The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1876-02-25

The Report Of "a Prospecting Party sent
ont from Hismarek-What the Miner.
are Doing The hest Loealities-Nari-
Gus Routes, etc.

The Report Of "a Prospecting Party Sent
out from Bismarek-Nhat the Miners
are Doing The hest Loealities-NaFI
Gus Routes, etc.
Correspondence Of the New York sun
ST. PAUL, MINI, Feb. Toward
evening Of Dec. 20 last a party Of seven
men, mounted, and having one pair Of
horses drawing a heavily loaded wagon,
crossed the Missouri River. from Bis
marck, ID. +. (the terminous Of tine
Missouri Pacific R~ailrOad). and camped
for the night within sight Of Fort Lin
coin. They had started for the Black
Hills for the purpose of ascertainiBg the
facts with regard 10 routes Of travel
from Bismarck 10 the Hills, and con-
corning late developments in the gold
regions. They Were Ben. G Ash, Depu-
~ United States Marshal; j. &. Dodge,
County Commissioner; X. X. Marsh,
hotel keeper; w. III. Simpson, dealer
in a variety Of merchandise Ed. Hack
EFT and Ed. Donahue, young men; and
a frontier character known and de-
scribed as Jimmy from Cork. All Bis
marck was interested in their mission,
and had contributed 70 their outfit.
Mr.. Donahue kept a complete record
Of the movements and observations Of
himself and companions. From this il
appears they had an easy, %uneyentful
trip out, following most of the way the
trails made by Clusters expedition, and
reaching the foot hills on the night of
Dec. 81. Their stock had kept in good
condition, and wood, water, and bottom
land grass were found each day at con-
venient points for camping. The
weather was pleasant, and no snow IA
seen.
HOW 1T PAN OUT.
Jan. ? they saw Capt. Jack, a Colora-
do miner, and Dick Stone, recently of
st. Charles, Mimi, taking out gold at
the rate Of six cents a pan. Jan. 3 they
camped over night With III. y. Ross,
who was chief Of miners in the Custer
expedition Of 1874, and made the first
discovery in Custer Gulch. He was
surveying and otherwise making ready
To ground-sluice his claim. Jan. 4 and
; they camped again with Stone and
Capt. Jack. These two are working
this winter in a dry gulch, carrying
their dirt fifty yards TO water, working
but a few hours each day, and yet
cleaning up - 10 Sl6 a day. Here, as
it was observed that there j.
no flour our shot gold in the Black
Hills, but IT is coarse and sometimes
wirelike. Jan. 8 each Of the Bismarck
located claims on Rapid Creek.
In the afternoon they went into Golden
City, and there met Jim Sutherland, a
Montana miner, who told them that the
claim from which most gold was being
was that Of Spencer & Co., three
miles up the creek. Going there that
evening they saw Spencer and his part
ners-four men in all-clean up their
work, amounting by weight to
Jan. : they went on Spring
Greek and bought town lots in Hill City
for themselves aud friends in Bismarck.
Jan. 9 they located claims six miles be-
low Custer City. Jan III they located
two miles from Hill City. and
Marsh and Dodge saw Spencer & Co.
clean up Sl31 from six hours work that
day. Jan. II they were told Spencer
a Co. cleaned up SIP. The bed rock
is "A hard, broken slate, into which
Spencer & Co. worked one TO two feet.
They washed their dirt in a sluice-box
twelve feet long, the stream affording
500 inches of water, with a fall Of sew
enty-five feet 10 the mile.
THE GOLD HUNTERS.
The number Of gold seekers in the
Hills was v%ariOusly estimated by those
the Bismarckers met at from 500
TO 1900. Most of them were occupied
in prospecting and locating claims, for
latter purpose three mining dis
had been laid off, clerks appoint
and records opened. The twenty
six men who went out from Bismarck
about the 1st Of December were found
mostly located on Rapid creek. Three
town sites had been chosen and plotted
Custer City, Golden City. and Hill
City, the latter being at the junction of
the numerous roads and trails the gold
have made in the hill country.
Twenty 10 thirty log cabins were being
built at each place, and about fifty We're
occupied at Custer City. Rapid Greek
had been staked by claimants for near
" it, whole length. but o generally
prospected. Several parties were pre-
pairing to drift intothe bed of the creek,
and by this time. doubtless. there are
twenty or more claims being worked
but 1.-THE rush AZ the time of the Bis
markers visit was 10 Bear Butte Greek,
100 miles north, where rich discoveries
we're said To have bcenmade. The gen
eral disposition seemed 20 be TO locate
a. many claims As possible, so rs TO
sure of being in among the best.
The Bismarck men met in their wan
behring's California Joe, who was en-