The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1875-12-31
RICHARD IRWIN ON THE BLACK HILLS.
An Interview with an Experienced Miner.

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upon Mr.. Irwin yesterday, at his
hotel, and obtained that gentleman's
consent to an Interview i'm regard { %
affairs on the Black Hills. Mr.. Irwin
l. AN experienced miner who has teen
engaged in mining in Colorado for
many years; he has made two visits
To The Black Hills. being the original
discOverer nf the y acer mines in what
Is ; known rs the Jenney mining
district, of which he WIS elected Re
enrder last summer, Mr. Irwin Is
now en- route to R.,-ita. Col, WHERE
he will spend II few weeks in winding
up his affairs, when he will return
to his claims in the Blnrk Hills.
We give the follow Ing verbatim re-
port Of the conversation between Mr..
Irwin and our reporter /:
II. Mr.. Irwin. you have been in
the Hills several months; can you
give the readers Of the LEADER an
idea in regard 10 the number of
miners now in the Hills and the
manner In which mining claims are
being located?
i. have spent seven months In
various sections OF The BlHrk Hills,
having accompanied Prof. Jrnuey in
his explorations, last summer. Our
party located the Jenney mining DIS
trict, and we have worked there TX.
c'usively. There are about three
hundred miners in our vicinity,
among them many Montana men;
new arrivals are noted dnily. Re-
organization and re-locatiun are the
order of the day. At a meeting held
In our district IL week ago, Claims not
represented by personal appearance
on the ground claimed, on ur before
the first OF january 1876. were de-
clared forfeited and open to re-loca-
tion.
r. What are the prospects in your
district, and what are the miners do
ing in other parts Of the Black Hills?
/. Considerable business is being
done in IL vicinity. john w. Allen,
our new Recorder, il taking out Que
dollar per hour, for every hand ut
work. As the evenings and morn
ings are frosty, they cannOt run
sluices over six hours per day.
Others are rocking out grub stakes"
aud opening their claims so as to be-
ready for "~dividends" in the early
Spring.
Castle Creek Is lively. Cabins are
going up and everybody is excited
over rich prospects Rapid Canon l.
located from head TO mouth, aud ten
cents to the pan is con iderrd II low
average prospect in the pay-strrak-
there. Parties Just Ia from Iron ami
Sand Creeks. on the north western
slope, report cold weather there and
everything frozen up they clrim to
have rich, -ha.lOw diggines in that
section and on the adjoining creeks.
in Crook County, Wyoming Terri
tory. ~ stampede is expected to
that portion of the Hills aus soon a.
Spring opens, AS il is generally nd
united To be the richest in placer aud
quartz mines yet discovered in the
Black Hills. Messrs. Mallory and
Porter from the Buckeye district, in
the Bear Lodge Range, arrived at
our camp recently. they claim 10 have
discovered very rich quartz, but say,
but little can he done in their placer
mines at present owing TO the cold
weather and the scarcity of water.
r. Which of the new settlements
is likely u bs the principal II in the
Black Hills ?
l. This can scarcely he determined
IT this early day. New towns ar,
growing up all around Us; Custer
City will soon be II second class burg.
Il she does not aspire 10 become the
i'adiug city of the Hills. The latest
candidate in the "Mr;ropolis" iine i,
Hilyo, 1r Hin City, at the Junction
OF the roads down Spring Creek, and
leading from Spring To Castle Greek.
1t is about sixteen miles farther in
the direction of the Hills than Custer
City, and in II very promising Local
ton; but time will soon determine
which town is to lead off.
r. Is there much snow in the Hills
or on the way?
l. There was no snow in the Hills
To amount To anything, when / left,
and | saw but lille Oh the plains on
the way out.
R. Did you meet many miners
going to the Hills?
L. | counted u hundred and forty