The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-05-20
General Gustav.
Frcm the New York Sun, May ~

when I am not soldering" said Gen.
G. A. Custer pleasantly yesterday. Il
am hunting" And he went on to re-
count an adventure with grizzly bear.
which he shot six times through the body
before killing him. "Do your men ever
lasso a grizzly, General % inquired the
reporter. mo, SIR was the reply.
.'that is yarn; nobody ever goes near
grizzly. The frontiersmen are afraid Of
them. They are very savage, and very
hard to KILL. being tenacious of life even
when mortally wounded. They will often
attack voluntarily and without provoca-
tion.'' The General rides 4 grandson Of
Lexington when hunting, and is an adj
mirer of thoroughbred stock. He owns
the well.known racer Frogtown that
has the best recorded time at a mile and
three-quarters, and the best at three miles
ever made in Kentucky. He keeps two
packs of hounds, one a sight pack, and
the other Of fox hounds, which he had
from Price McGrath, the well-known
Kentucky sportsman. owner Of Tom Bow
ling.
The General who is organizing another
expedition to the Black Hills, will stay in
New York only two or three days longer.
No one but the accredited officers and
agents Of the Government can be permit.
ted to accompany the troops, and the
General does not himself know who are
to be the scientific and civil members Of
the party. They are to JOIN him in
Washington. The object of the expedi-
ton is to examine and develop the re-
sources of the Black Hills region thor
oughly, especially its mineral resources.
with . view to determining the advisable
ity of removing the Indians and opening
the country tc settlement by the whites.
The Indians are willing enough to dispose
Of their claim, the general thinks, because
they know the difficulty they will have in
keeping the white gold seekers out.
The government agents are getting 20.
gether the chiefs, intending to take them
to Washington; and the General has no
doubt that these Indians will gladly ne
gotiate With the government. The Indi-
ans make little use Of the country; al
though it is full Of game. They are
deferred by superstition from living in
it. Imagining it to be haunted by evil
spirits.
The Black Hills country is described
by Gen. Custer rs broken, wild and pic.
turesQue. Cliffs and canons alternate,
and the green and fertile valleys are in
tersected by numerous streams of p'.re
water. The forest growth is in parts
very dense. Wagon roads had to be cut.
or as the General expressed it, 'mowed
| OUT for miles by the axemen. The
Indian guides told him before he started
on the last expedition that he could not
possibly get through the country with
wagons, and he started with the intention
Of going with the wagons as tar as posi-
bic and then taking to horseback. He
was. however. able to retain his wagons
all the time. Besides having to ''mow
out" the roads through the dense tim
Der. at certain points the General had to
let his wagons down the face Of the cliffs
with ropes, two hundred men holding
to rope.
As to gold. the General could make NO
| thorough examination on account Of the
| limited time to which he was held by his
orders. He was therefore careful in his
official report not to overstate actual re
suits obtained: but judging from his per
sonal observation and from such expert
mental washings Is were made. he think:
there is large amount Of gold in thu
country, and some silver. The agricul
tural value Of the country is considers
BILE. although that has not been though
Of yet.
! The government strictly forhids tn.
encroachment Of whites upon the reser
walton unefl the Indians give it up. and
it will be madness Cor any person to I'm
dertake the toll and hazard Of settling il
this wild region until the officers and pei
entists to whom this expedition Is entrust
ed report upon the resources and genera
!. features Of the country.