Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-09-17

she packed her mammoth body into
a little wagon that was provided for
her and her straps" her dreams
were of gold mines, and "'ery thing
dats good on dis hyar earth, now l
low" She Went to the stream
when the strike was made, scratch
ed graOble," and staked out her claim
and she says she's coming here as
soon as anybody, "now, you h'ar
me-"
The miners traced up the creek
some distance, finding color at every
step, till the lead ran under high
quartz mountain. Subsequent n-
vestigation proved that there was "a
belt, thirty miles wide, IS near as
they could determine, running from
the southwest to the northeast, and
embracing all these quartz noun
tains, which we have looked at with
so much admiration for their ex-
terror beauty. Gold must be under
them, the miners say, and the min
eralogists add that it is strange if
there is not-3ut in such d shape we
cannot reach it. No facilities for
blasting or mining are at hand. We
have no powder, except what the lit
le brass cartridge shells hold, and the
earth will not unbosom itself to any
other power neither have we time
to make the application, for more
than half our time is gone and half
our rations used, and much of the
country to explore yet. But the ex-
petition has solved the mystery of
the Black Hills, and will carry back
the news that there is gold here, in
quantities as rich as were ever dream
ed of. The method to reach it is yet
to be provided. 1t is in the very
heart of the Sioux territory--in their
choicest hunting ground--and they
hold the land with as holy reverence
as the savage heart can feel. No
one can come here with any safety,
or with any legal right as long as
the treaties that now exist hold
good, and the wealth that we have
found must be for several years yet
under the ban.
An attempt to solve the Indian
question was made around camp
fire the other night, and conclave
shook hands together to look fate In
the face. 1t was company of rough
men men-the most of them-who
enjoy life on $13 month and rations,
bat they feel that this expedition
had in some dim wise opened a fu-
ture for them, and they saw reflected
in the gloss of that little gold dust
great possibilities, and great hopes
grew out of them for better things.
The result of this meeting around
campfire among cluster of wagons
was the formation of the Custer Park
Mining Company, to be s. working
organization from that day forward,
dividends to be paid annually until
further notice. The company was
duly formed according to the laws of
the United States and the territory
of Dakota, with authorized officers
and Board OF Directors, and notice
was posted on the inside of hard
tack box cover, out of the rain, and
placed on claim for some 4 700 feet,
divided among Fl claimants. And
thus was inaugurated the thinning
interests" of the Black Hills. Thus
were made, insignifeantIy, and lille.
gally, perhaps, the incipient efforts
toward the development of one of the
most rich and beautiful pieces of
Natures embroidery on Gods foot
stool.
A SOLDIERS TESTIMONY.
A report of General G.. A. Forsyth
to Lieutenant.General Sheridan, dat
ed the 18th of August, has the follow
ing
The two miners we have with us
tell me that they found "oolor" in
every pan of dirt they washed near
Harney's Peak that The diggings
there in Clusters Gulch will pay $40
per day now-that they only had
two or three days in which to pros.
pect, as we kept moving 80 fast /; but
that, in their opinion, when the east |
ern hills are rightly prospected, gold
will DO found there in abundance. |
am inclined to think so, for the very
roots Of the grass would pan five
cents to the pan, in our camp near
Harney's Peak.
GOLD LONG KNowETHERE-How TO 90.
The Inter- Ocean also publishes a
long interview, in Chicago, with
Charles Collins, of the Sioux City
Times, who has given much atten-
ton to the development of the re-
sources of the Black Hills country
for the last seven years, from which
we condense few paragraphs:
About seven years ago, / met
Father De Smet, a Roman Catholic
missionary, who was the great demi-
god of the Indians and the only
white man ever allowed by them to
go there. He had q carte blanche
to go any where in their territory,
from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
Whenever there were any difficulties
with the Indians he was always en-
ployed by the governments to bring
about settlement. From him got
my first ideas about the Black Hills.
| think it was in 1866 when I first
met him. l had heard there was
gold in the country, and as he had
Just come from the Black Hills, |
called upon him for information. In
answer to my inquiries, be said the
time would come when the country
would prove the richest in the world,
not excepting California. From his
relations with the Ipdians and re-
gard for them, he did not care to
publish all the facts he had obtained
respecting thecountry, knowing there
would be great rush of miners
after gold, which might possibly
lead 10 trouble with the Indians. /
asked him to give an idea of the To-
oality in which the gold was to be