Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-08-19
THE NEW ELDORADO.
n Reliable Description OF the Black
Hfhs-EXtent OF Gold DeDOsttS.
The Com missioner of Indian Affairs tc


The Com missioner of Indian Affairs to-day
| received the following
CAMP ON SPRING CREEK, !
BLACK HILLS OF DAKOTA. July 81, 1875
| Hon. Ei.Udrd u. Smith, en- o. Intira Il Grirs:
SIR: In my Geographic dispatch dated
July 18th, briefly informed you OF the re-
suits OF my explorations in that portion OF
the Black Hills 10 the north and northeast OF
HaIney's Peak. In order to more rapidly
| explore the hills have divided my party,
| Mr.. Newton, geO.o5ist, going south from
french Creek, with the astronomer am
| toposrapher 10 map and explore the south
eIn portion of the country as far as the
Cheyenne river, a1d with the a ;siStauce Of
my miners, have prOSpectel the hills TO the
north, region hitherto UNEMPLOYED ami I'M
Known. ! found gold in placer deposits on
| both Spring and Rapid Creeks from their
/ head waters to the point where they emerge
! from Tire hills, and The more extended pros
| pecting and exploration show that in lOcali-
/ ties in the valleys of these streams the gravel
! baTS-eSpecially those of older formation,
| and elevated above the present level of the
streams-containg gold in quantities sufficien;
20 yield far remuneration TO. labor eco
! Ironically and Skiiltully applied. assisted
| by proper tools AMI mechanical appliances.
| AT least a moderate amount of capital or its
/ equivalent, and such a system OF working as
the experience Of twenty-five years has
/ taught the miners of he Pacific slope to en-
! plOy. Fortunately there is an abundance of
/ water in both these streams. with a goOi
| fdIl. and in most cases a rapid current.
| Spring creek will yield from 800 to 1000
| miners inches of water, according to the
| season; and Rapid creek at least twice that
/ amount And while the valuable placer de-
! poSits, as far a. discovered, are by no means
| rich or very extensive compared with those
| OF california, still there Is enough of the
| precious metal TO develop the country, aud
stock-raisins and agriculture viii DO the
/ rest
| out among the foot hills along the eastern
] slope of the Black Hills are large gravel de-
| posts, IN some places thirty-tive feet III
/ thickness often cemented by lime into
| haro COnglOmerate, and Gaping the high
! hills of juraSsic sandstone and rel bells.
| The decomposition OF this cOugIomerate has,
| in places, yielded the gold which it cOI
| casiOnal heavy rains down the dry gulcheS,
! and caught and concentrated in the crevices
| IL the lower sanastCneS OF the red beds.
These secondary deposits afford the ONLY
| " cTeviCiag' yet found in the Hills, aud may
| be worked during the spring months, when
| there Is no water towing out of the Hills IN
.IeaIly every stream on 10 the plains; but in
| the summer scarcely a single stream carries
| its water in an unbrOken crrrent To the
1 Cheyenne They ali, except perhaps Rapid
creek, sink in their beds on reaching the
| loot hills. Should these conglomerates be
| found TO contain gold in paying quantities,
| II wllI require the employment of capital TO
1 WORK them successfully. Several enormous
| lodges OF a mixture of slate ferruginOus
| quartz and quartZite cross the valleys of
| Spring and Rapid creeks, extending for miles
| III "a DCTtlIWesterly direction. the oxides of
| iron contained in the ledge have resulted
| from the decomposition Of iron pyrlfeS, and
/ ecmens of the quartz show occasionally
| visible particles of gold, and gives, on crash
| ing and banning, trace or "coiOr" OF the
| much sought for metal.
| 1t is remarkable that SO rev valuable min
| erals have been fOrnd in the hills, although
| the country is overrun by miners, and every
| thing in the shape of a rock in any way pecu-
! liar IN It's appearance is brought TO me for
| ideI tiiica ton, but have not as yet seen any
! mineral containing lead, copper or silver
only iron pyrites, iron o. es resulting from It's
| decomposition, misprickel, graphite, black
| tOurrnaline, rose quartz, garnets and stanrO-
| Tide as meteorological curiosities. In testing
| the deposits on Spring Creek / worked out a
| particularly rich spot, where an old channel
! had been cut across by the present bed of the
| creek, ard in ten hours work, with small
| sluice obtained hve-siXths OF an ounce OF
| gold, or about $3.50. The soldiers had pre-
| viouEly panned out OF the same place not less
\ than two ounces OF C arse gold, and on meas
| uring the amount OF gravel washed found
\ that the total yield was at the rate OF 81 per
| cubic yard, or about cents he an, as an
| average for the whole thickness OF the de-
pOSit. IT was truly said OF this region that
| there was gold in the ve4y roots of the grass,
| but 1t IS not the gold of the gravel bars or
| OlOgiSt, but the future solid wealth of the
\ Black Hills that Is TO be sought in the luxu-
rant growth Of fine grasses that everywhere
| spreads over this beautiful country.
| or tle Climate Of the Black Hills, tse Sc
| verify of the winter, the danger OF crops be-
| ing Injured by frOsts, and the agricultural
| De$I suited 10 Tue SOIL, Cai only
| judge by examining the fora OF the region.
1 Along the eastern slope. where the elevation
| is fIOm $500 feet TO 800 feet above the sea,
| the valleys are filled with fair growth OF
| burr oak, elm, hOrnbeam, wax elder, white
| birch, aspen and hazel. The conspicuous
! plants are The tiger lily, the poison ivy and
1 the Virginia creeper, grape vines, wild fax,
| hops and oats, while raspbeTries, black and
| red currants, gOoseberries, plumS, ST rawber-
| ries and service berries are: in places quite
| abundant, from which ! assume that the CHI
| mate is not more severe than that OF Maine
| or New Hampshire, where many OF the same
| plants grow and ripen their fruits, and that
| while the season is not long, oil hot
| enough for corn, yet wheat, oats, bar
| ley, fax. hops and potatoes would grow here
| luXuriaDtly. Free rainfall is quite remark
| able; scarcely day passes without a shower
| OF rain, though perhaps lasting only IL few
| minutes. Heavy rains, of long duration, only
| occasionally occur, but thunder storms are
| very prevalent. and numerous trees may be
| seen all over the HILL showing the marks OF
| lightning. The elevation above the sea
| makes the climate cool and healthy, while
| the heavy dews and frequent showers OF rain
| keeps the country arpeted with a luCuriant
| growth OF grass, always fresh and green.
| Very respectfully your Obedlent servant,
| WALTER p. JANNEY, r. N,
GeoiOgist Explorations Black Hills.