, 1876-04-21
The Black Hills.

A correspondent of the Denver, Col
oradO, Ners writes from Fort Laramie,
Wyoming Territory, under the date Of
February 26th, as follows:
think a few facts may deter some
persons from going where thousands will
find nothing but disappointment. ar
rived here ycsterday from the "Hills," ="
and, like many Others, found had made
great mistake in going there. Persons
going to the Hills with the expectation
of finding gold without digging hard for
it will be grieYOusly disappointed. As
general thing the diggings are deep-frnm
fifteen to thirty feet-the country is fiat
(the gulches have but little falD and great
expense is attached to opening claims in
most localities. Very little prospecting
has been done, and but little gold has
been taken out. At Custer City mining
is entirely ignored, and town lot specula-
ton and house building have taken the
place Of mining. Everybody owning
claims there is on "the SELL" A very
few claims in any Of the gulches are
showing paying prospects. There is water
only about three months in the year, and
claim must betirst-clnss to pay expenses.
1t win take three months to open a claim
at Custer. Deadwood Creek, ninety miles
north of Custer, is probably about as good
as anything found there yet, and in this
gulch there seems to he a second deposit
of gold, in about two feet of earth, and it
prospects tOlerably we'll. But below this
is from six to eighteen feet that contains
but little gold until bed is reached,
and then five dollars to the pan will not
more than pay for working. The new
comers are very much excited, but the
old miners are all anxious to sell. If
there are any mines in the Black Hills
that will warrant Il stampede like the
present one, | have failed To find them.
And that is the honest verdict of all par
ties with whom have talked who know
anything about mines. They may yet
discover rich diggings, but they certainly
have not got them now, aud the chances
for another California are not good.
1t makes ones heart sick to see the
poor devils who are going to the mines
minus money, blankets, grub, or even
guns. They may be met by dozens beg
ging their way; and the weather for the
past month has been cold, windy and ex-
tremely disagreeable, and there are no
ranches beyond Fort Laramie where these
impecuniOus tramps may find shelter.
ThoFe are thousands of acres Of ground
in Colorado as good as the Black Hills
mines. There are, | admit, few good
claims there, but if then are as rich as
represented, why do all fhe miners Yant
to 8 ',d rihyu ~ - nrr.,,nI inri
north to the Big Horn to ind more7
Flour and groceries have been obtain
able at prices quite reasonable at the
mines, and this has proved fortunate
fact, for but few had taken in more than
enough grub to last them on the way.
COru is $1S per 100 pounds. Freight
from Cheyenne has shot up from three to
six cents to twelve and twenty cents Der
pound. don't see how those blanketiess
and penniless fellows will lind grub, un-
less ground hogs and prairie dogs are
plenty.
On an average, about forty persons
leave Cheyenne every day, and these are
not a tenth part of the arrivals at the
Hills. At the present rate Of immiQra-
ton there will be from 10000 to $4,000
persons in the Hills by the 1st Of July,
and, judging by my own observations,
Rine-tenrhs Of them will be disappointed
and disgusted-a starving crowd, as most
of them have their last dollar invested in
their outfit. If the mines should turn
out good, year hence is soon enough to
60 there.
My advice to the majority is, that If
they can get agood chance to make board
and clothes, they had better give the
Black Hills wide berth, for before an
other sixty days passes a change will
take place, and an army of disguised and
foOt-sore gold seekers will turn home
ward.