Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-09-16
THE LAND or GOLD,
DISCOVERY OF THE PRECIOUS METAL IN
THE BLACK HILLS.

The reported discovery OF gold III
the Black Hills by Clusters expedition
is occasioning great excitement along
the Upper Missouri, especially in the
vicinity OF Bismarck, where the cxis-
tcnce of rich mines In the Black Hills
has long been believed in. Although
the existence of precious metals in the
Black Hills Is now for thc first time
definitely announced to the world, the
fact has long been known to soldiers,
trappcrs, 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 an Indian from the
Black Hills visited Fort Laramie, bring
ing with him considerable quantity
of gold dust and number of
FINE NUGGETS.
SO many persons were anxious to
ret his gold that the Indian became
alarmed and threw il into the Platte
river. In 1866 Grow chief gave to
Major Burt, at Fort Phil Kearney, on
the Powder river, n spicula of pure
gold as thick and almost as long as q
Faber lead pencil. In the same year
soldiers found gold in many places along
Powder river Biz Horn, Clear Fork,
Piney. Goose. Wolf. Trout creeks and
Tongne ond fittle Horn rivers In
1sGI /, i related Mr. Rullocl n most
tradar ,hronah soma ,r;vote orrapge-
ment viii n Chief Of The Rlack HIS
established n trade in cold and got
600 Oo0 ont Of Tho Indians IN a short
time During 1860 two Indians fire.,
omentlr bronSbt c,old 10 tbc sa,.ts and
sold i Wren nre.sed IN discover
where tbev oh,a;ned n ,bev said Ger.
RVS Crcel. n Mace In the black Hills
obove For, I 'aram;e some white men
bribed these Indians 10 sbow them tbe
Mace and Tho nartv s,ar,ed ont Int
IN tbe nigbt tbe Indians deserted and
The white men had 10 return Two
| Indians now at milestone Agency
saw tbey know of a place In n creek
not far from Laramie where the he'd
Of the stream is lined with yellow shale
rock, filed with gold. The rock is so
rotten, they state, that they have often
picked out pieces of gold with their
butcher knives. 1t is well known
fact that several years ago an Indian
brought into Fort Laramie about a
quart of rotten shale rock tied up in q
dirty cloth, and upon examination il
was found to contain over szoo worth
OF gold, lie would not tell where he
got 1t, but the shale showed water
marks and had evidently been dug
irom the bottom OF a stream.
THE BIG HORN EXPEDITION.
In January, 1870, the famous iBig
Horn Gold Searching Expedition" was
organized. Fully 500persons enrolled,
but less than l5O started Your cor
respondent saw this expedition at Fort
Steele, Wyoming Territory, June, 1870,
and It was thoroughly provisioned,
equipped, and provided with every
means of locomotion and defence. 1t
became the subject Of Congressional
action, and determined effort was
made to abrogate the Sioux treaty of
1866, that it might march through
Red Clouds lanes The iovernment
warned the leaders OF the expedltion
that y would DC unlawful ior tnem 70
pursue 'he rou,e ,;, .ney nau ln marsea n''s 1u. %
put ,he eNpeo,tlon starred, anu lla9
marcneo over 9ov miles wnen ueneral .n,'.'
hugep or9rrco nus cay"lry 70 Pulsuo P
70 70, retr,3 s Thev were oyerbsuled on ON
cra, RnIl ,;rar . t,;hntary Of the Rio
Horn & and d;stant aboni o5o miles
north & &c R,van Station ON tbo Union
poo;ao pa;lroaJ same of tha oynlor'
ers s''a nnsbcJ on through tn Montana and
came ont at Fort Fills but the body
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