Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-04-04
THE DAKOTA GOLD FIELDS.
interesting Accounts from the Black
Hills OF Dakota-Th Indians Pan
ming Out 500 "a Day in Nuggets.

hsp- ~ Fs""
There is great excitement prevailing
in Iowa and the surrounding region in
consequence 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 a 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 n~eighborhood of
the mountains known as the Black
treasures was well known to the In
1ians, who took great care to conceal
their locality from the whites, lest the
knowledge of their existence should at
trac. a tide of emigration which would
overwhelm the aborigines in it's course
II BLACK HILLS
lie between the 43d and 45th degrees
of latitude and the 103d and 105th 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 {, 200
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 so miles above Fort Pierre. The
hills contain an immense supply of
timber, and the climate is so mild that
as early as the 9th of March flowers
have been seen growing IN the foot
hills of the mountains, while the green
grass at the same time was sprlnglpg
up everywhere, and the antelopes We're
to be seen summing themselves in iocks
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 certainthat
BANDS OF HOSTILE INDIANS
are equally plentiful. The last named
fact appears to present the principal
disadvantage of the Black Hills rs a
field for explorers. The limited ex-
plorations hat have been made under
the control of government in this di-
%rection confirm the probability of its
rocks and rivers containing metallic de
posts of great value. And from many
sources stories come from persons who
have seen with their own eyes rich
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 Fatherde Smit, aJesuit
,...-.,-,. ,,f,rp,,l I,1s, ID,nt,, Hat
COL BY III 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 (Dakcta) Courier says that Mr..
Girls, Thompson of Richland, with sew
enteeu others. during n recent trip
through the Black Hill country, saw in
the hands of Indians of various tribes
nuggets of pure gold, ome of them
two inches IN length, and as thick as a
mans thumb. The Sioux City Uowa)
Times saws that Mt the present time
Mr.. pease, Indian Agent for the Crow
Indians, is in Washington for the pur-
pose of either getting a supplementary
treaty with the Indians. by
which they viii 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 Is to 100 OF his Indians working
on the Pryor creek, asmall stream that
empties into the Yellowstone river,
and that these Indians, with no other
utensils than an ordinary pan. shovel,
and puck, take out each rs high as
oNE HUNDRED DOLLARS PER DAY
in nuggets from the bed of the stream.
In 1862 Mr.. John Goewev, Of Sioux
City, while acting as post trader ON the
Upper Missouri, fitted out a trusty In
dian to gather specimens and facts
ahout the Black Hill gold mines. The
Indian made frequent trips, and each
time came back laden with rich speci-
mems Of quartz and guich gold but
owing to the antipathy displayed by
the Indians, no white parties We're al
lowed 70 do any prospecting. Other
testimony in orrohorationof the wealth
OF mineral riches 10 be found among
the Black Hills is brought forward, and
parties are forming to explore the coun-
fro Ms soon rs the spring fairly sets IN.
Tut there Is
ANOTHER srpE TO THE STORY,
aud people who claim to be wei in
formed say that the accounts circnlat-
"a in regard to the riches Of the conn
Try ere greatly exaggerated, while others
deny the existence Of gold mt all iii