The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1876-06-22
BLACK HILLS BREEZES.
The Quartz Minss-The Mines Abont
Casisr and EiiiI Ciues-Ih he
-~IFtEane.b


eUARTZ IN THE BLACK HILLS.
Dir. Swartout, q miner of ten years
experience, has recently reached Chi
eago from the Black liiiis and has
been interviewed by the lnter-Oeean.
He talks al follows about the quartz
lodes of that region: MIR. Swartout
is OF the opinion, after ten years ex
perience in working quartz mines
that the region at Deadwood, and
further north, is the richest quartz
bearing country ever thrown open in
the Union. The quartz mines ale
larger, heavier, and better defined
tn n any, either in Idaho or Color
ado. One obstacle to their develop
ment is a lack of machinery. This
will be easily obtained, however,
after the Indian question is disposed
OF. 1t will then take about a year
to open the mines and ascertain
which of them it will pay to work.
Then the machinery can be brought
on and mining probably conducted
On a large scale. Mr.. Swartout has
located three silver lodes at Castle
creek, 80 miles north of Custer, that
are the best he ever saw. A guam
tity of ore taken from them assayed
$3.50 to the ton, with some traces of
gold and copper. There is a belt of
SILVER lodes running through the
country of great richness. TO the
northward it runs into gold. All this
country is fertile and well wooded
and waterea. and mining can be pros
ecuted Win comparative ease. In
fact he has never looked upon a finer
country in the course of his life.
THE CLUTCHES NEAR CUSTER.
"Capt. Jack" writing to the
Omaha Bee from Custer City, says:
Messrs. Cornell & Williams, part
ners of Mr.. w. II. Wood, are Just in
from Castle creek, and they are TAX
ing cut good wages on bar diggings
the1e, but have not reached bedrock
as yet. j. D. Trask & Co. are dig
ging a drain ditch, which they have
been steadily working at since Feb
ruary, and will soon finish it, after
which they will work off the bedrock.
MI. Wood has gone to Deadwood to
see the country prior to commencing
work on his leads and placer diggings
here and on Castle.
d. K. Linvely, one of the oldest
residents of this place, and a practi-
cal miner, is just up from below
Stockade, and says there are at least
rs men working there and all doing
well, making wages. Water is scarce,
however, and they cannot make full
time.
At Duulap's ranch, a company of
Montana boys are building a trestle
work across the gulch to carry the
Spring creek water to a dry gulch,
where they found good prospects.
They are expanding ever 81, 0U0 to
bring this water to the diggings, and
whether the mine will pay, remains
to be seen. The ~trestle is about so
feet above the creek, and about $50
yards long. This is about three miles
above Aliens claim, which is still be-
ing worked.
DESERTED AND GLOOMY,
Hill City is entirely deserted
not one solitary soul remains-and
the cabins are being used now as
shelters and comfortable quarters for
freighters, miners, prospectors, and
the travelling public of the mountains.
Every one has stampeded to the
north; yet, there is certainly from So
to 50 dlggings On any claim on the
creek, and as 500 as the excitement
north has abated, hundreds will re-
turn to their comfortable quarters.
Custer City presents a gloomy APP
pearancc. The northern fever has
reducedits population from over 1000
to about 200 souls. There are but
nine stores, four saloons and n bill
lard hall still remaining, and many
property holders have left their build
ings without a representative. Yet
from my knowledge of the country l
believe Custer will be the winter re-
sort for the majority of the people
who will remain in the Hills. There
are many reasons for business men
leaving Custer: In the first place,
French creek has almost dried up
and for three miles below town The
miners could not get a sluice head of
water in the creek. Yet. there are
many working below the stockade.
a young man who arrived from be-
low to-day says he can make from
80 to 50 as soon as he can get his
sluices to work, and a company are
now putting in a aume to wash out
the bed of the creek. Dave Olston,
who has been with his partner one
mile above town working his claims
all winter, told US this morning that