Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-04-03
THE DAKOTA GOLD FIELDS.
Interesting Accounts from the Black
Hills of Dakota-The Indians Pam
ming Out 500 Day In Nuggets.

THE DAKOTA GOLD FIELDS.
Accounts from the Black
Hills of Dakota-The Indians Pam
ming Out 500 Day In Nuggets.
There is great excitement prevailing
In Iowa and the surrounding region in
of marvellous tales which |
have gained currency in regard to re-
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 large territory of unex-
plored country in the neighborhood of
the mountains known as the Black
Hills, and that the existence of these
treasures was well known to the In
dams, who took great care to conceal
their locality from the whites, lest the
knowledge of their existence should at
tract a tide of emigration which would
overwhelm the aboigines in it's course.
THE BLACK HILLS
lie between the 43d and 45th degrees
of latitude and the 1O3d and 1O5th me-
ridians of longitude, and occupy an
area of about 5000 square miles. The
base of these hills is about $500 to
5000 feet, and the highest peak $500
feet above the sea- The whole range
is between the north and south forks
of the Big Cheyenne river. These two
branches unite about 80 miles east of
the Black Hills, forming the Big Chey-
enne, which empties into the Missouri
about 80 miles above Tort Pierre. The
hills contain an tense supply of
timber, and the eli. to is so mild that
as earl y as the 9th of March flowers
have been seen growing on the foot
hills of the mountains, while the green
grass at the same time was springipg
up everywhere, and the antelopes were
to be seen summing themselves in focks
on the hillsides. This is the pleasant
region in which gold, silver and less
precious metals are believed to exist in
great abundance, while it is certain that
BANDS OF HOSTILE INDIANS
are equally plentiful. The last named
fact appears to present the principal
disadvantage of the Black Hills as
field for explorers. The limited ex-
plorations that have been made under
the control of government in this di-
rection confirm the probability of it's
rocks and rivers containing metallic de-
posits of great value. And from many
sources stories come from persons who
specimens of gold and silver on the
ground, or to have learned from trust
worthy authorities that in this unex
plored region the Indians know where
gold is to be procured in unlimited
quantities. The Omaha Bee says that as
long ago as 1857 Father de Smit, aJesuit
missionary, informed Judge Porter 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 Oakota) Courier says that Mr.
Girls. Thompson of Richland, with sew
enteen others, during recent trip
through the Black Hill country, saw in
the hands of Indians of various tribes
nuggets of pure gold, some of them
two inches in length, and as thick as q
mans thumb The Sioux City 0owa)
Times says that at the present time
Mr.. Pease, Indian Agent for the Grow
Indians, is in Washington for the pur-
pose of either getting supplementary
treaty with the Indians, by
which they will allow miners to
work on the tributary streams of the
Yellowstone, or else inducing the Gov
eminent to send out a 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 re-
/ ported as saying that there are now
from rs to 100 of his Indians working
on the Pryor creek, small stream that
empties into the Yellowstone river,
and that these Indians, with no other
utensils than an ordinary pan, shovel,
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
about the Black Hill gold mines. The
Indian made frequent trips, and each
time came back laden with rich speci-
mems of qualtz and gulch gold; but
owing to the antipathy displayed by
the Indians, no white parties were al
lowed to do any prospecting. Othe,
testimony In confederation of the wealth
of mineral riches to be found among
the Black Hills is brought forward, and
parties are forming to explore the coun-
tro as soon as the spring fairly sets in.
But there is --- ........r
ANOTHER SIDE TO THE STORY,
and people who claim to be well in
formed say that the accounts circulat-
ed in regard to the riches of the coun-
try are greatly exaggerated, while others
deny the existence of gold at all in
paying quantities. An expedition
which is fitting out in Sioux City pro
poses to explore this new Ophir thor
oughly, without regard to the restric-
items imposed by the government in
relation to lntrusions upon Indian ter
ritory, which design, if not interfered
with, will be likely to provoke hostili-
ties with the Indians who occupy the
lands where the gold and silver depos
It's are said to exist, some of which are
within the limits of government reser-
vations. The weight of testimony sp-
pears to be in favor of the existence OF
the precious metals in the Black Hill
regions but from present appearances
persons having a special desire to main
tain the integrity of their scalps will
do well to hesitate about joining any