St. Paul daily globe., 1891-02-08
ROADS IN The HILLS.
A Rich Portion Of South Da-
ko;a Icing Gridironed by
Railways.
Nearly TWO Hundred Miles
kuIit HI ouch Four Hills
Counties.
Cost OF Construction Rises to
the Glagn fie8nt Figure of
$5,OOO,OO0.
Several New Lines to Cross
the Sioux Reservation This
Season.

UEAnWuUD, S. D., Feb. THE past
ytal Las lten one Of remarkable actlV-
lty in railroad building i'll South Da'
kota, and particularly III that portion OF
the state known as the Black Hills,
nearly 200 miles of road having been
built through four counties, embracing
an area of about forty by eighty miles,
and at a cost of in the neighborhOod of
100000 The initial step was taken
in the year 1889, when the Deadwood
Central railroad Was constructed, con-
Meeting DeadwOod with Lead City, the
latter place being the location of the
famous Homestake Mining company's
property and works. This road, as then
constructed, was but four miles in
length, and cost about $4,000, the
first two miles out Of DeadWood
costing but about So. 900 of that amount,
the remainder of the distance being
quite expensive, owing to the difficulties
encountered id grading. At first 1t was
thought that a grade could not be es-
tabIiShed. but after repeated surveys
a grade was decided upon, although 1t
was necessary to SO construct the engines
and equipment that they could ascend
a grade of 4l0 feet mile, which was
the least number of feet to the mile that
the grade at this particular part OF the
road could be established. Since the
construction the road has been in con-
tinuous operation without any trouble
having been experienced by reason OF
The steep Incline,
Necessary. The promoters and stock
holders of the DeadWOOd Central rail-
road are New York and Philadelphia
capitalists, who became interested
through the advice of j. K. P. Miller
tlate of Deadwood, now deceasedD, who
has probably done more to bring
about the era of prosperity that
is imminent than any other one
man. Ever since the completion of this
short line it has been profitable invest
ment for those who are fortunate enough
to own stock in that company. I'M
mediately upon the completion Of this
road the stockholders realized the neces-
sity for additional railroad facilities in
lhe Black Hills, and steps were lmmedl-
Rtely taken looking towards the build
ing into the Hills Of one or more of the
great trunk lines. The Burlington &
Missouri railroad was the first of the
great lines to see the necessity for it.
They, however, did not take any posi-
tive steps in the matter until they had
sent out one of the worlds eminent
geOlOgists to examine and report upon
the resources of the Hills. He was here
for several weeks, during which time he
examined the country very thoroughly,
visiting different mines in the various
Iie4rI Iofo irol1tAincr tho RQlA
Mountain, Ruby Basin. Carbonate and
Galena districts, all adjacent to Dead
wood, as we'll as the Niger Hill tin
district and the Harvey Peak tin dis
trict. AS a result of his investigations
the Burlington & Missouri company de-
cided to build their road right through
the heart of the Black Hills country
into DeadWood, a distance of 109 miles.
The Burlington e. Missouri already had
decided to complete its line to Buffalo,
Wyo., a distance of some 200 miles west
of the Black Hills. This branch of the
Burlington & Missouri system crosses
the Cheyenne river at Edgem0nt, s. D.,
and runs in northwesterly direction to
Newcastle, the center OF the
Rich Coal Fields
of Wyoming, and thence westward to
Buffalo, the present terminus. 1t is
understood that the Burlington CON-
pany was undecided whether to extend
their line from Buffalo on westward to
the Yellowstone park, or to build
through the hills to Deadwo0d last sea-
son, and they decided to build the Black
Hills line upon the representations of
the eminent geologist who was sent to
examine the country, and who reported
fhof q limo n nnndWnnH and fhn nlinInU
camps in this vicinity would afford
market for the Newcastle coal. How
wise this prediction was may be seen
from the fact that thousands of tons of
the Newcastle coal have already found
market here. The Black Hills branch
of the Burlington & Missouri, which is
kncWn as the Grand Island IL Wyo-
ming, runs through as wild and
rugged country as can be
found anywhere, striking the Hills
proper at point about fifteen miles
from Edgemont, from which point a
spur is run to the Minnekahta (hot
water) springs, which are fast becoming
an attraction for seekers after health.
Before the inroads of the ':paleface''
into the Hills, the Indians used to make
pilgrimages to these springs, going in
large bodies, and many were the cures
effected. Entering the Hills proper. the
road at one moment passes around the
side of mountain, and the next mo-
ment is crossing deep gulch or enter
ing a tunnel. Reaching Custer City (the
camp ground of the famous Seventh
cavalry, commanded by Gen. CUSTER.
beautiful sight is presented to the view
of the passenger. The town is 5000 feet
above the sea. and to the right Mt. Har-
ney, the highest peak of the Black
Hills range, towers up to the height
of over 5000 feet. Custer City is
in the center of the barney Peak tin
district. and the city itself is destined to
become city Of con iderable impor-
tance. The distance from Custer City
to Dead wood is sixty miles, and the in
tervening country is rich in precious
metals of various kinds. DeadWood IS
in the center of the
Gold and Silver District,
and The various gulches lead to Dead
wood. which is the lowest point, al
though itself, 1000 feet above the sea.
This branch of the Burlington ~ Mis-
souri, road is said to have cost the com
pany $4,000, 600, and is one of the most
expensive branches Of the whole syS-
tenn. 1t gives DeadWood direct com
munication with Lincoln, the capitol of
Nebraska, Omaha, Kansas City, and
other Eastern cities. Early In the
spring, the Deadwood Central company
began extending its system of mar
row gauge roads to the different
mining camps, and about ten miles of
road were built, running up Whitewood
creek, from the Lead City branch, to
Nevada guIch, and spurs were con-
structed thence up Fantail gulch and
Whitehall gulch. This was done for the
purpose of hauling the ore from the
mines TO the smrlters in Deadwood.
The Deadwo0d Central is operated in
connection with the Burlington q Mis-
souri,, the latter running over portion
of the Central:s track INTO the city.
Until the determination of the Bur-
lington & Missouri to build into Dead
wood, the Fremont, Elkhorn " Missouri
Valley road, branch of the Northwest
ern system. was without rival in the
Hills, AID had long had monopoly of
the business. Their terminus was at
WhiteWood, twelve miles from Dead
wood, to which point line of stages
ran, and freight had to be trans
ported to the mining camps by means
- :, oil a frf I,,,n