Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1867-03-09
tim BLACK HILLS Or OAkOTl
Letter from Dr. r. v. Hayden.

The last number OF the Yankton Union
and DdkotiaN contains . valuable letter
from Dr.. Hayden, descriptive Of the Black
Hills and their resources. The letter viii bs
read with in.eres. BY all who desirs iuforma.
lea ip regard to that country. We append
tho most important portion Of the letters.
1.-THE Black Hills fern the moss eastern
out'icr Of the main chain Of he Rocky
Mountains, and would appear to be On ind.-
pendent elevation, were il NJ. FIR q low anti
clinal which extends &C. oss the plain coan-
Try southwark, connecting them With the
Laramie range. Very lille was known Of
these Hills, until they we're explored in The
summer Of 1857, BY U 8. expedition, un-
Ter the c rnand Of General c X. Warren,
U. s. A., to which expedition I had the
hon r. of being attached, a. gsologi.s anJ
naturalist. A preliminary report Of the r.
suits OF this exploration was presented 10
the War Department. b. General Warren in
1859, aud published BY Congress under the
title Of "Exp'orations in Nebraska and Da-
kota, in the years 1855 6 aud ~
The Black Hills lie be,wet The 43l and
45th degrees Of latitude, and the 1884 aud
Josh .ucrid;ans Of longitude, and occupy
an area abou. 100 miles in length, and
about 50 in breadth, or about 6 600 square
miles. The shape of the mass is elip.ieal,
AMI tie major axis tends abou, 200 ives, Of
north. The base Of these Hills is abou,
$500 to 5000 feet, and the Highest peaks
3 100 feet above the ocean. The whole RANCE
- c'"sped, as i, we're, by the north aud south
forks Of the Big Shcy.unc river, the IN st
important stream in this region. The north
branch passes along the north s;de of the
range, receiving very many Of its tributaries,
aud most Of lis waters from it, bu; take, its
rise far to the westward OF the range near
the sources VI Powder RIVER in the divide
between the waters Ut The Yellowstone aud
those OF the Missouri
The south fork, als,, rises in the same ii
vide, flowing along the southern base Of this
range, and also receives numerous trlbu,a-
r"s which have their sources in it, These
two main branches unite about 80 miles ca i,
OF the Bhck Hills, forming the Big Sheyeu.
tie, whi-h emp;ies into the Missouri abou,
o0 miles above Fort Pierre. The Morenu.
Grand, Cannon Bail and other rivers, flow
ing into the Missouri, north OF the Sh.yepn.
and south Of the Yellowstone, rise in a h;uh
tertiary divide, north of the Black Hills and
are for tho greater part Of the season uui;e
shallow, and sometimes nearly dry; Ia, the
, Little Missouri derives portion OF it,
waters hom the Black HilIs, through mum
Der Of small branches which flow from tn
northwestern slope. ". tins see that The
Black Hills dc not give rise to any inp,r-
tant stream, if we excep, the Little Missouri,
few branches Of which flow from springs
near the base Of the Hills; but supply /.
comparatively small quantity Of water from
that source. The Sheyeune is fed. the m St
part, from the numerous small streams which
issue from copious springs in the more eIe-
waited por.iona II would seem, therefore
that the Black Hills do not have . marked
influence on the drainage OF the west.
As l have before remarked, the Black
Hills occupy an area Of about 5000 square
miles. l regard it as within bounds to saw
tina. At least one third of this area is cover.
ed with fine growth Of good pine timber.
You can see, therefore, that within the limits
Of the Territory Of Dakota. you have ,2So,-
900 acres of as god pine lumber a. ca, Be
found in ali the western country. This tim
Der is OF fine h. al'h, growth, from two to
four feet in diameter a. the base, and often
ascending so feet wi,hou, lir.b.
The question in regard to the quantity {
pine timber in the Black Hills being settled.
the mex. point Of importance is TO determine
upon plan to transport it to the settled
portions of the Territory. think tina, the
future will show that there are no obstacles
in that direction that can resist the vail Of
the Dakotians. Allow me to quote from a
report to General Warren, dated March Is,
1856, when used the following language
Tho Black Hills which appear in he dis
| lance, and derive their name from their dark
and gloomy appearance, contain an iuex-
banst'ble quantity Of the finest timber, mostly
pine, which will doubtless remain undis,urb.
ed for many years to come. Twill, however,
propose plan for obtaining this timber, and
rendering it useful to future settlers, though
do 1t with some hesitation lest j. may see N
visionary. The left fork of the Sheyenne
passes through the northern portion Of the
Black Hills. and even there, is a consider.
able stream, from thirty to fifty ards wide.
In the spring the river 10 much swollen, and
the current exceedingly rapid, aud the tim
Der, If cut and hauled - the banks Of the
river, might be aoatsd down into the Mis-
souri, With considerable safety and esse.'
When ! wrote the above paragraph, l did
not foresec that this western country would
be SO soon settled almo.t within sigh. of thu
Black Hills. When asce ndsd the Missouri
for The 6ra time 10 1853, Kansas was a Wild
Indian territory, and Government agents
~ers driving from II oil white men who
night BE- attempting TO gain foo.Lold there.
Now Kansas il \ state, Nebraska has JUS,
become one, and Colorado is knocking loud
ly y, the door and must .oon be- admitted.
Then will follow in quick succession, Dakota,