The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1876-05-18
Discouraging Reports from the Black
Hills.

saws the st. Paul ftO79ccT-FfeSS OF MATCH
rs, returned yesterday, by the Sioux
City road, from the Black Hills. The
report he gives of the Hills is not cal
culated to induce any one from this Sec
ton of the country to go out there.
The story told by him is in substance that
the country is full of trouble, dissatisfac.
ton, want, suffering, land, in some places,
some gold, but thus far not much.
When Mr.. Robertson reached the
Hills in February last there were from
1900 to 2,000 people in the Hills, and
all the time he was there others were
continually arriving, and when he left
not less than 5000 were in the Hills
looking for sudden fortunes, but not
finding them. Others were still COM
ing in at the rate of from 800 to 500 per
day. Notwithstanding the hardship of
getting there and the still greater hard
ship after reaching the Hills, people are
focking in from all sections of the
country only to meet with disappoint-
ment, and at last go away good deal
worse off than they were when they
arrived there. On his way back to
Colorado, Mr.. Robertson met over
1000 people making their way
to the Hills, many of them without
blankets, or any thing to eat, and in no
wise provided for such trip into such
a country. Most of those in the Hills
are there to see others work, but not to
work themselves. They hope to obtain
gold without much labor, and rather
than work for it they will resort to all
sorts of shifts to live by trickery and
fraud, if not by downright murder and
robbery. The gambler and the sharper,
the outlaw and the tramp, the broken
down lawyer, and the political hummer,
all loaf around Custer and Hill City, all
hoping that something will occur by
which they can get something for moth
ing. Of course, there are many good
men there, but the great mass are as
above stated, and they are not likely to
improve by remaining. Mr.. Robertson
has no idea what all these men who are
flocking to the Hills are going to do for
subsistence. 1t is wild, uncultivated
country, and, if there is gold there in
paying quantities, which has not yet
been shown, the great majority Of those
there are not in any condition to getitout.
In regard to the question of whether
or not there is gold there, Mr.. Robert
son is of the opinion that the examine
tions that have been made do not war
rant any one in saying there is gold
enough to pay for digging. He visited
nearly all the gulches, except in the
northern part Of the Hills, and found
only two claims where they are working
to any purpose. These two had been
worked for some time, and the one that
yielded the best had not produced an
average of Is cents per day for the
working days. He does not desire to
have it understood that he intends to
say there is not gold enough in the Hills
to pay for working. He does say, how.
ever, that the experience thus far does
not warrant the belief that it can be
found there in paying quantities. Some
of the old California, Montana, and
Colorado miners think it possible that
gold may be found to considerable ex.
tent, but most of those who have tested
the claims do not like the looks. No
person can say with certainty, however,
that there are or are not rich diggings
there. Long experience and the expen-
diture of large sums of money will be
required before this question is
settled. One party from Colorado
had sunk fourteen or fifteen holes. In
the majority of these bedrock was
reached, and in all cases a little gold was
obtained, but not in paying quantities.
This party in two or three cases was
driven out by water or large powders.
Bedrock in Spring Greek varies in depth
from Is feet to rs feet. The creek falls
about 70 feet to the mile. The great
number of springs render drain ditch
ing absolutely necessary, therefore a
single claim must be very rich to paw
for opening. The usual mode is to form
a company of five or six claims of 500
feet each, and dig ditch through all,
Quartz mining is unknown. Mr.. Rob.
ertson met an old friend of his at the
Hills who had good deal of experience
in this mining business, who told him
there were not twenty men in the Hills
that are mining enough gold to pay for
what they eat. From what he saw, Mr.,
Robertson fully believes his friend was
right. No one from Colorado is going
to the Hills, and many of the old min,
ers are returning home, or going back to
thee Colorado or other mines. It is claimed
that the Powder River range and the Bic
Horn region, northwest of Black Hills,
on the line of the Northern Pacific
Road, contain large quantities OF
gold. This region, however, is held by
the Indians, and there is no possibility
of getting to it. II the Indians are
driven out so that the miners can get
in and examine, no doubt good many
people would 60 from the Black Hills
up there. Another gentleman who had
visited the claims of Custer and Hill