Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1916-05-20
Written by drs w
COmmerCa
"Custer-Crownedn

and brilliant sun shines that she sits
literally enthroned, Queen Of the Black
Hills" But she claims this title for an
other and far better reason than simply
giving the stranger within her gates
marvelously beautiful things to look
upon She possesses the royal prero-
gative of dispensing with lavish hand
health, strength and vigor to all who
will finger and drink of the cold, crystal
waters of the mountain streams, and
breathe deep of the clear intoxicating
air laden with the fragrance Of the
| pines. These statements are not writ
ten simply for the purpose of making a
good advertising article for some maga-
zine or newspaper They are statements
of fact, as strong as our rugged rocks
aud true as our hills, and kind reader,
if you will but let US take you for a
drive thru the beautiful canyons to Syl-
van Lake for climb up up to the sum
init of that stauncy old sentinel, Harvey
Peak, then down, ever down over the
| wonderful rock formations of the Ice
Gorge, back for a row aud rest on the
| still, deep waters of Sylvan Lake, then
| by way of farewell little visit to the
Queens Parlor for last, ong, lingering
look at the Needles" and the marvel
Gus, awe-inspiring beauty of the whole
| magnificent scene, then back to the ever
changing lights and shadows of the
canyon, and not stopping in Custer,
drive straight west for miles and miles
| thru the beautiful "FOur Mile Valley"
and Pleasant Valley" and others if you
wish, returning for a spin thru the pines
to the Tuberculosis Sanatorium, where
you will see many patients coming back
TO rich inheritance of health and
strength and the JOY of life--you will
not only be willing to say, but to shout
it from the housetops, that we have
offered you proof positive" Nowhere
on earth is there to be found in any one
locality such wonderful scenery, such
pure, delicious water, such health-giviug
air and such abundance of Gods own
| sunshine.
Custer.uncrowned is not merely a
rhetorical phrase, either, but state
ment of fact-a fact, tho, to be changed
Just as soon as King Commerclaism
finds out the hidden wealth and vast re
sources and they can be opened up and
developed. Custer City has never come
in to her rich inheritance and, tho
placed in an exquisite setting of glorious
scenery and material wealth is but an
ordinary town like unto other towns.
1t was in the fall Of 1874 when the
report Of General Custer's expedition,
which contained a mention of the dis
covery of gold near Custer, created great
excitement and people focked to this
locality in search of the precious metal
until in March of 1876 the population
was variously estimated from 5000 to
10000 From that day to the present
mining has been one of the important
resources of Custer. No mine such as
the Homestske OF Lead City has been
discovered but in regard to mines. Ma
ture's book is sealed and no man knows
whether the little prospect he is work
ing on is Homestake or not, until
time, patience and money reveals the
secret.
Custer has, as yet, no Homestake in
! ha haa ~ hnr s.o
that are good paying propositions at the
present time and give brilliant promise
for the future. The Westinghouse and
other mica companies are operating in
and around Custer and it has been right
ly predicted that some day Custer will
be the Mica City of the world. Gold,
silver, copper, tin and mica are all found
in the mines around Custer and rare
elements such as platinum, palladium
asmium, iridium, cobalt, tungsten, etc.
are also found ia the veins. An excel
lent quality of marble is found at yari.
Gus points in the Harney Range and a
fine quality Of building stone, sandstone
and lime is quarried near at hand
Custer mining operations have ever
been handicapped by misunderstanding
and misapplication of milling processes
added to very serious lack OF capital
but all these obstacles are gradual,
being overcome and Custer will some
day be the center of rich and prosper
Gus mining community.
So much was the thought of the peo
pie centered on mining that for many
years they failed to take note of tht
other rich and varied resources scattered
about them. Little or no attention wal
given to agriculture until recent years
and yet the fertile, sheltered valleys
, around Custer offer splendid opportnni
ties in that line. Stock raising, too, il
now carried on most successfully, especi
ally in the Limestone country wher'
the range is boundless and feed abund
ant Dairying is in its infancy for the
farmers have just begun to realize th'
untold possibilities in that line. i
would be hard to find any place Oh eartf
where such ideal conditions exist as il
this sectiop of the country to make tb,