St. Paul daily globe., 1891-02-08

canyon. The road was completed into
Deadwood the Goth OF December last.
Immediately upon the completion OF
the road to Deadwood, the Elkhorn pro-
jected narrow gauge system also, from
this city
10 the Mining Camps,
to compete with the Burlington & Mis-
sourl and the Deadwood Central III the
business Of hauling ore to the smelters.
Fifteen miles of a narrow gauge have
been completed already, running into
the Bald Mountain, Ruby Basin ana
Carbonate mining districts, and passing
directly under the dumps OF many OF
the principal mines of those districts.
The iron will be laid on this
track early in the coming spring.
at which time the road Will
be ready for business and the mining
season will open i'll earnest. The area
covered by these mining districts IS
probably less than 100 square miles, and
they will have. as soon as the road is IN
operation, i'll the neighDOrhOOd OF htty
miles of railroad to furnish tranSporta-
tion.
From Whtewood the Elkhorn eX--
tended its line also to a distance OF
about fifteen miles to Minnesota, the
center of the richest farming and cattle
raising portion Of the Black Hills. More
than 800, GOO head of cattle were shipped
over this branch alone during the paSI
season. The Black Hills and Fort
Pierre railroad, controlled by the Home
stake Mining company, decldcd upon
all extension of its line, and i'll Aug
ust of the past year an extension
was completed, connecting Lead city
with the Elkhorn road at Piedmont, the
distance between the two places being
about fifty miles. This road passes
through Elk Creek canyon, and is
great attraction for tourists. Obserya-
ton cars are run on this line. The
HomeStake Mining company makes all
its shipments for the company'S use
over this line, transferring at Piedmont:
Probably no other section in the United
States of the same area has witnessed
the construction OF as many miles OF
railroad within as short a period OF
time, and by as many different COM
panies, as the Black Hills. There is
only one explanation for the action OF
these various railroad companies in eX-
tending their lines into the Black Hills,
viz: they recognized the
Vast Resources
contained in these rock-ribbed hills. and
We'd with each other to secure the busi-
ness that would result from the opening
I'D and development of such resources.
1t is very probable that the Burlington
& Missouri will extend its line further
west from DeadWood the coming sea-
son. Those familiar with railroad mat
terS assert that the objective point of
the Burlington & Missouri is Helena,
Mont, via Yellowstone National park,
while others contend that Miles City,
Mont, is the objective point. In either
event, it is beyond question the inten-
ton of the management OF this road to
have direct communication with the Pa
cific coast through the northwestern
section of the United States. Wyoming
is underlaid with vasts beds of
excellent bituminous coal, and also
vast quantities of Oil. The coal
has been proven beyond doubt to be
excellent for cooking purposes. Idaho
and Montana are rich in gold and silver.
Besides all this. they will, by their ex-
tension, pass through vast area of
country devoted to the raising of cattle
and sheep, and will make cOmmunica-
ton with the Pacific coast possible, and
in doing so will pass through a section
OF the country totally undeveloped. AL
lO2cjIltI LIltIe Is llIIll0 uOuUG UuC LHd0
the Black Hills will witness another
year of railroad building, as no COM
munication as yet exists between the
Black Hills and the eastern portion of
South Dakota. Four lines of railroad
have been surveyed across that portion
of the Sioux reservation recently opened
up, namely, the Chicago IL Northwest
ern, the Chicago, Milwaukee, & st. Paul
and the Duluth, Pierre & Black Hills
railroads, which latter road will be COM
pleted to Pierre, the capital of the state,
very shortly, and from there the line
will be extended to Deadwood or Rapid
City. The Sioux City & Northern
would be of vast benefit to the Black
Hills, as it would give this section di-
rect communication with Sioux City.
Taken altogether. the number of miles
of railroad already built, and the posi-
BILE extensions the coming year, and the
capital now being invested in mines and
smelters, the outlook for the Black
Hills is certainly as bright as that of
any other section of the great West.