, 1876-07-23
THE BLACK HILLS.
What Capt. Jack Crawford Has to
Say Of Them.
Richness of the Gold N1ines--
Work Done on the Lodges.
Deadwooa City, and How They Amuse
Themselves There.
ALI Ready for the Indians..- How to Get
Into the Country.

Among the prominent guests at the fremont
House is Capt. Jack Crawford, OF Custer City,
Dakota, who is known beyond the Missouri as
"Capt. Jack" He Is 1 native OF PENNSYLVANIA,
about % years Of age, feet II inches in height,
slightly but compactly built, aud has black hair,
dark eyes, and fair eomplexion,-a very good
looking fellow indeed, but not of the ss Buffalo
Bill type, civilization having mellowel his
countcnance and given him the appearance and
manners OF q gentleman. He wore suit Of
t light clothes Of good cut and material, the
conventional slouch hat, hickory shirt, with
! black tic, and moccasns.
DURING THE WAR;
After serving three years In the Army of the
Potomac, being wounded at spottsylyania and
Petersburg, he was discharged when II years
old, and Immediately started for the plains, his
experience in Virginia having made an cratic
life preferable to that OF peaceful but monot-
onous country home. From 1864 until the
Black Hills excitement he lived in Colorado
and Nevada, becoming scout after he had
learned the trails and lay Of the country. He
was among the first to go into the Hills, and
last winter was Chief Of the "Blacl Hills
Rangers, ,'-an organization whose duty it is to
protect the miners, and to prevent, If possible,
the Indians from rafsing the scalps Of cmi-
grants. His business in Chicago has been
to exhibit specimens Of gold ore taken from
Lodges in the hills, aud to disprove the state
mcnts that gold is not to be found there in
paying quantities. For the purpose Of learning
the situation in the Hills at the present time,
TRIBUNE reporter called on "Capt. Jack" last
evening, and found him writing to friend at
Custer City, advising him that he had receiY-
ed
TELEGRAM FROM 'sBuFrALo BILL"
whence they were to 60 to Gen. Crook ss to at-
tend to business.'' The Captain is somewhat
Of poet, aud, in closing his letter, after tell
ing his "pard'' that he would often think Of
the "boys,' he wrote to him:
And il should lose my hair, pasd,
In the midst OF the fiery fray,
You bet I'll be doing my duty
With heart Just Us light and gays.
And I'm sure that my pards on Deadwood,
On Whitewood and Bobtail too.
viii give me bully good sond-
And, say old pard, won't your
So fare ye well, Jimmie Woolsey,
DUST soy goodbye to the boys.
We 1oughed it all winter together,
Mid hardallips, and sorrows, and joys.
May Alpha turn out 4 bonanza;
I'm snre she'll do all OF that;
Success to the boys and the lasees,
And Jimmie OF Noolsey's Flat
After the reporter had thanked him for this
specimen Of bis genius, the following CONVERSE
ton took place:
"When did you leave the Hills2"
"On the 23d Of June last.''
sHow we're things then.''
"1oyELY. CLAIMS WERE OPENING Up srLEN-
D1DLY.
/ saw eight pounds Of dust taken from Bots
ford's claiu1-a fifteen hours run with ten men
and two sets Of sluices."
"Whcre is BotsfOrlfs c1aim!n
.tOn Whitewood, : miles below Dcadwood''
tTs IT. tr11e that S2 210 were taken mt in ope
day from claim?''
II saw that statement in newspaper, and I
believe it. The Pioneer, published in the Hills,
stated the other day that 81 900 had been taken
out on claims II and Is o!1 Deatlwood. That
would be $50 ounces for (. days work.
"Are there other claims equally as good Us
thosei' 2 :si ... . ,..o.. ,..,,,. 49,. -. ,
big,' and not one OIL DealWood Creek that IS
not paying expenses. Cannon only paid his way
for n time, but he pcgged away with the ex-
pectation Of bringing it out, and he has struck
paying ore"
MACHINERY.
stHas any machinery been put up yet 7"
S:No, except saw-nlil1s. There arc three Of
them, and each one turns out from 10000 to
5000 feet day, but they could not supply the
demand"
stWhat are the facilities for milling ~
ssVery good. The timber is excellcnt,-equ
to that Of the Sierra Ncvadas. 1t is mostly |
pine. And there is water within from quarter |
to three-quartcrs OF mile from all the ledges |
now being worked"
ssHow are the mining operations carried on.''
'tWith picks and shoyels-placer mining al
s'rhe ore is crushed and then syashed!"
stYes. There nre no mills yet. The ledges
are some OF the finest in the world. Ali shat is
needed is capital to develop them"
"How is the ore crushed!"
"With hammer mills worked by steam"
& mi tharo ia Y,Gpnfv nf IT, n rr1lSh4 u