and claims
that it is a superior coking coal. Taken
altogether the indications ola prosperous
year for Custer and the Spring Creek
country seem to be very favorable.
Reduced Rates.