River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-02-17
still Better prospects I'm the BLACK
ENfIIs.

turned with our party, declares they
have not been generally prospected that
there are hundreds Of gulches which the
miners pick has never reached. Far
richer mines arc liable to be discovered.
] ha met mary on the frontier who,
during the past few years. have seen mug.
gets in the hands Of Indians which un.
doubtedly came from the Black Hills or
the Big Horn region. have letter
from miner who went TO the Hills from
Montana, passing through the Big Horn
region, where he found ground that pros
pected nine dollars to the pan, and quartz
from which man could pound ten dollars
a day with a hand mortar. These diseov.
cries are within thirty miles Of the
located limo Of the North Pa
ciiie, and are declared by the
parties making them to be the richest
mines ever discovered. The letter states
that the Black Hills are all right, but
cannot be compared with the new discov
cries The richest mining region now &C.
ccssible seems to be located in the north
ern part Of the Hills, in the vicinity Of
Bear Butte creek, the Red Water and its
tributaries, and only l95 miles from Bis.
marck. Custer City is 225 miles from
Bismarck, Hill City 30 and Golden City
204. Our party came in from Hill City
in six days, with heavy team carrying
six men, and rationS for the men and for.
age for the animals Another party came
into Bismarck from Hill City in eight
| days, with pack mules. one of the party
walking the entire distance in that time
Parties can make the trip from Bismarck
with OK teams or on foot in ten days
without difficulty. There are several
well defined trails leading from Bismarck
to the Hills, that made by California
! JOe's train is the best. 1t is staked all
the way, or will be, a. Joe returns on it
for that purpose, cutting off, however,
some of the angles. Wood and water is
! found every two to eighteen miles, and
good grazing all Of the way. There is no
sand, no bad water, no impossible
streams or other disadvantages on
the route. Indians have not troubled
any one, and If parties arc we'll armed
there need be no fears Of trouble from
that source.
Reporter. Do the miners antici pate
trouble from the Indiansi
Lounsberry. None whatever. The
Indians rarely visit the Hils--only the
foot hills--and never have resided there.
They deem it the hunting ground OF the
Great Spirit, and are frightened by the
echos with which they meet in the Hills.
In case of thunder storms the thunder
! clsps are taken up and repeated from
rock TO rock. or peak to peak, the sound
finally dying away in the distance. The
Indians occasionally Turk about the foot
hills, where game is found, or 60 there for
timber for bows and other purposes, and
an occasional attempt is likely to be
made to stampede stock, while a stray
gler may occasionally be shot down.
Parties Of from ten to fifty if well armed,
and led by a per son who will not get
frightened in case tho Indians make their
appearance will meet with no trouble
from this source. Bravery and long
range guns are what is needed. The Iu-
dams will not 90 where they believe there
is danger Of any Of their mum.
Der getting hurt. They say
if they kill white man
many more come to take his place, but
when an Indian is killed there are none to
come in his stead. California Joe well
I
the miners as the miners are of them.
Reporter. VIII not the military inter
fere to prevent the occupation Of the
country so long as the treaty of 1858
standsl
LounsbeTry. The military seem to be
pOwerlesS to prevent the occupation OF the
country. There are men now in the Hills
who were taken out three times by Capt.
Walker, Gen. Crooks or Capt Pollock last
summer. each time starting back within
twenty.four hours after their release. Men
are constantly going to the Hills without
objection from the military, and FREE
Quently with their assistance, and it has
come to be understood that they have no
orders to interfere, presuming that Con.
gress will take steps to satisfy the
Indians and open the Hills to settlement.
Reporter. But General Crooks is ev.
IDENTIFY preparing for campaign, and is
expected 10 move in a few days, and Gen.
Custer has been ordered 20 proceed to
Bismarck on important public business.
Lounsberry. Tbs means = movement on
the hostile Indians who were ordered to
report to their respecti e agencies by
February 25th. Instead Of obeying the
order Of the Indian department they
made a raid on the Berthold agency and
stole a lot of stock belonging TO the friend.
ly Indians. and directly tho cavalry
horses at Forts Lincoln and Rice We're or.
dered sharp shod, and the commands put
in condition for active work against he
Indians. The hostiles number several
thousand and operate principally
in the Big Horn and Yellowstone regions.
The outlaws from the several agencies
and ambitious young warriors from all
the tribes 20 to make up the following
Of Sitting Bull. who leads the hostiles,
and who is himself renegade, and dare
not come into tho agency, members Of
hls own tribe having threatened to shoot
him on sight.
Reporter. What DO they report III re.
lation 70 miners in the lIillsi
Lounsbcrry They report from 600 to
, 1000 miner, in the Hills, but only few
of them have settled down 10 business
They are prospecting here and there, are
building cabins, killing supply of meat
tor game Of all kinds, particularly deer,
found ON ,yuy haud-and getting
! ready 20 SO 20 work. Spencer & TO, ana
+ Allen, Florida & Co., have gone to work
d. -