The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1876-08-17
JorrIsGs.
Loose Leaves from a Diseursiye Diary
Written by a conussnt Correspondent

- fHE#
Loose Leaves from a Diseursiye Diary
Written by a conussnt Correspondent.
DEADwooD CITY, August 5th--My
journey into the Black Hills, which was
begun at Cheyenne on the 2lst OF last
month, ended in Deadwood City on
Sunday, July 31st. About 4 O'Clock in
the afternoon our outfit began the de-
scent of the long hill leading into Mon
tana City, which lies at the extreme end
of the lengthy gulch in which are sit
uated Gayyille, Deadwood and Eliza
BEETHOVEN. Far up the winding valley
we could catch indistinct glimpses Of the
tops of the miners cabins, while col
umns of smoke curling heavenwards
denoted the presence Of still another
cluster of houses. Deadwood is the
centre which on Sunday attracts all the
miners from the surrounding region,
and as u teams toiled slowly up the
long and winding street that intersects
the two rows of houses forming the
town, we were met by throngs of men
in every garb, from the glossy broad
cloth of smiling gamblers to the rough
est fabrics worn by claim-workers. The
faces around Is presented
EVERY PHASE OF CHARACTER,
from that of the mining enthusiast to
the scowling visage of the New York
Gambling rooms, stores, dance
houses and bar-rooms were all in full
blast, and sharply contrasted with them
was a little knot Of men with heads
uncovered and eyes reverentiAIly raised
to the unsee world, gathered together
in the middle Of the street, absorbed in
prayer and praise of God The ap-
proach Of our conveyance was the signal
for a general rush, in which we could
not fail to distinguish the Unsuitable
craving for news from the outer world
which these men feel, when shut up in
the dim recesses of the mountains
When our horses finally came to q
before the stage Office, we
were completely locked in by a surging
mass Of men, all \
SKIING o NEWS \
from Crook, tidings from Cheyenne,
and fifty other matters made unintel-
by the multiplicity of questions.
AS o as l could disentangle myself
from the crowd 1 made haste to hunt
up Charley Utter, to whom I had a
letter of introduction, and in response
to his cordial invitation, determined to
make my headquarters while in Dead
wood at his camp. 1t was here that I
met California Joe, and "Wild BILL
whose subsequent death / shall describe
further on. The evening I spent in
Jack Langrishe's theatre, which, by
the-way, is proving very rem~unerative.
The play. was ssThe Streets Of New
York; with the veteran Jack in the
role of Badger The theatre is as
yet incomplete. 1t has a seating capac-
lty for about 500 persons, a commo-
dious stage and dressing rooms, and is
in short as comfortable and coy as any
one could wish to find away up there
upon the extreme frontier. OF course
every one has seen the play 1 have
mentioned. In one of the last acts
there is a scene in which two of the
characters, goaded to despera-
ton by the force of circumstances,
attempt to commit suicide. The deadly
agent which they determine to employ
is a pan of lighted. charcoal. In the
time-honored and thrilling name Of
constructing dramas, the hero rushes
in just in the nick Of time and rescues
the ladies from death. Just at the
point where the interest becomes most
intense and just when the enthusiastic
were about to burst into raptur-
GUS plaudits, a young woman clad in
silk trimmed with bright green,
and seated upon the front settee, cleared
her mouth of its cargo of tobacco.juice,
and cried in disdainful tones that were
perfectly audible all over the house:
"oH, HI THAT'S A PUT UP JoBl"
There was a momentary lull, followed
by a howl of laughter, in which even
the dying actresses were forced to join.
Early upon the morning subsequent
to my arrival, 1 paid a visit to MI. A.
w. Merrick, the enterprising founder
OF the
ssBLACK HILLS PIoNEER."
/ found him up to his elbows in work
in q two-story building, back from the
street, upon the side hill. The Pioneer
office lies sandwich fashion between
two houses of peculiar trafic-a layer
of virtue to two of vice. The rule il
the same the world over. Merrick, the
genial, showed me over the town, tolt
all the news, described the resources
and showed mt many kindnesses fol
which I have to thank him. His pape,
is written, set up and printed, all il
one room. The paper is worked off OF
what in printers p~hraseology is known