The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-09-08

protruded from the hills, inclined at an angle
of As degrees, showing the effect Of the
great upheaval which produced the Black
Hills.
THE FIRST GOLD.
Here, on the 18th of July, the day of our
little Indian excitement, we found also the
first good evidence of quartz rock. Our
miners experience chimed in with the sur
mise of the geologist. They began to pros-
peel here, but did not find the glitter
ing encouragement they sought. The
discovery further on of large Quanti-
ties of feldspathic and granite rock,
and lodges of gold bearing quartz.
which, with alienation of mica schist, re-
placed 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 OBJ
Ject 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 mi
ners had but little time to search. However
they made good use of their time and
WORKED with patient and commendsble
industry. The sight of gold hearing quartz
to an old miner kindles hopeful arGor wnicn
is not easily discouraged. = l4st this hope
and patience were more tsnslbiy rewarded.
On the Both of July we halted about
noon in pleasant valley, within ten miles
OF Harney's Peak. One of our miners took
his pan, went to the stream and washed out
pan or two of earth taken right from the
grass roots. There was gold there, but it
was merely color, requiring careful ma
nlpulation and an experienced eve to find it.
Inc few glttering grains, with a slight
residue OF earth, were carefully wrapped
up In small piece of paper and put in
the miners pocketbook It was
n nf uhof 10 ha
discovery announced created a good deal of
interest but little commotion, not half the
excitement, indeed, that the blooming ex-
huberance of Floral Valley produced. Per-
hsps many were still incredulous.
The next day the expedition
remained Ia camp. and the miners
had chance to renew their search. The re-
suit was the discovery of a 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 march of but five
miles, and found another excellent camp,
In which Gen. Custer decided to remain for
four or five days. Ross and Mckay, in a
literal sense, found this their golden oppor.
tnnlty: Along the creek, running down
the valley,
VERY GOOD coLoRs
were found in the loose dirt, none of which
were worth less than half a cant a pan, and
some worth three or four cents. A hole was
then sunk in promising bar to the depth
of six feet. Water intruded and embarrassed
| the work; but the earth PANIED out as high
as ten cents. The miners were not able to
reach the bed rock on account of the water.
An examination of the gulch for
two or three miles showed the ex-
istence of q succession of gold bars
of equal and some perhaps of greater
value. Time proved insufficient, however;
10 test them all, or vet to define the limits
OF the gold belt even in this special locality.
To one unac4uainted with the details and
methods of mining the discovery of a gold
field yielding anywhere from eight to fifteen
cents to pan may not seem very valuable
discovery. 1t depends altogether, however,
on the constancy and uniformity of theyield,
and the facility with which it is worked.
Many an old miner will prefer digging
which yields ten cents pan to one which
yields dollar a pan, and will Justify his
preference by making ten times much in
a day at the former as he or any one else
could make at the latter, the difference being
that in one place il is rock, while in the other
the pans are easily filled.