The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1875-03-04
THE BLACK HILLS.
Return Of Two Adventurous
Pioneers from that
Region.
A Glowing Account of Its
Golden Attractions.
ABUNDANCE or PRFCIOTs MET
l. AND No INDIANS.

especial Dispatch to The Chicago Thsunel
The Sioux City JowmaE has II
special dispatch from Nankton to-
night, with the following Black Hills
news: Eph Witcher, a weil.known
and respected citizen Of Sioux City,
and a member OF the Collins and
Russell Sioux City Black Hills expe-
dition, arrived in Yankton to-day,
direct from the Black Hills. Mr..
Witcher rep1rs having, in company
with John Gordon, another member
of the expedition left his companions
at the stOCkudu of the expedition.
within two miles of IIarncy's Peak,
on Box Elder Creek, on the 3d INST.
Mr.. Whether gives the following in
formation phe-eXPCdition vas com
posed of twcnty-seven men, one lady
Mrs. Tallant-and her son,-in all
twenty-nine persons. The party had
six wagons, were well armed and
some Of them mounted, and had ak
months supply Of provisions and
mining tools. q The expedition left
Sioux City on the 9th of October,
struck the Niobrara River about 40
miles above its mouth; followed the
kttcr stream for some distance, and
then struck acHSs tho country to II
point southeast of the Black Hills on
the Cheyenne River; me u party of
about 263 mounted Indians five of
the latter held n parlPy with the
members Of ths expedition.
NO TROrBLE WAS ENCOUNTERED
with them. After reaching an APP
parently feasible pass at the foot Of
the hills they struck into the noun
tains, and after picking their way
reached a point within two miles Of
Harney's Peak in fifteen days from
the date Of thsir sntry into the hills,
on Box Elder Creek, on the 23rd of
December, where they Immediately
erected a stockadc, eighty feet long,
within which they put up comfort
able log cabins from the timber,
which was found IN abundance. They
commenced prospectingimmediuteIy,
but were greatly impeded by the
cold weather; sunk twenty-five pros
pcct holes, and
STRUCK GOLD IN EVERY INSTANCE
From the gra~S To- the bed rock they
found numerous gold and silver bear
ing quartz lodes. The silver spcci-
mems which Mr.. Whether has brought
back with him are pronounced i'm
mensely rich. The party never have
seen an Indian while in the hills.
Ar. WitCher describes such portion
of the Black Hills as they have seer
as having magnificent valleys, SEEM
ingIy limitlesS forests of pine, and an
abundance of elk, deer and other
game. lie and his companions left
the hill in a TO- storm, and desiring
to keep in the timber on their return,
made direct for the NiObrara River,
mouth, and from thence to Yankton.
The greater portion of their return
trip was made through snow. drifts
over a trackIeSs country at "a season
remarkable for its extreme cold and
storms. They had two riding ami
mails and one pack hoIse. At night
they
DUG HOLES IN SNOW,
and, wrapping themselves in their
blankets, took rest. Coming out of
the hills, Mr.. Witcher discovered
what has been named Witcher's Pass,
whereby to travel over a good,
natural wagon road the foot hills can
be reached, thus shortening their
exit out of the hills by thirteen days.
Their animals existed by paving the
SNOW off the grass, often having to
60 through two feet of snow. Wit
cher says he can take loaded OK
teams into the hills from Sioux City
in thirty DAYS.