The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-08-31
Tne New Gold Region.
now AND WHERE GOLD WAS FOUND.

b,.ne who accompanied General Clusters ex
petition through the Black Hills couatry
gives the following account OF the disco
livery of the gold region:
THE FIRST GOLD.
Here, on the Goth of july. we found also
the first good evidences of quartz rock. Our
mise Of the geologist. They began to pro.
spect here. but did not find the glittering
encouragement they sought The disco.
very further on of large quantities oil
ieldspalhic and granite rock, and lodges OF
gold-hearing quartz, which, with alienation
! Of mica schist, replaced all other exposures,
set our miners TO work still more diligently.
What they most needed was not field but
an opportunity. The discovery OF gold was
not the prime object Of the expedition, and
the other interests Of the exploration could
not be entirely sacrificed to the incidental
one. Our marches were so long that after
getting into camp the miners had but little
time to search. However, they made good
: use Of their time. and worked with pa
tient and eommendable industry. The sight
Of collaborating quartz to an old miner kin
dies hopeful ardor which is not easily dis
couraged.
1 At last this hope and patience were more
tang!bly rewarded. On the 30th of July we
halted about noon in pleasant valley, with
10 ten miles OF Harney's Peak. One OF our
miners took his pm, went TO the stream. and
washed out pan or two of earth taken right
from the grass roots. There WAS gold there.
bat 1t was merely color, requiring careful
manipulation and an experienced eye to tiud
it. The fe" %llttering grains, with slight
residue of earth, were carefully wrapped up
ia RI hn
ner'S pOcket.book. 1t was simply an earn
est of what was to come. The discovery
announced created good deal of interest
ment, indeed, that the blooming exhuber-
ance of Floral Valley produced. Perhaps
many were still incredulous.
The next day the expedition remained in
camp. and the miners had chance TO renew
their search. The result was the discovery
Of Il good bar. yielding from five to seven
Cents per pan, which could easily be made TO
pay if water were more plentiful there. On
the succeeding day the expedition made q
march of but five miles, and found another
excellent camp, in which General Custer de-
cided 10 remain for four or five days. Ross
and Mckay, in literal sense, found this their
golden opportunity. Along the creek, run
ming down the valley, very good coloIS were
found in the loose dirt, none Of which were
| worth less than half cent a pan, and some
| worth three or four cents. A hole was then
sunk in i promising bar to the depth Of six
feet. Water intrudcd and embarrassed the
work, but the earth PANIED out as high as
ten cents. The miners were not able to reach
the bedrock on account of the water. An
examination OF the gulch for two or three
miles showed the existence Of Il succession ol
gold bars of equal, aud some perhaps OF
greater, value. Time proved insufficient,
however, to test them ali, or yet to de1ue the
limits Of the gold belt even in this special
locality.
VALUE OF THE GOLD YIELD.
To one unacquinted with the details and
methods of mining, the discovery OF gold
field yielding anywhere from eight to fifteen
cents a pan may not seem very valuable
discovery. 1t depends altogether, however,
on the con>tapcy and uniformity OF the yield,
and the facility with which it is worked
Many an old miner will prefer a digging
which yields ten cents Il pan TO one which
yields a dollar pan, and will justify his
preference 10y making ten times as much in
q Gay at the former as be or any one else
could make at the latter, the difference being
that in one place it is rock, and the soil is
4
the pans are easily filled.
| Where the soil permits, miner can shovel
into sluce 1000 pans day, which al ten
= cents pan would yield $50 TO the man.
This is considered a pretty rich yield. The
last pans taken out on Custer Gulch-for SO
the miners call it-averaged ten cents a pan,
but this was from the richer bars. The gen.
eral yield would average less. Mr.. Ross is
of the opinion, however, that the guch
where The hole was sunk would yield $50 8
day to the man, and in some places $40. AT
the upper bar of The creek there are not five
inches Of water. BY cutting across the
stream and putting in dam the miner could
then get to the bedrock without much
3 d tiicutv.
Thus far through we have found large
' quantities of quartz on the surface; no gold
bearing lodges have been found. Our miners
feel sanguiue, however, tha' they exist in the
hills, but they have neither had the time nor
the machinery to prosecute the search. For
miners CT small capital, placer-mines such as
those discovered offer tue most inducement
and are attended with the least risk. The
cost Of machinery and outfit of quartz mine
would not be less than $4,000. Fora placer
mine al! that is needed is pick, pan, spade,
and whip-saw. The sluice boxes are easily
made. Inc TeulliuueT vi TIC CApcHSt III
CURED is for personal outfit. 1t is usual fol
three or four miners TO club together, the di
vision of labor diminishing the expense anC
, increasing the profits.
EXTENT OF THE GOLD AREA.
It is hardly possible to speculate with &C
curacy on the extent of the gold heid. A
already remarked, our miners have haT ne
such opportunity to explore as would have
been afforded were the country free from In
dams and the time Of the expedition les!
limited. Many valleys lying at right angles
to or running parallel with the course OF TIT
expedition were left unnotced, though ap
parently as favorable for prospecting as Gus
ter Gulch. In the latter place, so far as tested
the gold section had All extent of ttteeI
miles, running some eight or nine miles be
low camp and about five miles above. In
stretch Of about ten miles along the creet
our miners report nearly hundred bars, II
some places three or four bars to the mile, IL
others eight or ten. These bars were not al
prospected," and those tested were not UNI
form in yield.
| INTRUDERs WARNED OFF.
i Chicago, August 2S.-Lieutenant-Genera
Sheridan has issued an order notifying par
: ties now reported organizing at yarlou
points on the border to visit the Black Hll
in search Of gold that they will not be per
mi1ted to 90 unless under authority OF tn
Secretary of the Interior or of Congress
, Some efforts are reported as being made her'
IN organize an expedition for the Black Hlli