Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-11-26
The Black Hills.


River, and occupy an area included be.
tween the 103d and 105th meridians of
longitude, and the 43d and 45th parallels
of latitude. They extend about 100 miles
in a northerly direction, with breadth of
from forty to sixty miles. The 104th me-
ridian. which is the boundary between
Wyoming and Dakota, passes through the
central portion of the hills, leaving the
greater area in the Territory Of Dakota.
That portion of the Black Hills which
may be designated as Harney's Peak Gold
Field is almost wholly in Dakota, and
extends about fifty miles north and south,
with an average breadth of nearly twenty
miles, covering an area of not less than
800 square miles. The valuable gold de-
posts, however, are found in the valleys
of the streams which drain that area, the
gold being derived from the disintegra-
ton of the quartz ledges, which are very
numerous in the rocks of that region.
The most extensive and valuable depos.
its of auriferous gravel discovered during
the past season were in the valleys of
Spring and Rapid Creeks and their trib-
utaries, where in almost every case the
gravel bars are very advantageOusly situ-
ated for working, and many natural cir
Cumstances contribute materially to tie
profitable extracting of the gold which
they contain. Timber of suitable size and
quantity for the construction of fumes
and sluices is abundant. The water sup
ply is in most localities ample and the
fall of the streams sufficiently great to en-
able the water to be readily carried above
the level Of even the more elevated bars
and deposits of gravel.
While as yet there have been discovered
in the Black Hills no deposits of gravel
sufficiently rich in gold to be profitably
worked in the primitive manner with pan
or rocker, yet there are many bars in the
Harney's Peak field, especially upon
Spring Creek, the forks of Castle and
Rapid Creeks and the valleys of those
mountain streams which, when skillfully
worked by gangs of miners with sluices,
will yield good return for the labor en-
ployed and the moderate capital required
to be invested. But little could be done
in single season in prospecting the
numerous segregated quartz veins of this
region, some of which undoubtedly con-
tain gold. | have procured abundant
samples for testing their value by assay.
The Bear Lodge gold field, situated in
the extreme northwestern portion of the
hills, is wholly in Wyoming, and entirely
separated from the Harvey Peak region.
1t does not exceed fifty square miles in
area. The gold deposits are small com
pared with those on Rapid Creek, and are
remarkable for the absence of quartz in
the gravel, the gold being derived from
the disintegration of feldspar, pOrphyry
carrying irregular masses of iron, and
manganese ores.
1t is difficult to determine the agricultu-
raj resources or climate of the Black Hills
by the observation of a single season, es-
pecially as | could gain but little informa-
ton respecting the severity of the winter
or the prevalence Of early and late frosts.
The Black Hills rise like an island from
an ocean OF grass covering treeless plains,
watered by occasional and scanty sup
plies of rain. The winds in passing over
these plains gather some moisture which
they part with as rain on being chilled by
contact with the colder and more elevated
region Of the central portions of the hills.
The result of this is the prevalence of fire.
quent, though not heavy, rain-falls, giving
to the hills most peculiar climate
There is scarcely day from May to Au-
gust without one or two showers, yet ow-
ing to the dryness of the atmosphere the
climate is found to be very healthy.
The area of land suitable for cultiva-
ton is, from the mountainous character
of the region, limited, as compared to the
vast area embraced in the hills, but the
soil along the stream, and in most of the
valleys, is deep and fertile, and will be
sufficient for the requirements of the
population which the hills will support as
stock raising community. | should
Judge from the observations which have
had the opportunity to make, that at least
one-twentieth of the 5000 square miles
embraced in the Black Hills may be fairly
described as arabic lands, and that among
these lands lying near the streams and
continuous through the hilly country are
large tracts of land forming the slopes ol
the hillsides, which, while not arabic, will
afford fine grazing, thus largely enhanc'
ing the vslue of lands to which they are
contiguous.
Among the rocky areas of the Harney's
Peak range and in the northern portion o.
the hills there are regions where the
grasses are comparatively wanting, bu
generally throughout the whole area o.
the hills luxuriant growth of the fines
grasses is to be found, even covering the
ground under the shade of the pine trees
On the elevated divides between the
streams the abundance and fine quality o
the grasses and the shelter afforded Il
stock by the densely-timbered slopes anC
deep valleys will make it region wei
adapted to stock-raising purposes.
The tiRber of the hills is variety o
pine known as yellow or heavy pine. Tit
grain of lhe wood is straight, rathel
coarse, splitting readily, and, where the
trees have escaped the action of fires ane
violent galeSA good straight logs, free fEdn
knots and ffbm forty to sixty fee9 il
length, and pm twelve to twenl foul
inches in diameter, can be oblaiffed II
abundance. SpSpce of good q tlity il
found among the canOns in ~ nterior
and white birch, * and elm medium
size among the hil on the stern slope
The water throua bout tho his is excel
lent in quality, 1bstlys8 srived from
springs among the n IS t, or the gran
itic, or the schistose Only in local
titles among the foot contaminateC
by alkali.
There was no eT found that tn
Indians ever lived hills, or eve
visited them, except - spring to Gu
lodge poles or occl 0nalH TO stop anI
hunt deer among Il Afoot.H Us while pass
ing from the agencies to ~ Upper Mis-
souri,, The only Feason adv ICED for thei
not living in the Hills is the Kfevalence o
severe thunder-storms and tne frequenc,
of trees being struck by lightning.
A LOUISVILLE man wants somebody I,
invent SONG kind of button-h hole tha
will stan0 the strain of candidate
finger. Ne wants metallic elactrica
button, ole, something that will IAake
candidhe feel as though he had Sbeel
strueR by nine kinds of lightning
FHE New STYLE OF SCHOOL, by Prof. w. p
$hes, Evanston, ILL.,, whore common. school
In the i.djy;d,.aI ~ 9,,.fsad of h, siSsss,
receives the approval OF business tuVn Anl
the best tVaeherb Neat term opens Dee, o,