The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1876-03-02
The Black Hills.

The Black Hills fever is beginning W .,,-,-
fully in this part of Kansas. In ai'iO'. -,
community, parties are being talkeu "r, p,,s;,o.s
mary to organizing for the exPedi'iO" 49,, m
will be abandoned property
manner of turns made to secure '"o "''
essary "a, purchase outfits. AZ "Po" M P"o""
Questions. the Chief has All oP'nion upo" 'ni'
ono and The present is a good time to express 1t.
- that the Black Hills are hum
fraud. There may be gold there but
:rF. :, cen be found in paying quantities only
b., tba nse of heavy caapital and expensive ma
- as in Colorado-as in fact, in California
o,d Nevada. and all other gold-producing coun-
,-iss This excitement is got up and kept up by
rarties interested in leading outftting points,
or in other schemes of speculation by which they
expect to get rich by pIucking the dupes who
flock to that region of desert and rock.
Better stay where you are, and work by the
day; then you will have at least the wages Of
your labor to show for it. YOu will have your
household goods, and perhaps be ont of debt for
the support of your families.
Better stay on your farms, and fight grasshop-
pers and chinch-bugs. You will at least come
out with little soft corn, and with few runty
shoats for a start. But the prospect is favorable
for good crops. At the worst, you can but fail;
but you will not have to go in debt and break up
your business in order to procure a costly outfit
to fail with.
If You stay here, work as hard, and endure as
many privations as you will be compelled to out
there, yOu can save more money and gather togeth-
er more property than you can by going to the
Black Hills, even if gold can be found in paying
quantities
But if you are bound to go, in spite of all ad-
vice and caution, remember that the Chief warn
ed you in time
When you reach the Promised Land, and find
yourselves deceived, and the men who deceived
you standing there grinning, and ready to go
through you;
When You see the bones of your oxen, and
horses, and mules, bleaching on the bleak, bar
rem plains;
When the wagon, the tents, the cooking uten-
sils, &c, for which you sold your stock and mort
gagged your household goods, and borrowed mon
ey of your friends, cannot be disposed of at any
price, and are given away for poor meals
victuals;
When you pay your last dollar for wormy
cracker and hollow potato, and are shivering
and hungry;
When you give your overcoat, your last blank
et and your last whole shirt for enough refuse
provisions to last you until you can reach the
nearest thoroughfare leading home;
When you are refused place to sleep in an
occasional ranch, and ride in an occasional |
freight wagon, but are compelled to subsist on
prairie-dogs and jack-rabbits, and sleep on the |
prairies;
When you lousy and dirty, haven't been
shaved or had your hair cut for six months, the
soles and toes of your boots ont, your shirt (f
you have any left looking like a pOt-rag, yonr
breeches ragged, and the tail of your shirt stick
ing out in the rear;
When, in this plight your weary limbs carry
your dilapidated body once more to your home,
to find your property squandered, your house
hold goods and coOking-stove gone, and your
family in debt for the necessaries of life during
your absence;
Then, sit down and contemplate your condi-
tion, and remember that the Chief never gave
you any encouragement to go off on that fools
expedition.