The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-02-09
Black Hllls Facts.
[Brainerd Tribune. Jan o.

By the recent advices from Bismarck
the facts concerning the much talked of
Black Hills country, we esteem, have final
ly been reached. Being personally &C.
quaintcd 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 well
known veracity and. integrity, as
we'll as being we'll educated, intelligent,
business men, who have lived neighbors
with US ever since the commencement of
tho Northern Pacific railroad. It 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.
isfied 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 4 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 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
marck who had met the expedition en-
route, and reported them as going along
finely and having jolly good time gem
orally on the trip. They were gone from
Bismarck some five or SIX
weeks, when their expected return
became the al-absorbing topic Of CONVEX.
sation, and eye glasses from Fort
Abraham Lincoln (across the Missouri
river from Bismarck) came to be popular
''arms." as both citizens and soldiers
spent hours gazing away off to the south
west, up the Little Heart Valley, in a
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 come!' and in
few hours more the little band so anxious.
" looked for were ensconsed at the fire.
sides kept warm for their reception, and
| t1Acy WC1C ACCCAVcu NY VIC AuLLAS VI dill
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 Harney's Peak
as practical, and after a most pleasant
journey of seven easy days travel they
arrived at Custer City, which is located
few miles south Of Harney's Peak, where
they made their headquarters during
their explorations throughout tn, mining
regions. On their trip from Bismarck
, through they had encountered no In.
dians; there was no snow on the route
whatever; each night they camped on the
banks of beautiful streams Of water, with
an abundance of wood and natural advan-
tages for easy defense, in case of molesta.
ton by rowing bands of red skins. Good
grazing was found in the valleys-green
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 find
any one who was not panning cut
even by the rudest method--gool wages,
while a majority were making extlaordi-
nary wages ana some fabulous amounts
of glittering nuggets of gold.
The party made thorough and most
exhaustive exploration of the ranges of
country occupied by the miners, and
much more besides. They found all the
miners we'll supplied in all the necessa-
ries of life. which could be bought at rea-
sonable prices from all who had brought
surplus or supplies into the Hills to
sell.
The party having spent some three
weeks in exploring and looking over that
noted country, babe the jolly miners
adieu, and set out on their return, &C.
compa,,ied by the famous California
miner and prairie guide, "California Joe,''
who returned to Bismarck with the par
ty, and who will pass through Brainerd
the FIRST Of next week, in company with
several Of the leading business men of
Bismarck, en- route for St. Paul.
En- route from Cheyenne teams re-
quire eighteen to twenty days, while the
Bismarck party made the return trip in
the dead of winter in seventy-two hours,
and party made it last summer, with
pack mules, in eight days.
These comprise bare outline of the
facts concerning the richness and extent
of the diggings in the Black Hills, and
proof that cannot be gainsaid that the
route by the way Of the Northern Pacific,