The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1876-05-02

The Chicago Times lanti-Black
Hills, has the following from its Gus
ter City correspondent;
Custer City, where i am, is located
IN q narrow but beautiful valley
on French creek. > very desirable site
indeed. The citizens number up
ward Of 1900, and i can add 500 more
who are on claims up and down the
gulch. The buildings are mostly log. a
large number are caved and built with
care, making very neat and comforta-
BILE quarters. Since the saw-mills have
began operations logs are too common,
and large frame building are taking
their place. Three saw-mills are at
work and have all they can do furnish
ing lumber at $50 per l,000. One large
hotel is being rooted, and several COM
modious store-rooms are under the
mechanics hand. Building lots are
valued at from $50 to $500, size 50xl50
feet. Rents are reasonable. A good
store-room will bring SIS per month,
Most all branches of mercantile bust
ness are represented on a fair SCALE
Provisions are high at present on ac-
count of the roads being SO heavy that
freight teams cannot get through.
The first herd of beef cattle arrived on
yesterday, and / had the pleasure of
eating steak at 20 cents per pound.
Large numbers of deer have been
brought in which sell by the mess at
~ to Is cents per pound. Game is
getting very scarce in this section. In
dams, deer, and buffalo, can not stand
civilization.
Labor is very hard to get ard wages
low. Mechanics demand from So to
S4 per day. There are too many saw
and axe men for them. Common la
borers get from 81 to 50 80 per day.
The supply of men far exceeds the de-
mand, and SO many are compelled to
work hat wages will be no better un-
til mining commences, then they Will
talk 81 and So per day.
We have nothing but an accominc-
dation mail line yet, but live in strong
hopes of having a regular established
line in a few days. We received a
mail on the Sd inst. of 500 letters.
How happy it made the boy S. Read
ing matter is scarce. / have seen but
one newspaper since | have been here.
The weather has been SO stormy
that no satisfactory prospecting could
be done. The excitement is north, at
intermediate points between here and
Deadwood, and around Deadwood, to
which the distance is 20 miles. | have
seen some very fine specimens of dust
brought from hat region and hear
very favorable reports. Large num-
bers of miners are going daily to make
preparations for opening claims as
soon as the weather will permit. Con-
siderable preparation is being made
along the gulch for sluicing, and they
claim to have $40 diggings. Several
pieces of quartz nave been brought in
but | do not know their value yet. If
we had two weeks of warm weather
they could begin operations. Then /
can tell better how the grass roots will
pan.
All nations are represented here
from Johnny Bull to the Chinaman.
They are generally al industrious,
honest, pe%rsevering class of men.
Many experienced miners are in the
Hills ready for business.
l see in several places travelling
through the Hills preparations being
made for farming, and 1 think it will
prove a grand success. The soil in the
valleys is very rich and deep, and
without a doubt will produce very
large crops. The grass in these val
leys has furnished abundant pasture
for the stock brought in. Large herds
of horses depend entirely on it for sub
sistenee. / saw four yoke of cattle
tDat nave worked every uay since
February fourth, except two. They
have eaten nothing except this grass,
aud they are in first-elass working
order.
We passed through a village of
1000 Indians, ten miles south of Spot
ted Tail agency. They were very
friendly disposed, behaved very well.
took great pains in showing me the
road, and answering my numerous
questions. They were dressed neatly
and comfortably and looked surpris-
ingly clean. A large number of In
dams have collected in the Black
Hills and are running off stock from
various points. They gave this city a
call and made the herd of stock IS
head smaller. A few days ago they
run off 20 head from an outfit in Rock
canyon. / hear corresponding reports
daily of their deviltry on Sand creek.
April 1, they opened fire on some mi
ners and five Indians were killed.
The general expression of the boys.
from that section is hat the Indians
are raising hill.
Custer City is not out of the world.
We have had a wedding, births, law
suits, and nobody hurt.
Train Tonicc