The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1876-10-20
An Unysrnished Account of Black Hills
Prospects.

OF. LOUIS htpuDlIci.H
An UnySrnished Account of Black Hills
Prospects.
4 correspondent of the Chicago
Times writes to that paper as follows :
DeadWood takes it's name from a
rivulet which flows into Whitewood
creek at the point where the city is
located, and which, up to the present,
has been the grand centre of the gold
fields. Judging from the amount of
gold which was taken out during the
summer-all on the placer principle
it must be equal to any of the famous
California s'runs.'' But, unfortunate
~ for the enthusiasts, the formation
of the Black Hills defes all former ex-
perience of mineral regions, and the
unevenness Of the claims in any Sec
ton of the mining district is thing
Of mystery to the oldest miners. One
man purchased claim and suddenly
became wealthy. A dozen neighbors
may purchase claims along the self
same ''gulch' or s'run" and find hard
~ enough to pay expenses. A great
many enterprising corporations and in
diNidualS have, undoubtedly, "fallen
on their feet, while a very large
number met nothing but drudgery and
disappointment. To obtain a fair
statement from any man directly in
terested in Black Hills mining is, nat
urally, very difficult; but there are
gentlemen in Deadwood who do not
desire to delude the people of the
United States and who conScientiously
give their views according to their
lights. Among these it was my for
tune to meet that brave old explorer
who has traversed great part of
British Columbia and most of our own
MISUNDERSTANDING W. R. Keithly, of
Utah. He has been among the Hills
since May, and done as much ''pros-
pecting' as any man in the whole
"outfit." Taking advantage of ia
yorable opportunity, subjected the
Judge to the interviewing process, and
''panned out as follows:
Correspondent-Have you any objec-
ton, jud 3, to giving me some idea of
what you think of this region, as re-
CARDS the gold-yield of the present and
the future prospect
Judge keithly-Not in the least. |
have come in here as much for the
purpose of satisfying myself respect
ing the country and its resources as
for speculation. Regarding the gold
yield in this neighborhood, of that
there can be no doubt. 1t is wonder
ful-yery wonderful, but the good
claims are all occupied, and there is
hardly any chance for newcomers.
Coz. DO You believe that this yield
will continue on Deadwood creek!
Judge k.-For some time, undoubt-
eddy. The chief supply will be found
on these two creeks, Whitewood and
DeadwoOd. | have done some ''pros-
pecting" outside of them, but, al
though | had the experience of life
time in mining, this country puzzles
me. Placer mining here is limited to
very small proportion Of the creeks
called gold-bearing runs. The dis
tricts are discouraginly circumscribed.
have never observed so singular a
geographical formation as these hills
present. They are not Il chain or a
range. but appear to have been thrown
up by some extraordinary effort of ma
ture like SO many potato hills. Gold
here is in state as primitive as ma
ture, after the lapse of many ages,
will permit. 1t is found in all kinds
OF shapes, crude and undeveloped,
just rs it fell from its mother, or
handmaiden, quartz.
Cor.-Very we'll. Would you as an
honest American citizen advise your
fellow men, who have neither capital
nor mining experience, to come here
on speculation
Judge HI unhesitatingly say No.
Let no green horn or tenderfoot come
here to speculate. He would surely
Starve, or. at best, make scanty liy-
ing, inferior to what he makes in the
states. Even an experienced miner,
rsed to roughing it, has hard time
here occasionally. Men from the states
can make living here as peddlers or
petty traders, while the gold harvest
IS still good, bat apart from that only
mining corporations and miners who
have had the good fortune to locate
their claims early, can make it pay
here now. | advise all people who
have neither money nor time to waste
to stay where they are just now.
IT.
The son of Lord Thornton, the Brits
lsh Minister to this country, who i,
spending the summer at Pittsfeld-
Mass, came down the Housatonic Rail
road yesterday, and, in the course of
the trip the following conversation
I n place between the young sprig of
hhgllsh nobility and one of the brake.
man:
\ cotton gin house in Austin county,
Iexas' was broken into and robbed of
two bales OF cotton one night recently
by live colored preachers. The owne1
succeeded in capturing two of the rev.
erend thieves.