New-York tribune., 1874-08-28
PROMISING SURFACE YIELD.

Secretary OF the Interior or Congress.
K. {. DRUM, Assistant Adjutant General.
A PROMISING SURFACE YIELD.
BIOLOGISTS AND MINERS LOOKING FOR SIGNS IN
THE RoCKs-FiNDING THE FIRST GoLD-RIcH-
NESS AND EXTENT GOLD AREA-NO
GOLD-BEARING LEDGEs FOUND--A GOoD-sIZED
CLAIM sTAKED OUT NOTWITHSTANDING THE
TREATY-ADvICE TO ADVENTURES
[FRoM THE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBuSE.I
BLACK HILLS, Aug. 1O.-lf Charles Reynolds the
bold and experienced hunter who at the risk OF his
life undertook to carry dispatches from the Exped-
tion to Fort Laramie, arrived there in safety, you
have before this been informed by telegraph Of the
discovery of gold in the Black Hills. The Indian
couriers who take this letter will carry additional
dispatches A more circumstantial account have
reserved for the mail.
1t was wise forethought which induced Gen.
Custer to secure, in addition to the scientific corps
appointed by the Department, the services of two
skilled and experienced miners, who should supple
ment the accurate geological survey of Prof Winch
ell by minute and special research for valuable
minerals. The men selected for this purpose were
H. n Ross and w. T. Mckay of Bismarck, Dakota,
who as prospectOrs and practical miners had served
a long apprenticeship in California Montana. and
Nevada. They provided their own team, wagon,
and mining outfit, and had liberty TO prospect
wherever they chose on the route OF the Expedition.
The result OF their labors has justified tins fore"
sight aud converted ghttering fable into a glitter
ing fact. The hints and surmises of geology have
been tested and proved by the pick, pan, and
scales
As we left the Heenga- Ya-Kara and entered Floral
Valley we left the jurassc age with its flaming red
walls, aud came suddenly upon calcareous chapter
of the carboniferous age, in tables OF stone which
10 thaf frnaf al
left lying on the older beds beneath Between these
two beds, thinks the Professor-the one OF broken
carboniferous limestone, the other limestone of the
upper siluran-a volume has been left out OF tho
geological record. The whole devonian period.
with its coral fern and ganoid chronicles, is miss
ing. The history of a great age has in some way
dropped out-more likely il was not stitched IN at
the bndery. leave tue solution to the geoogists.
Below this neither lmestone-which, by the way,
would make a very good quicklime and fine build
ing stone-was hard sandstone OF still earlier
repute As we proceeded up the valley ana reached
higher attitudes the geological formation perslss-
entity became older. The discovery OF some Lnglua
flags identified the Potsdam sandstone-the LinGula
being the name of a small shell peculiar to this
formation. Stratifed rocks with their included
fossils then gave place to metamorphic rocks, which,
if less communicative to our geologists, were more
communicative to our miners. Huge masses OF mica
scbist protruded from the hills. inclined at an angle
of 45 degrees showing the effect OF the great up
heayal which produced the Black Hills.
THE FIRST GOLD
Here. on the Goth of July the day of orr little In
dian excitement, we found also the first good evi-
dence of quartz rock. Our miners experience
chmed in with the surnise of the geologlst Ihey
began to prospect here, but aid not find the ghter-
ing announcement they sought. The discovery
furtber ON of large quantities of feldspathc and
granitic rock, and ledges of gold-beaTng 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 vas not
the prime object of the expedition. and the other
interests of the exploration could not be entirely
sacrificed to the incidental one. Oar marches were
SO long that after getting into camp, the miners bad
hut little time to search However they made good
use of their time and worked with a patient and
commendable industry. The sight OF eod-bearing
ouarfz TO an old miner kindles hopeful ardor which
is not easily discouraged.
At last this hope and patience were more tangby
rewarded. On the Both of July we halted about
noon in pleasant valley. within 10 miles or Har-
news Peak. One of our miners took his pan, went
TO the stream aad washed out pan or two Ok earth
taken right from the grass roots. There was gold
there. but it was merely color, requiring careful
and an experienced eye TO find It.
The few glitterng grains. with slight residue OK
earth were carefully wrapped in small piece Of
paper and put In the miners pocketbook. 1t was
simply an earnest of what was to come. The dis
coyery announced created a good deal of interest
but little commotion. not half the excitement, in
deed, that the blooming exuberance of Floral VAL
ley produced. Perhaps many were still incredulous.
The next day the expedition remained IN camp.
aud the miners had chance to renew their search.
The result was the discovery of good BAR yielding
from FIVE to seven cents per pan which could easily
be made to nav if water more plentiful there.
On the succeeding dav the expedition made march
Of but five miles, aud found another excellent camp.
in which Gen. Custer decided to remain FOR four or
five days. Ross and Mckay, in literal sense,
found this sheir golden opportunity Along the
creek. running down the valley, very good colors
were found in the loose dirt, none Of which wero
worth less than half . cent o pan, and
some worth three or four cents. hole was then
sunk In promising bar TO the depth of six feet.
Water intruded and embarrassed the work but the
earth panned out high as ten cents. The miners
were not able to reach tho bed rock on account Of
the water. An examination Of the gulch for two or
three miles showed the existence Of succession Of
n a