The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-03-16
THAT HAPPY LAND.


PAINTED.
A correspondent of the New York Herald
has seen the two men, Gordon and witcher,
who have returned from the Black Hills,
and thus writes to his paper: In February,
1872, Mr.. Charles Collins, editor of the Sioux
City Times, with three associates. organ
lied what is known as the " Black Hills
Mining and Exploring Expedition -
Previous to this Indians and halt
breeds had brought into the setLle-
ments numerous statements concerning
the finding of gold, silver and other metals
In abundance in the Black Hills country, but
nothing definite was known of it. Gen.
Clusters visit and report last summer gave
the firss definite information. and was con-
hrmed by trustworthy Indians to such an
extent as to at once fire public enthusiasm
Mr.. Collins has always had great faith in the
agricultural and mineral productIveness
OF the BLACK Hills country, and as early
as 1872 lobbied bill through the House
of Representatives authoriZing'the secretary
ofthe interior to treat for himself ar asso-
ciates with the Indians, and afterwards in
duced Mr.. Delano to publicly pledge him
self that es .soon as il was satisfactorily
demonstrated TO him that the Black HiIls
were not essential to the prosperity and
welfare OF the Indians, and that tEey were
rich in agricultural and mineral resources.
he would lend bis aid To having them
opened to white settlement. During
the months OF May, June and July Mr.
Collins and his associates put themselves
into communication with about 5. 600 lnen OF
different states, who expressed a desire to
go to the Black Hills, and last August Mr..
Collins went to Chicago and issued thou
sands OF circulars and letters answering the
numerous Inquiries about the scheme. Bv
the middle or that month he had enrolled
the names of
ELEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO WANTED TO GO
to the new Eldorado, These were sp-
pointed to rendezvous in Chicago on
August II, to take teams for Sioux City, and
to be ready to leave the latter place on the
25:h. Just then came the military order OF
General Sheridan, ordering all subordinate
commanders to stop. by all the military
power at their disposal, all expeditions
starting for the Black Hills, and TO pursue all
other parties that might go out in defiance
OF this order. burn their wagons and drive
them back. Mr.. Collins Immediately
changed his tactics, and, returning to Sioux
city, commenced organizing a secret eX-
petition. He gave out publicly that the
scheme had failed, but. 10 lew determined
spirits, wrote that a secret expedition was
being organized that would go through OF
all hazards, After much delay the expedi-
ton was completely organized and broke
camp near Sioux City, and on the 18th oi
last October started for the Black Hills with
the ominOus words "O'Neiil Colony''
painted on the wagon covers. Your read
rs are probably aware that General O'Neill,
OF Fenian fame, is organizing colonies in
Northern Nebraska, and the gallant lit le
band thus threw suspicion away from
their real object. The expedition
numbered twenty nine persons. in
lalT1 nlF0sr 1C.lxr II I'll
lent, OF Sioux City, and her son. aged ten
years. These two merely intended to go as
far as the Nksbrara settlement, where they
had friends; but upon arriving there, failing
| tO tind the friends, determined to 90 through
We may remark here that both lady and boy
stood the wonderful journey bravely, and
are more robust and in better health than
when they started. All the above number
made the journey with the exception OF one
who took sick before setting ont of the set.
Elements, and another who
DIED OF DYsENTRY.
The company was composed OF persons from
seven different states. John Gordon, O
Sioux City, was chosen commander. On h,
9th of last month Mr.. Gordon and Mr.. I'd
ward Wi.cher, of Sioux City, returned, anC
from them, and from letters which they
brought from other members of the expedi
| ton, we are enabled to give the readers o
the Herald the following information: Aftel
camp, as above stated, tire company pro
ceeded to Norfolk, in the Elkhorr
70 miles, where they diverged to th,
northwest, following the United States.Sur
veyOr's trail to the Niobrara. The weathe
| being unfsvorable they encamped on tho
banks Of that stream, where they remained
five days. during which time two of th'
party crossed the stream on a scout to see
the coast was clear. The train then fordeC
in northeasterly course, crossing Colone
Sawyer's ford, near the head OF the Keya
paha. TLey continued the route in tht
same direction, crossing both fork!
of White Earth river, thence Travelled
many weary miles on the valley of BaC
river. There, in the latter part of Novem
| Der, Morris AsronS, Jew from San Fran
cisco, died and was buried. On the lst o
December, from high butte on divide be
| tween Bad river and the south fork of til,
Cheyenne, the long promised land, the new
Eldorado, the Black Hills, was discovered
| They could be seen stretched out like Ions
line Of blue clouds, and, to the northwest
Bear Butte stood out in bold relief agains
the sky. More TO this southwark could 10
seen what the company suppose,
to be Harney's Peak. The spirits of th
party rose high at this discovery, and on th
oth luty S-fucA tne lfbll on Wnicn CuSLe
made his exit from the hills. They followed
this trail in all its resnderiug for abOu
seventy-five miles ia a southerIy direction
and on the 2Sth of December reached thei
destination in Casters Park. The compan,
immediately commenced erecting stock
ade, eighty feet square, inside of which the,
built number OF log cabins, and were
thus protected alike from the weather an,
the Indians. Mr.. Gordon says that afte
erecting quarters they commenced to pros
pect, though necessarily on small scale.
| THEY FOUND GOLD,
just as Custer had stated. from grass root
and bed rock. Previous to erecting thei
quarters the frost was only a few inches be
low the surface, but by the time they wer
completed, early In January, the frost wa
from one to three feet deep. Gold was founS
as high as fifteen cents to the pan, and olt
miners confidently state that with sluice
from $40 to $25 could easily bs made. II