The Hickman courier., 1872-03-30

use his influence for him-during the
Campaign?
AIR. Sumner will not under any
circumstances support Gen. Grant he
entertains the most contemptuous opinion
of him. During quite recent conver-
sation | had with him at Washington,
Mr.. Sumner said that the President was
the most ignorant, corrupt, dishonest nan
! living II there was no other choice.
Mr.. Sumner would rather not vote at all
than vote for Grant. If Grant be renom-
mated, the Republican party will lose
! the influence of some of their most prom
inent and powerful members during the
campaign. Take, for instance, Gen.
/ Fitzpatrick That gentleman was lately
aSkeId-to address Repnbho@n meeting
in New England, but refused because of
his dislike of the present Administration.
The Dakota Gold Fields.
! Correspondence New York Sun, March Is. !
There is great excitement prevailing
in Iowa and the surrounding regions, in
CONSCIENCE of marvellous tales which
have gained currency in regard to re
markable gold discoveries said to have
been made in the Black Hill country Of
Dakota. For long time reports have
been In circulation that deposits of the
precious metals of extraordinary value
extend over a large territory of unex
plored country in the neighborhood of
the mountains known as the Hills, and
that the existence of these treasures was
we'll known to the Indians, who took
great care to conceal their locality from
the whites. lest a knowledge of their ex-
istence should attract tide of emgra-
ton which would overwhelmn the abor-
igines in its coursr.
THE BLACK HILLS
Lie between the 43d and 45th degrees OF
latitude and the l03d and 105th meridi
ans of longitude, and occupy an area of
about 600 square miles. The base Of
these hills is about 500 to 5000 feet,
and the highest peaks GOO feet, above
sea. The whole range is between the
north and south forks Of the Big Chey-
eune rivers. These two branches unite
about thirty miles east of the Black
Hills, forming the Big Cheyenne, which
emptios into the Missouri about sixty
miles above Fort Pierre. The hills con
tain on immense supply Of timber, and
the climate is so mild that as early as the
/ 9th of March flowers have been seen
growing on the foot hills Of the noun
/ tains, while the green grass at the same
/ time was springiug up every where, and
/ the antelopes were to be seen summing
/ themselves in aocks upon the hillsides
j, This Is the pleasant region in which gold,
silver and less precious metals are be
lieved to exist IN great abundance, while
it Is certain that
BANDS or HOSTILE INDIANs-
Are equally plentiful The last named
fact appears to present the principal dis
advantage of the Black Hills, as a field
( for explorations that have been made un-
der the control of government in this di
rection confirm the probability Of Its
rocks and rivers containing metallic dc
posts of great value And from mauy
different sources stories come from per
sons who profess to have seen with theil
own eyes rich specimens Of gold and sill
YER on the gtound, or to have learned from
trustworthy authorities that in this
unexplored region the Indians know
where gold is to be procured in unlimit-
! ed quantities. The Omaha Bee says that
as long ago as 1857, Father De Smith, a
Jesuit missionary, informed Judge Por-
ter that
GOLD BY THE BUSHEL
Could be picked up among the hills; but
for reasons best known to himself, he
refused to say whereabouts among the
hills the precious metal was so plentiful.
! A late issue of the Union county (Dako.
tai Courier says that Sir. Chris Tbomp-
son, of Richlaud, with seventeen others,
during a recent trip through the Black
! Hill country saw, in the hands OF the
/ Indians, of various tribes nuggets OF
pure gold, some of them two inches in
/ length, and as thick as a mans thumb.
The Sioux City Qowa) Times says that
at the present time Mr.. Pease, Indian
agent for the Crown Indians, is in WASH
/ ington for the purpose of getting sup
Elementary treaty with the Indians, by
/ which they will allow miners to work on
the tributary streams of the Yellowstone,
/ or else inducing the government to send
out sufficient military force to retard
the steadily increasing influx OF miners
! who are now collecting on the borders
of his reservation for the purpose of
getting their share of the golden wealth
! observable on all sides of them. Mr..
Pease is reported as saying that there is
now from 10 to 100 of his Indians work
/ ing on Pryor creek, small stream that
empties into the Yellowstone river, aud
that these Indians, with no other uten-
sis than ordinary pan, shovele, and pick
take out each as high as
ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS PER DAY
In nuggets from the bed of the stream
In 1862 Mr.. John Goewey, of Sioux
CITY, while acting as post trader on the
Upper Missouri, fitted out trusty In
dian to gather specimens and facts abou
the Black Hill gold miEes. The Indial
made frequent trips, and each time came
back laden with rich specimens of quart
and guich gold but owing to the anti
pathy displayed by the Indians, NJ
white parties were allowed to do an,
prospecting. Other testimony in cor
roboration of wealth of mineral riches t
he found among the Black Hills i
brought forward, and parties are formIn:
to explore the country as soon as th'
spring fairly sets in. But there Is
ANOTHER SIDE OF THE STORY.
And people who claim to be well in
formed say that the accounts circulated
in regard to the wealth of the countrl
arc greatly exaggerated, while others de
nv the existence of gold at all in payins
quantities. An expedition which is fit
ting out in Sioux city proposes to expior'
this new ophir thoroug hly without re
gard to the restrictions imposed by th'
Government in relation to Intrusion up
On Indian territories, which design if no