Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-12-28

ment, that their is only needed railroad
communication and fuel local, and
especially coke) to produce throughout
the Hills an era of prosperity unex
ampled probably in the history of min
ing enterprises in this country. There
are within five miles of Lead City depos-
its of low grade ores sufficient TO build
up for generations yet to come, mining
and manufacturing enterprises fully
equal in Importance to those of the
great Homestake mine at Lead City. l
spent a whole day in the examination OF
those deposits and speak only of what
have seen and know.
The Homestake mine is one of the
largest mining enterprises in the world.
From eighty stamps in 1873 it has de-
veloped until now two immense mills
with $50 stamps are operated by huge
Corliss engines. The running expenses
are more than 100000 a month and
there are 1900 men employed. The
total receipts for the year ending May l,
1889, were 81, 1929 and the total dis
bursements for the same period were
81, JAG There was paid for labor
alone $447 ,577. and for timber and wood
$l44,407. The total number of tons of
ore reduced was 2S5, IA and the value
of the product therefrom was 500, OOPS
the product of gold being about $3.50
per ton Of ore. The result has been
gratifying, so far as the quantity of ore
uncovered is concerned and the indica-
tons are that the coming year will show
a greatly increased product. There is
ore enough in sight to keep the mill in
full operation for four wears to come,
A line of narrow gauge railroad runs
some TWENTY-FIVE miles into the timber
region to supply the works with timber
and fuel.
There are six other mills, which in
hcrease the number of stamps to nearly a
thousand. The Caledonia mill produc-
ed last year nearly S300,0 900 in gold. The
annual yield of these seven mills aggr..
gates nearly $5,o00,00
Lead City is a plac. nf some 5000 in
habitants. 1t Is a neat, bright and en-
terprising town. Its merchants and
business men are very active and pros
porous. Its schools and churches in
number and importance, compare with
those of any place of equal size in the
interior of Nebraska.
The b. & NJ. road has surveyed lines
into the Hills, not only to Lead City bu'
to Hill City and Custer City also. The
survey for the branch from Newcastle
running to Lead City is very favorable
1t is some forty-five miles in length, anC
for the most part is of easy grades. JUS
above the coal mines, a tunnel Of 2,00t
feet through the dividing ridge will b,
necessary to take the railroad into Sal
creek canyon, from the upper end o
which it is an open, beautiful coutry
parallel with the mountain range all the
way to Lead City.
Deadwood is Just now dull, yet hel
bankers and dealers all feel certain tina
with the coming railroad connection
from the west and rom the east she will
more than regain her former importance
The town has been twice almost entire
ly destroyed, first by fire and then by
water, and now presents nothing in the
character of its buildings to recall the
features which attached to it ten years
ago. Its buildings its stores and it,
private residences all have the look
which business prosperity imparts, anC
its capitalists and business men expires:
entire confidence in the future of the
place. The recent burning of the re
duction works into which the citizens
of Deadwood had placed over 800, 900
was a severe calamity from which they
are recovering by building new ones on
an enlarged and improved scale.