The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-09-17
More about the Black Hills.

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Mr.. iW.. H. Root, until recently upon
the prospecting staff of Prof. Jenney in
the Black Hills, was interviewed on the
9Th inst. BY reporter Of the Chicago
inter- Ocean. We copy from the report
as follows:
Mr.. Root. The gold, instead Of being
deposited as in California, seems to be
disseminated between The silicious soils
Of the country, which are very wide, and
partake Of the character of reefs, which,
however, do not take the character of
rock, bat are part and parcel of the strata
and the rock rather than Of veins.
Reporter. How does this soil pan out?
Mr.. r. 1t varies from Is cents to 81
per cubic yard In some places the
yield would be very much more, but the
quantity of land available for mining pur.
poses is limited. The grade in places. is
so slight that the land, which otherwise
would be very valuable, is not available
for mining purposes.
| R. What is the general geological for
nation Of the country?
Mr.. R. 1t might be termed an island
80 or 40 miles in area, composed of felds-
pathic granite, gneiss, chlorite, silicous
and ferrugihous states, which, in ages
past, have been formed at different angles.
From. the Potsdam sandstone each sue
cessive stratum or period in its regular
order to the crctaceous is found, increas.
ing the area to sixty or eighty miles. The
whole forms complete book of geology,
with every chapter and leaf in place, and
the silent witnesses of past ages, the fos-
sils Of the different periods abounding in
their respective bells. The 'ferruginous
and silicious states, quartz, ETC., Of the
hills contain gold. By glacial action, ma
ture's quartz mills, deer and heavy cut
tings or ravines have been formed, miles
in extent, and from 20 to 600 and 700 feet
in depth. That slow and heavy glacial
action has worn out all the softest rocks
in it's course. washing the debris away,
and leaving in the present beds
of the streams the rounded and
well-worn quartz, gravel and bould-
ers, together with the gold that the
disintregation of the quartz and slate has
set free. These glaciers in sweeping
across thirty miles Of slate fields, or
source Of supply, and encountering the
sandstone, red beds, and limestone for
nations, have added to these deposits
ten or twenty parts of material contain.
ing no gold, and the whole has been
swept off on the plains in such general
diffusion that much Of the gold is lost to
the miner, and only the short field of
slate and granite, with gravel remaining,
is at the disposal of the miner. or these
streams, French Creek, with it's branches
in the limestone and cutting down through
the granite and gneiss, running castcrly,
it's present bed, is covered with a we'll
worn hard quartz gravel from three to
ten feet in depth, aud from so to 500 feet
ia width, including bars Of gravel elevated
from ten to fifty feet.
r. What is the grade of this part of
the country?
l Mr.. R. Six miles has grade of forty
feet per mile.
R. Is much gold found here?
Mr.. R. Much of the gravel contains
from 25 cents to $l.50 per cubic yard in
fine gold. The largest piece yet found
was worth about 81. This gold is Of a
quality easily saved, and the gravel is
readily washed, though the lack of water
and the grade for sluicing will ever be a
drawback to the getting Of these depos-
ito. Modern appliances and resolute
hands will do much to overcome these OBJ.
stacles, and many of the bars on French
Creek may be made rcmunerative.
R. What is your opinion of the other
parts of the country you visited?
Mr.. r. About ten miles down French
Creek VIC struck Spring Creek, which
crosses French Creek at the northeast.
A large portion Of French Greek is held
by miners. 1t has slate bottom, and
here there arc much better prospects,
with more water ard better facilities for
working. North Of that again are Cas-
tie and Rapid creeks. Castle Creek is
the south fork of Rapid Creek, the upper
end Of which is being located by miners.
and probably more work has been done
upon it by miners than upon any other
creek. The miners very reluctantly took
the order Of General Crook 10 vacate
their claims. Professor Jcnney is
now making further explorations for
mineral at Box Elder and Belle Forrchc.
Upon leaving these places he will make a
circle northward and eastward, and will
then swing round to the northeast, and
finally make the Spotted Tail and Red
Cloud agencies. He will probably reach
Fort Laramie about the 10th or middle
of next month.
R. How many miners arc in the Black
Hills now?
Mr.. r. There were probably 200 to
25O at one time in the hills, but they
have now all left, in accordance with the
order Of General Crooks, issued on the
18th oc last month. No miners we're
seen there when came out, which was
prior to the Goth.
R. Of course there is considerable dan
ger to be apprehended from hostile In
dians?
Mr.. R. During the summer no attacks
have been made on the miners. In fact,
no Indians were seen, and there was
very little sign Of there having been there
during the entire season. There are
signs Of old camps, showing that Indians
had been there the year before, but there
is nothing to prove that there have been
, any there this year.
! h. Do you consider that gold mining
in the Black Hills would prove lucrative !!
Mr.: R. A very large portion Of the
ground could be worked proiitably by
miners, but think in future years that
gold mining will be dropped, and the mi.