Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-02-10

;B. 10, 1876.
BLACK Hills Facts.
(Brainerd Tribune, Jan 29l
by the recent advices from Bismarck
the facts concerning the much talked Of
Black Hills country, We esteem, have final
~ been reached. Being personally &C.
quainted with the men who subscribe to
the news and reports now coming in from
the Hills, We place the fullest confidence
in the statements now abroad over their
signatures as they are men Of we'll
known veracity and integrity, as
we'll as being we'll educated, intelligent,
business men, who have lived ncighbors
with US ever since the commencement Of
the Northern Pacific railroad. 1t seems
that as early as during the autumn months
the leading men Of Bismarck conceived
the idea Of going to work systematically
to discover the truth about the Black
Hills. in all its phases and not to be sat-
istied to say yea or nay concerning what
they believed to be true of them, until
they knew all about the subject from per.
sonal knowledge after thorough inves.
tigation of the subject and the Black Hills
country as we'll. Accordingly some two
months since party of the leading men
Of Bismarck, abundantly equipped for the
journey, left for the new Eldorado for
the purpose Of learning what they, and
! the public at large so earnestly wanted to
know -"the truth about the Black Hills.''
But little was heard from them after
their departure, save by way of an occa.
sional prairie ranger who came into Bis.
maj ok who had met the expedition En-,
route, and reported them as going along
finely and having jolly good time gen.
orally on the trip. The were gone from
Bismarck some five or SIX
weeks, when their expected return
became the a'l.absorbing topic Of CONVEX.
sation, and eye glasses from Fort
Abraham Lincoln across the Missouri
river from Bis,narck) came to be popular
''arms." as both citizens and soldiers
spent hours gazing away off to the south
laudable effort to see who could first dis.
cover the van of the returning party in
which were numbered friends of all re.
naming behind.
! As the sun sank down one evening be-
hind the western buttes common in west
ern Dakota. the cry came from the look.
out, "They come, they GOMEZ" and in u
few hours more the little band so anxious.
~ looked for were ensconsed at the fire.
sides kept warm for their reception, and
they were received by the huzzas of all
the villagers. while the cannon Of the bar.
racks pealed out welcome to the adven-
turous explorers.
Soon as little rest had refreshed the
travellers they gave to the public brief
account Of their explorations and travels,
which is something in substance as fol-
lows:
They had gone from Bismarck, as
nearly in direct line for Harncy's Peak
as practical, and after most pleasant
journey of seven easy days. travel they
arrived at Custer City, which is located !:
few miles south Of Harncy's Peak, where
they made their headquarters during
their explorations throughout tn. mining
regions. On their trip from Bismarcl
through they had encountered no In
dams; there was no snow on the route
whatever; each night they camped on tn
banks of beautiful streams Of water, will
an abundance Of wood and natural advan
tages for easy defense, in case Of molesta
ton by rowing bands of red skins. Coco
grazing was found in the vallcys-grec1
and tender rushes, while the buffalo
grass on the table lands afforded tolera
bic pasture, even in the winter months.
They found some twelve or fifteen hun
dred miners at work in the Hills, engaged
in placer mining, and they did not fine
any one who was not panning out
even by the rudest method--goo'l wages
while q majority were making exit aordi
nary wages an some fabulous amount!
of glittering nuggets of gold.
i The party made thorough and mos
exhaustive exploration.of the ranges o
country occupied by the miners, ane
much more besides. They found all tn,
miners we'll supplied in all the necessa
ries Of life, which could be bought at rea
sonable prices from all who had brought
a surplus or supplies into the Hills t
sell.
The party having spent some thre'
weeks in exploring and looking over tina
noted country, babe the jolly miners
adieu. and set out on their return, &C
companied by the famous California
miner and prairie guide, California Joe,
who returned to Bismarck with the par
ty, and who will pass through Brainert
the first of next week, in company will
several of the leading business men o
, Bismarck, en- route for St. Paul:
En-, route from Cheyenne teams re
quire eighteen to twenty days, while tn
Bismarck party made the return trip il
the dead of winter in seventy-two hours
and party made it last summer, will
> pack mules, in eight days.
These comprise bare outline Of tn
facts concerning the richness and exten
of the diggings in the Black Hills, and
3 proof that cannot be gainsaid that tn
: route by the way Of the Northern Pacific
; with Bismarck as fitting out point,
the route Of all routes to reach the Hill
III the shortest time, and is the mos
e economical, pleasant, and safest route t
: 60. Allthat is necessary, is to give tn
facts to the outside world, as to the man
) and eminently superior advantages of tn
o Northern Pacific route, and in q fe,
NJ weeks more thousands of people d.
r sirous of going to the Hills will b
g pouring this way-as safety, speed con
!. venienccs and economy are the item
l. that will be- sought after by expedition
e moving toward the gold fields, and tn
: Northern Pacific route has no- bee
= proven to be ahead Of all competin
& routes on every ''count."
: We have authority for stating that tn
Northern Pacific company will be pre-
s pared any day to deliver expeditions an
;. outfits through from St. Paul to Bis
i, lnarck, on the shortest time and the mos
reasonable rates. So all that eastern ex
- petitions have to 60 is to come to Sain
= Paul and put themselves in the care {
:, the Northern Pacific folks q more eff
- cient, careful, otliging and thorough Sc
$ Of railroad men and gentlemen do NO
exist-and they will very quickly there
:. after find themselves in Bisma1 OK, in fin
u shape to start across to the Black Hills
the finest of all overland routes yet dis
covered-and in six days easy travel ca
commence panning out the precious meta