The New York herald., 1874-08-31
THE LAND OF GOLD
Discovery Of the Precious Metal
in the Black Hills.
TRADITIONS OF ITS EXISTENCE.
An Immense Central Deposit
Yet Unearthed.
ROCKY MOUNTAINS. August q

The reported discovery OF gold in the Black Hills
by Custer's expedition is occasloning great ex-
citemept along the Upper Missouri especially IN
the vicinity OF Bismarck, where the existence OF
rich mines in the Black Hills has long been be-
lieved in. Although the existence of precious
metals IN the Black Hills is now for the first time
definitely announced to the world the fact has
long been known to soldiers, trappers. guides and
hunters. Our army officers have frequently spoken
OF them and exhibited specimens OF gold brought
into the forts by Indians. AS early as 1862 In
dian from the Black Hills visited Fort Laramie,
bringing with him considerable quantity OF gold
dust and number Of
FINE NUGGETS.
So many persons were anxious to get his gold
that the Indian became alarmed and threw 1t into
the Platte River In 1866 Crow chiel gave to Major
Burt, at Fort Phil Kearny, on the Powder River,
a spcula OF pure gold as thick and almost as long
as Faber lead pencil In the same year soldiers
found gold In many places along Powder River,
Big Horn, Clear Fork Piney, Goose, WolL Trout
Greeks and Tongue and Little Horn rivers. In
1864, it Is related, Mr.. Bullock, post trader,
through some private arrangement with a chief
OF the Black Hills, established trade in gold ana
got $4,000 out OF the Indians in q short
time During 1869 two Indians frequently
brought gold TO the forts and sold it, When
pressed to discover where they obtained it they
said Gerry's Creek place in the Black Hills,
above Fort Laramie. Some white men bribed
these Indians TO show them the place, and the
party started out, but in the night the Indians
deserted ana the white men had to return. Two
Indians, now at milestone Agency, say they
know OF place in a creek, not far from Laramie,
where the bed or the stream is lined with yellow
shale rock, filled with gold, The rock is rotten,
they state that they have often picked pieces of
fact that several years ago an Indian brought into
Fort Laramie about quart OF rotten snale rock
tied up in dirty cloth, and upon examination it
was found to contain over 5000 worth OF gold. He
would not tell where he got IT, but the shale showed
bottom Of a stream.
THE BIG HORN EXPEDITION.
In IN January, ls1o, the famous "Blg Horn Gold
persons enrolled, but less than $50 started. Your
correspondent saw this expedition az Fort Steele.
Oughly provisOned, equipped and provided with
every means of iocomotion and defence. 1t be-
and Effort Was @aae so aS
rogate the Sioux treaty OF 1885, that 1t
might march through Red Clouds lands. The
government warned the leaders OF the expedition
that 1t would be unlawful for them to pursue the
route they had marked out but the expedition
started, and had marched over $50 miles when
General Anger ordered his cavalry to pursue the
"Big Horners'' and compel them to return They
Of the Big Horn and distant about s5o miles north
Of Bryan station, on the Union Pacific Railroad.
Some OF the explorers pushed on through to Mon.
tana and came out at Fort Ellis, but the body Of
the expedition returned with the troops TO Fort
Brown, in the Wind River valley, ana marched
banded. The exploration produced great excite
ment IN the West at the time and came near caus-
RErICENCg OF THE INDIANS
1t Is almost Impossible to get Indians to tell OF
the existence OF gold in their country, and it is
rarely they can be scared or briDed into showing
white men where 1t is to be iound. OLD john for
a bottle OF whskey, discovered the White Pine
mines to Captain Collier, and Natty Gamo, for a
keg of the same stun, showed white men the
Sweetwater gold mines, but these are isolated in
Father De Slnet, who spent most Of his life among
the wild Indian tribes OF the West told the Sioux
Ii the white men found out there gold in their
country they would come, drive out the game and
take possession Of the land. The Father
seemed to have very high opinion of Yankee en-
pale aces love gold that to possess 1t they Will Kill
one another cross mountains and rivers-yea. go
through IRE and risk Their souls salvation or sell
Indians have remembered the teachings OF the
old priest, and not one of them to this day
Will show white man where there are gold or
silver mlnes In some tribes 1t Is made
A PENALTY OF DEATH
TO discover the presence OF precious metals and
no Indian could live If through any act OF his a
horde OF miners were brought into coun-
try belonging 10 the Indians. His tribe would
gold exist in the Black HIS there is not doubt,
and that 1t win soon be found and suoservient
W tut Wallis anu cohVenlences oi man Is equally
certain. Professor AgassiZ declared that there
were only tnree great deposits OF gold in the
world-One in Africa, one in Australia and the
other somewhere in the basin OF the Rocky Noun
tains. James Garder Austin said Zone day such
vast quantities OF gold Will be found In the Rocky
Mountains OF America as almost TO shake the value
Of that most precious OF all metals" have been
In the Rocky Mountain country since 1865, and ali
my experience goes to convince me that the mines
OF Montana, Nevada, Utah and wyoming are but
THE OUTLYING SPURS
OF great central deposit. Just where it will be
l0und OF course IL Is impossible 10 tell but be-
lleve 1t exists either along the base OF Big Horn
Mountains or In the Black Hills and II In the
Black Hills Custer would be as likely to strike IL
as any one. The Rocky. Mountains proper have
been pretty thoroughly explored and so have their
outlying branches, except the Big Horn and Black
HIS In the explored regions no great deposit
OIL gold has been found, and in one OF the two
small unexplored tracts Custer now Is with his
column.