Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-03-09
b. & M. Coal Camp.

|
EDITOR CHRONICLE suppose an
item from the coal camp will be of some
interest to your readers. To some who
are possibly looking forward to the new
town soon to be built on the railroad
near here, any news from this point
will be of interest. Any facts relating
10 our mines is of interest to every citi-
zen of the Black Hills, but to one who
has lived for several years in country
| where hay was the standard fuel, the
| development of our coal fields is of
deeper interest than that Of any other
mineral. Our coal miues, though the
last to attract general attention, will |
believe, at no distant day equal any in
| the country. They are of special value
to the country in that they have special
attractive power to bring railroads. The
supplying Of Nebraska and eastern Da
kota with fuel will be the great business
of the railroad that is just now pushing
for our coal fields. While this will per
haps be the greatest source of revenue
to the road, it will at the same time at
tract to these regions large and in
dustrious population. Here will in time
grow up our principle manufacturing
interests and along the lines of the rail
roads must be our towns and cities.
A company of capitalists, composed
mostly of railroad men, who are as n
class always wide awake and far seeing
as to the future of country, have Sc
cured several thousand acres of valuable
coal lands on Oil creek upon which they
have opened number cf mines ready
to deliver their product upon the cars
when the road shall be completed to
tins point They have also just com
pleted, and are now operating a large
steam saw mill, and will be ready TO
furnish lumber, shingles, lath, &c. for
the new town building. The company
have also force of men grading roads
up the gulch to the mill and mines that
they may be ready for the immense
demand that will be made upon them
when the ears arrive.
The coal is of excellent quality far
superior, it is claimed, to that supplied
bv the Northwestern Railroad to the
people Of the east side of the Hills. The
veins are very thick, fully eight feet,
and easily worked by tunneling in from
the hill sides The railroad is contract
ed to be graded through to this point by
September The iron will be laid soon
after
Another fact that the people here are
much interested in is the new postoffice
just established, with Mr.. Charles Brewer
mail letter is rather inconvenient.
The name of the postoffice is Burling-
ton.
Another item that may interest some.
A few evenings since, Mr. Frank Mon
dell, the genial superintendent of the
company's work here, sent his sleigh
around and gathered the women and
children in the neighborhood to his
headquarters, not to dance or picnic,
but to a church service. Rev. J. b. Cur
rens, a Presbyterian minister conducted
the service. There were % present, i've
Of whom were ladies with their babies.
The babies were as quiet as if they had
been to church every Sunday. Some
| who were present had not been to
church before for eleven years. The
singing was very hearty, and all enjoyed
being present at the first religious serv-
ice in the new community. After the
close of the service, the people stayed
for visit of an hour, and the ladies and
babies took absolute possession of friend
Mondell, and that Bachelors Hall, and
they all pronounced the first gospel
service and church social very pleas
ant and profitable occasion.