Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-10-27

| pressure OF the whip, that would make a
Plymouth-county farmer turn red, white
and blue-patriotism, like murder, will Out
with envy. Kentucky and Pennsylvania
| have the two reserved seats in this exhbi-
tion. They are the only States that end
any cattle to speak of. and Of coursethey
| get their deserts Cor. Boston AGrcriSq.
The Black Hills Country.
Mr. Cuthbert Mills, formerly Of he edit
orial staff of this paper, and since ten Of the
New York Times, has accompanied our
army on the plains during the recent cam
paign against the Indians, and has written a
series Of exceedingly interesting letters to
the Toaes From his last lete:, dated at
Custer city, in the Black Hills, Sept. 22nd,
we copy the following interesting ana intel
ligent description Of that region # country,
concerning which reliable information has
hitherto been scarce. Mr. MIL, says
The respectable classes of ctizcls would be
glad to have the army stay to Civ them and
theirs protection both from white nd red dep
/ rcdators, and more particularly the former
| These men are here 10 work All make an
honest living. and the scitom6ns have now
reached a size where the maiorir of the pco-
! lie consist Of that class who ear fight when
they are forced 10 it ; bat who would much
rather work and make money der milk
tary or civil protection. As to he Indians
coming in worse than ever ai,erthe deIar-
ture of the army it Is all nonSsI>c. From
ls.t ..E . g.
posed that there are some FORTY II t'tv ln-
dians. scattered in small bands round the
outskirts Of the hills. who have lcen steal
ing and killing whenever they s,u,d do so
with safety. This has been gong ON all
the Summer, while the mass d the Sioux
nation we're up in the Powder RNu country.
Small parties and individuals haze been At
tackled and killed on the roads leihng 70 the
hills. but the settlements the.Islyes baye
never been in danger. They s-e in the
pine forests which clothc these Mountains
and a Sioux Indian would never venture into
this dense timber. lie must be on ground
where he can ride, and see or all sides. No
Indian trail has ever been found f. any dis
tance into tie forests. But thee Gin be
little doubt that this " inter IN, Indians
would have practically closed every road IN
and ont oi tie hills. If zen. Crook had not
Disconnected the bands which wcI1 couccn-
traiing here bv Unexpectedly moving down
IN their rear. Ihey were lFc'aIcd i'r troops
coming up irvn Laramie tneE front
but had 10 ikea that the annJ had crossed
an unknown s'Teich oi rnnIy Neninl
them. >iIll- -ometnius viii laNe o. '- c'Ne
TO keep The road. open, ior ueTe iLc lanseF
lies, unless the li4i- are to be a'anlone4-
Once IN tie hlI-. the settlers are c'npAFa-
lively si'ie hut 10 man Sei-l is sale any
where near them.
Il is not surIll-.:- ti-t t.r Sioux were
and are unwilling {. -Nc uptlc Back Ll.l-
country. Il Is altogether tie most lovely
section We have passed through GA our seven
weeks march from Goo-c tHck. Al tbs
l jOO-mie march was male through tie
>lJux country, and }, i- tcyiul all compare
the finest agricultural, Il>tlEll. and mining
country between the lOuta meridian ana tie
Sierra Nevada lt is wi,lintAc oc.chrIied
"tarren belt, but there is no h-rlcHnc--
here Before making tli- campaign | De-
licycd al that ten. llazen L1, written OF
the land, west OF the lv0'h meridian De
leycd the whole country Wa- u- dry aul
arid As the plains OF Wyoming ant southern
Colorado. The Deueral has based his STATE
ments On insufficient information. liz "A>
mistaken. Two great and w,...s states
may be carved out oi tie .uul through
which Gen. Crook : command Al- marc-rd
this Summer The bot portion i~ that
bounded east 10y the Powder River west by
the Missouri, north by the lciov.tone. and
south hy line stretched cast ami west be
low the Black Hills. The Lit, Missouri
Valley /, rich and fertile the u.a.i- afford
the finest kind of grazing. aud ictwcen the
hcad-watcrs Of the Heart and rrani rivers
stretches vast grazing country. covered
with the most luxuriaut cra--. For two
DAYS and a half did W march ovG this green
/ sea OF rolling country without seeing stick
| Of timber over eishty-tWo mile, ol prairie
there was nothing which cast shadow.
/ From the head-waterS of the Grard the com
mand continued south through a country Oi
more varied character and daily lmfro' lnS
[ in beauty until. passing the Belle fonrchc'
/ the climax Wa, reached in ,he Black
Hills. The statements made about thi~ see
tion have scarcely been exaggerated. ~
one Of the most skcptlcal Of dis2eilcverS, l
have to confess that, so ia- as have seen
it, the Black Hills country j. a-l that has
been claimed by It's admirers There Is
wealth in its hills, It's valleys, Z, mearow
and its rocks. This command entered the
hills on the northeastern end through thc
valley Of WhItewooi Greek. This valley j.
exqulsitely beautiful The abunlAnt timber
which diycIsItts 1t i not the worthless
cottonwood, nor Is the pine upon the bound
ing hills the twisted pinion - those 'Mi
/ growths of a Iarched atmosphere lh'
handsome white oak, the beech, the sNea
more, the aspen, the cedar, the tr' au1
other varieties of trees group Themselves IL
groves and clusters winch are perfect p.r
lures Of arborescent beauty. Along th'
streams flourish the VIII grape, the p'u"i
the buffalo berry, the cherry ana o'he
native fruits. The grass in the meadows
rich and truity. making excellent hay an'
the hills are clothed with magnificent whlt
rine-the best Of wood for the needs OF III
uloneer settler.
As respects the mining, | have mad
such inquiries as the limited time and Il
uortunity allowed. There Is gold enoug
II make the Black Illls good, stead
mining country, but the great dra"pacH
the insufhciencv OF water. Many OF IL
mines when nave heth ppC''Vt N"i''N
worked except during the Spring months
while the SHOWS are melting. In course
time more capital will come in, and di'che'
drains, and reservoirs be conStructe
which viii store and carry the waste water
for use during the Summer. But two {
three wears will be required for this to J.
donc. and perhars longer. The gold seen
to be spotted, :" that Is, very unequally dl
tribnted through the country. 1t may !
s,id bowcyer that there has been lirtle o.
portnnity for prospecting; and until tn
has has been very thoroughly dcne, mining hel
viii Will he more than unusually game
: chance. Claims which do not pay II Pc
present stage Of affairs but when the Sc
dement's are older and the country mae
safe, claims which pay only -" per Ga
can be worked with pron'' Inc IIcne