The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1876-02-10
= Slack Hllts, R'acss.r U
fBrainerd Tlibune. Jan g. 7.

,%:" Black Hills Facts. .T
:''''s tBrainerd Tlibune, Jan %: ~. ~,
BY the recent advices from Bismarck
the tacts concerning tho much. talked Of
Black Hills country, We esteem, have final.
ly been reached. Being personally &C.
quainted With the men who subscribe to
the news and reports now coming III from
the Hills, We plaee the fullest confidence
in the statements now abroad over their
signatures .->as they are. men of we'll
known yeracity and integrity, as
well as being well educated, intelligent,
business men, who have lived 'neighbors
with US ever since the commencement oil
the Northern: Pacific railroad. It seems
that as carly as during the autumn months
the leading men Of Bismarck conceived
the idea Of going to work systematically
to discover the truth about the Black
Hills, in alr it's phases and not to. be sat.
isfied to say yen or nay concerning what
they believed to: be true Of them, until
they knew al about the subject from per.
sonal knowledge after thoroug ugh inves.
tigation of the subject and the Black Hills
country as we'll. Accordingly some two
months since = party Of the leading men
Of Bismarck, abundantly equipped for the
journey, left for the new Eldorado for
the purpose Of learning what they, and
the public atflarge 80 earnestly: wanted to
know -:t1'the truth about the Black Hills. -
But little was heard from them after
their departure, save by way Of an occa.
sional prairie ranger who came into Bis
maj ck who had met the expedition e7,
route, and reported them as going along
finely and having = jolly good time gen.
orally on the trip. They were gone from
Bismarck : fsomes1. five 'Ior. ri slx
weeks, when their expected return
became the a'l-absorbing topic Of copver.
sation, and eye glasses from Fort
Abraham Lincoln (across the Missouri
river from Bismarck) came to be popular
''arms." as both citizens and soldiers
spent hours gazing away off to the south.
west, up the Little Heart Valley, in 4
laudable effort to see who could first dis.
cover the van Of the returning party-in in
which were numbered friends Of all re-
naming behind. i.
As the sun sank down one evening be.
hind the western buttes common in west.
ern Dakota, the cry came from the look.
out, ''They come, they come!" and in q
few hours more the little band so anxious.
" looked for wero,ensconsed at the fire
sides kept warm for their reception, and
they were received by the huzzas Of all
the villagers. while the cannon of the bar
racks pealed out welcome to the adven.
turous explorers.
/ Soon as little rest had refreshed the
travellers they gave to the public brief
account of their explorations and travels,
which is something in substance IS fol-
: They, had gone from Bismarck, i. Is
nearly in direct line for Harney's Peak
| as practical, and after . most pleasant
journey Of seven easy days. travel they
arrived at Custer City, which is located q
few miles south Of H Harney''s Peak, where
they made their headquarters. during
their explorations throughout the mining
regions. On their trip from Bismarck
through they had encountered no In
dians; there was no snow on the route
whatever; each night they camped on the
banks of beautiful streams Of water, with
an abundance Of wood and natural advan.
tages for easy defense, in case of molesta'
ton by rowing bands Of red skins. Good
grazing was found in the valleys-greeu
and tender rushes, while the buffalo
grass on the table lands afforded tolera.
bic pasture, even in the winter months.
They found some twelve or fifteen hun.
dred miners at work in the Hills, engaged
in placer mining, and they did not find
any one. who was not panning out
even by the rudest method -:-goo'l wages,
while a majority were making text,aordi'
nary wages AMI some fabulous amounts
of glittcring nuggets of gold.
The party made a, thorough and, most
exha,1stive.e xploratiop Of the ranges o1
country occupied by the miners, and
much more besides. They found all the
miners we'll supplied in al the nccessa'
ries of life, which could be bought At rea'
sonable prices from all who had brought
q surplus or supplies into the Hills te
The party having spent some three
weeks in exploring and looking over that
noted country, bade the jolly miners
adieu. and set out on. their return, &C.
compa,.ied by the famous California
miner and prairie guide, "California Joe, y
who returned to Bismarck with the par.
ty, and who will pass through Brainerd
the RrstIo next Week, ,!in company with
several Of the leading business men q
BIZ Bismarck n9.''t e' =. re1tf t for s. t' P.ul;
..'Ew route from Cheyenne teams re.
quire eighteen to twenty days, while the
Bismarck party made the return: trip 10
the dead of winter in seventy.two hours,
and party made it last summer, with
pack mules, in eight days.
These comprise bare outline Of the
facts concerning theIriehness. and extent
Of the dKgings in the Black Hills. and a
proof that cannot be gainsaid that tho
route. BY the way Of the Northern Pacific,
with Bismarck as = fitting out point, Is
the route of all routes to reach the Hills