The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1870-08-04
THE BIG. HORN EXPEDITION.
Glowing Accounts Ct "a New Mining
District
From the Sioux City Times.

From the Sioux City Times
For some time the border press has
teemed with accounts of the exploits and
mishaps of the Big Horn expedition.
Latterly the reports which reached US
were anything but encouraging to those
who had taken active interest in the safe
ty and future of an petition, the sue
cess of which would be the means of
country which has long had tie credit of
being prolific in its wealth of the pre-
cious mines. From two of their number,
who arrived yesterday on the steamer
Ida Stockdale, We haze cleaned vast
amount of information, which we have
good reason to know is reliable. and which
cinnot prove otherwise than interesting
to our readers. Mcssrs. Samuel Edwards
and Philip t. Curtis left the main body
of the Big Horn expedition on the 9th
of June. The expedition after leaving
anticipating determed resis-
ancc from the Indians to their progress
kept continually on the alert, always
taking pains at night to pitch strong
guards around their camp. The method
usually pursued was to strike camp about
daylight, travel until noon or until they
could get good water and grass; they
could then give their stock a full range,
only keeping sharp lookout for the rcd
skins; when their animals had taken suf
ficient food and rest, they would again
start out always making it point to
reach a camping place sufficiently early in
the afternoon CT evening to allow their
stock to obtain plenty Of grass before
nightfall. Shutdown was the signal for
them to collect their animals in corral.
each animal being fastened with a short
picket rope, each man slept adjacent to
WHARF his horse was picketed. so that In
case OF an alarm, or an attack, they could
more readily saddle their animals and
prepare for defending themselves. In
thlr way the expedition reached tbs foot
Of the Big Horn Mountain without en-
countering any hostile opposition. Dc
caslonally they would see parties Of In
dians going in southerly direction; they
afterwards learned that these bands were
going south of the Platte and the Union
Pacific Railroad, where it was understood
a pfeconcerted attack was to be made On
the white settlements Our informants
state that after reaching the base OF the
Big Horn Mountains, in the neighbour
hood Of Fort Reno, the membero OF the
expedition prospocted the country for a
distance Of one hundred miles. They
found quartz lodes, the ore from which
assayed 50, 900 and upwards to the ton );
bnt placer mines were scarce, and did not
pay for working. On the Goth of May
half breed, accompanied by a French
nan known in that country as Beaver
Joe. visited the camp of the expedition
ana exhibited handful of nuggets, some
Of which were as large as a musket ball
Beaver Joe" and his companion after
a prolonged interview, agreed to take the
party to the locality where the gold speci-
mems were obtained. Theexpedition, under
the guidance of Beaver j oe' and his com
panion, started IN northwesterly direo
ION until they came to the North For
OF the Big Cheyenne River They fol
lowed up the course OF this river unit
they reached a portion of the count Y
adjacent to the Black Hills From her
| our informant declined to post rs as t.
the direction the expedition took. or It's
present locality. They exhibited several
| very large nuggets and gold quartz spec.
mems as samples Of what theyktook from
that district, the gold deposits Of which
they claim surpass California in its
| palmieSt mining times. These gentlemen
say that ere they left their companions.
each one had gathered more gold than
was necessary to cover the first cost of his
outfit. Messrs. Edwards and Curtis are
now on their way East to purchase min
ing machinery The gentlemen claim
thar, as soon as the Whereabouts and
success Of the expedition is discovered,
there viii lie rush Of gold-seekers for
the Upper Missouri never equalled in any
country. These gentlemen took passage
on the Ida Stockdale at Cheyenne Agency
and in conversation they tacitly admitted
hat Cheyenne Agency would probably
| be the most convenient shipping point
| For the new mines, We shall look witt
| the greatest anxiety for new develon-
ments in movement in which our city
is destined to play such an importan
part, as the Quitting depot for such a
may hereafter seek the new Eidorado