The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-09-18
THE NEW RADIO.
y Review OF Clusters Last Achievement
-The Exploration or the Black Hills.
How. the Scleme Originated, and How
IL Is Opening the Eyes Ofthe World.
The History of the Expedition.

q "And he gave it as his opinion,
. says Gulliv0r OF a man he met
) 'that whosoever could make TIVE
r ears of corn or two blades of gras,
\ to grow upon spot where only
one grew before, would deserve
better of mankind and do more es
sential service to his country than
the whole race of politicians put
, togethe." And this sentiment APP
plies exactly to a retrospective
glance at what has been and what
always will be known as Clusters
Black Hills Expedition" The
scheme was Clusters own, although
it had been suggested long ago,
and an exploration attempted fire.
quently. Congress made no ap-
preparation, but instead of giving
the army something of this sort to
do, sat in its halls and talked about
Production Bill" 1t was Gus
ter's enterprise that originated it,
and Clusters energy that carried it
out. When the Northern Pacific
Railroad was extended to Bis
marck, it became important that a
military post should be established
near that place for it's protection
from the Indians that haunt that
country, and the present site of
Fort Abraham Lincoln was fixed
upon. General George A. Custer,
who was in the Southern Terrific
ries at the time, was ordered with
his regiment, the Seventh Cavalry,
to garrison il, and his jealous eye
was Immediately fixed upon a new
field of conquest. That field he
has won-not easily, but bv that
indomitable energy that has char
acterized his whole brilliant mill
tary career. He could not GO in
to the Black Hills last season, for
he had to follow Stanley up the
Yellowstone; but no sooner was
he established on his return from
that campaign but he began to
urge
THE IMPORTANCE OF HIS SCHEME
upon his official superiors. Con-
gross was appealed to, but made
no response. The SECRETARY of
War was finally induced to allow a
reconnaissance, if it could be made
without expense to the govern
ment. In General Sheridan Gus
ter found a sympathizing supe-
rior, and urged upon him the nc
cessity of an exploration. But
Sheridan's hands were tied, for the
appropriations for his department
would allow no such expenditure.
Then Clusters ingenuity was call
ed into play, and he discovered a
method to meet all objections and
carry his scheme into play. He
calculated the expense of the ex-
petition, and much to the aston
ishment of his superiors, he an
nounced that he would make it,
and save the government money.
The estimate was suggested to |
General Sheridan, met his warm
approval, and the Black Hills Elk
ploration seemed a certainty. BY
the estimate it was shown that the |
government would save in forage |
more than enough to pay all the
expenses of the expedition, and |
have q balance of $13, 900! and sub |
sequent developments proved that |
General Custer had been mistak-
en- only in the amount Of the bal
ance, which was found on the re-
turn of the expedition to have been |
over $4,000. Thus the expedi- |
ton was, as General Custer claim
ed, a measure of economy in more
senses than one. The peace COM
missioners then had to be satisfied |
that Custer had not blood in his |
eye, and did not mean eXtermina-
ton; but a formal message was
sent to all the agencies announc-
ing the expedition, and stating
that the object was an entirely |
peaceful one. People claimed that |
the entrance of troops on to the
reservation was an aggression, and
objected on that score, but Gener-
al Custer showed them that the
treaty of '59 expressly provided
for an exploration and topograph-
ical survey of the Black Hills.
RESULTS OE HE hECOHNO1SANCEs
Finally all difficulties were over
come, all objections answered, and
the expedition moved on the I'd of
July. How it went and saw and
discovered has been duly told in
the columns Of the Inter- Ocean,
and it would be useless to-day to
review the march. The country
was found to be indescribably beau
tiful, and rich in all the gifts of
the Creator. There is gold there
in vast quantities, and the ground
has simply to be caressed to yield
up its treasures; there is iron, and
perhaps silver; gypsum in large
quantities, and timber sufficient
for all the uses the country may
suggest. There is plenty OF pure,
cold water, and the soil is as rich
as any on Gods footstool. AL
though the valleys are very mar
row, they are very rich, and the
agricultural attractions are such
as will tempt the best class of cit
liens.
SITE FOR A MILITARY POST.
1t was one of the duties of the
commanding officer and the corps
of engineers to select feasible
sight for the building of a militia
ry post, if such q protection should
ever be required. General Custer
made a careful survey with this
point in view, but will state in his
report that he found no location
within the limits of the hills that
would be adaptable; first, because
Of the extreme difficulty of enter
ing them, and secondly, because
there were no level places large
enough for the purpose which had
all the natural requirements. But,
however, he will advise 3 further
Investigation of the country near
Bear Butte, on the Belle Fourche
River, where he thinks a fit loca-
ton can be found. If ever the
country Is opened to settlement it
viii be absolutely necessary for the
establishment Of post, for the
nearest military station is over
two hundred and fifty miles away.
THE PROBABILITY OF SETTLEMENT.
To those who were in the hills,
it scarcely seems possible that they
should remain unoccupied long,
and since the results of the explor-
alton have been announced, the
feeling of the country, if what /
find here is an indication, is such
as to influence Congress to the alb
rogation of the reservation treaty
Immediately. We saw no indica-
! tons of its occupancy by the In