The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-08-05
Truth About the Black Hins.

| truth About the bIhck hllls.
A correspondent of the Chicago Telegraph
who appears to have given the subject thor
ough personal examination, writes to that pa
per from Deadwood City, under date OF July
10th, as follows, by way of solving the co
nundrum whether gold digging in the Black
Hills country is likely to pay:
Immediately after transmitting my last
procured prospecting outfit and employed
an experienced assistant, to make personal
observations of the gold deposits in this VI
cinity. My attention was first directed &c
some of the richest claims. Much that has
been said of the great productions of the best
paving claims OF Deadwood ana Whitewood
gulchcs Is true; but it is far from true that
any considerable extent of ground in Dead
wood and Whitewood gulches is now paying
"fhbulously,' or
EVEN PAYING AT ALL.
But before entering upon details VIII give
the extent of the placer deposits tributary tC
Deadwood City and what l can ascertain OF
| their geographical position from the most
reliable data ut hand. Whitewood is the prin-
ciple gulch in extent, 1t being claimed that
| it has prospectcd extent of 20 miles; and
Deadwood, its principal tributary, is about
six miles in length. The general course or
trend is east and west, as is the case with all
other gold-bearing in the vicinity. Negro
gulch, from which very fine specimens OF
coarse gold have been taken, is 80 miles 10
the north of Deadwood, being a short trbu.
tary of Bear creek, or gulch. Bear gulch, 30
miles to the north, is quite extensive, the
gold coarse, but little ground yet opened.
Sand creek, G5 miles northwest, is many miles
- nfp a
but no regular pay-streak " yet struck; Pc.
tato and Tenderfoot gulches, % miles to the
northward, have some claims paying well,
and II nugget has been obtained from the
former Weighing nearly $3.50. Box Elder, ID
miles to the southwark, Is very extensive, but
no ground has yet been prospected which it Is
thought will "pay." At Rapid creek, 3j miles
to the sothward, the ground Is very deep, and
no bedrock yet reached; ii prospects well,
but can only be handled by capitalists jim
creek and Gold run are little tributary gull
ches which are said to yield well, or prom.
Use WELL a. some points Now all this ag.
grega,cs Il
TREMENDOUS EXTENT OF PLACER COUNTRY,
and If ii should even approximate in rich.
ness TO the deposits of some of the districts
in the old inning countries, il would afford
employment 10 ut least 100000 men; but the
placers here are undoubtedly spotted"
There are no regular deposits, and the cOun-
try IS as yet scarcely prospected at all. The
nearest railroad point is Bismarck, at the Ter
minous of the Northern Pacific, being about
240 miles northeast. The nearest posloilice
is at Fort PERRY, about 100 miles east from
which point the Chicago AID Northwestern
is reached by boat or STAGE, and Iankton,
$50 miles further. The most travel and freight
is from Laramie and Cheyenne, that being
the best protected route, with distance of
about 35Omiles TO the south. On an airline,
Dealwood City is about $50 miles distant
from Chicago, and about 1875 miles north of
west y railroad extension of 400 miles from
the Missouri river would give you
DIRECT RAIL COMMUNICATIONS
with this rich country, and | now know
enough Of It's present and prospective wealth
TO feel safe in predicting that you will have
this direct connection within the next three
years. Wildwood and Deadwood gulches
are now, and probably wlll continue 10 be,
great centres OF population and business A
bat very few claims have a. yet been opened.
they will be more populous and active next
year than they now are. Ten dollars 10 the
pan of dirt has been obtained in Wildwood
gulch, aud a man assuIes me that out of six
SUCCESSIVE Ihue Nhsutl lIbHA "a huiteNOnl
claim, he never got prospect with less than
So. Several claims on Deadwood are now
paying from $500 TO $3.50 day over ex
penses. One Deadyood clam has already
yielded its owners clear profit Of over 800,
900, and they are only getting 1t fairly open
ed. They expect TO realize million out Of
il. They bought II early IN the spring for
81 900; and II was offered last February for
a sack OF eour and 40 pounds Of beans The
adjoining claim pays nearly, II not quite as
we'll, and the number Of big paying claims
is increasing with every day developments
Some OF the richest ground, though claimed,
has probably yet 10 be opened, being held by
men who are not able TO open IT, But must
warn the adventurous young reader, who has
been thinking Of taking stripto the Black
Hills" to not get excited, for there certainly
Is ANOTHER SIDE 10 IRE srokT.
Hundreds and thousands are YEARLY irudg.
ing over the mountains without making ,