The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1875-05-27
GEN. CUsTEP's EXPEDITION

What Is Soon to be Done IL tho Black Hills
Country The Cove -nmeat Looking TO tie
Opening OF the Region TO settlement
Why its Hunting Grounds are Not Used By
the indians
"When / am not soldering" said Gen.
g. \. CuStar pleasantly, Yesterday, Il am
hunting" And he went on 10 recount an
adventure with a grizzly bear, winch he
shot six times through the body before kII-
ling him. "Do your men ever las-O & griz-
zly. General" inquired the reporter. NO,
sir" Was the reply, that was a yarn; no
body ever goes near a grizzly. The iron
tiersmen are afraid Of them. They are
very savage and very hard to kill, being
tenacious Of life even when MORALLY
wounded. They will often attack volunta-
rily and without provocation." The Cen
cral rides a grandson of Lexington when
hunting, and is an admirer Of thoroughbred
stock He owns the well known racer
Fucgtown, that has the hest recorded time
mile and three-quarters, and the best al
three miles ever made in Kentucky. He
keeps two packs OF hounds, one a sight
pack, and the other Of fox hounds, which
he had from Price McGrath, the well known
Kentucky sportsman, owner Of Tom Bowl
ing.
The General, who is organizing another
expedition TO the Black Hills, will stay in
. New York only few days longer. No one
but the accredited officers and agents OF the
Government can he permitted to accompa-
ny the troops, and the General does not
himself know who Is TO he the scientific and
civil members Of the party. They are 10
Join him in Washington. The object Of
the expedition i TO examine and develop
the resources OF the Black Hills region
thoroughly, especially Its mineral resources,
with 4 view To- determining the advisabilIty
of removing the indians and opening the
country TO settlement by the whites. The
Indians are willing enough to dispose OF
their claim, the General thinks, because
they know the difficulty they will have in
keeping the white gold-seekers out Of their
reservations.
The Government agents are getting to-
gether the chiefs, intending to take them TO
Washington and the General has no doubt
that these Indians will gladly negotiate
with the Government The Indians make
little Use Of the country, although il is full
OF game. They are deferred by supersti-
ton from living in il, imagining it to he
haunted by evil spirits.
The Black Hills country is described by
Gen. Custar as broken, wild, and pictures
que. cliffs and canons alternate, and the
green and fertile valleys are intersected by
numerous streams of pure water. The for
est growth is in parts very dense. Wagon
roads had 10 lie cut or as the General ex-
pressed it, "mowed out" for miles by the
axemen. The Indian guides told him be-
fore he started on the last expedition that
he could not possibly get through the
country with wagons; and he started with
the intention Of going as far with the wag-
Ons as possible, and then taking TO horse
back. lie was, however, able to retain his
{ wagons all the time. Besides having TO
'mow out" the roads through the dense
timber at certain points, the General had
10 let his wagons down the face of the
cliffs with ropes, two hundred men hanging
u rope.
As 10 gold, the General could make no
thorough examination on account of the
limited time 10 which he was held by his
orders. lie was therefore careful in his
official report not 10 oyerestimate actual
results obtained but Judging from his
personal observation and from such expe-
rimental washings were made, he thinks
there is a large amount Of gold in the coun- |
try, and some silver. The agricultural val |
ne of the country is considerable, although |
that has not been thought of vet.
The government strictly iorbds the en- |
croachment OF whites upon the reservation |
until the Indians give it up, and it will be |
madness for any person to undertake the |
toll and hazard OF settling in this wild re
gion until the officers and scientists 10 whom |
this expedition is intrusted reported upon |
the resources and general features of the |
country.