The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-04-04

creek, Rapid creek, and Castle creek to
be frauds and shams, as they most likely
will prove to be--the Black Hills are des-
tined 70 become densely populated and
rich in cattle and sheep, Is we'll a. great
wheat and hay producing region. These
hills will support two Or three millions Of
people and myriads of cattle, horses, and
sheep.
Three fourths of those who come to the
Black Hills are disappointed. Almost
al who arrive are poor rs poverty can
make them. They come with the expec
tatiNp of becoming suddenly rich. and e1-
pect b take pick and shovel and make
ten or twenty dollars per day. They
have read the lying, sensational reports
sent from Sioux City, Bismarck, Omaha
and Cheyenne, and come out to Gustav to
find themselves duped, and halt of them
without dollar to 60 back with. The
Black Hills are full of these victims to
the sensational advertising Of frontier
towns, some of whom have paid letter
writer's and correspondents in the hills.
Clerks come here to live on their wits;
mechanics are working for their board;
gamblers are seeking out scanty liveli-
hood, loaang around one of the thirty
log-cabin saloons, playing ten.cent
"ante," or five-cent "blind." Miners do
not stop here, but either 60 back or start
over the hills to the new diggings. Law
yers, doctors, spectators of all classes,
are hanging on to the ragged-edge like
so many Micawbers. Good log-choppers
get Sc per day; grocery dealers make 100
per cent. and saw-mill men make q for.
tue. Nine-tenths of the people IN the
hills are in chronic state Of "hard up"
most of them have few weeks provi
sions; they can have town lot for the
asking. Many build cabin or dig a
cave, and live and grumble all day long.
There is little money here, and that little
is constantly growing less, being sent 10
Cheyenne for supplies. Men must eat,
and this mountain air gives each and all
voracious appetite; but then city of
consumers, with no producers, and no
other resources than the pockets OF the
broken, bankrupt specializing slender
feet" daily arriving here, is not the hap
piest spot on earth. know am writing
treason right here in the center of lot
OF duped, desperate and--strange
men, who have watched me closely since
nv arrival, to see whether l intended to
denounce and injure their country. But
l ain candid, and do not intend to de-
ceive; hence it becomes impossible for
me to put the "gilt edge upon my letters
from this mlsnamed land of golden gulch-
es.
Parties coming to the Black Hills-and
l honestly believe these hills offer bet
ter inducements and announcements to
capital and labor than any Western ter
ritory-should keep themselves we'll In
formed as to the best mode 10 reach the
hills and what they want to do when they
reach here. Cheyenne is the best place
to start from. They say it is only 27O
miles from Cheyenne to Gustav, and the
schedule time ten days. l kept record
OF of the distance with good roadomster
upon one of our wagons, and 1t showed
$40 miles, aud have yet to see train
arrive in Gustav in less time than thir-
teen days from Cheyenne.
Now about getting here. The regu-
lar price of passage from Cheyenne to
Gustav is $40 and $35, and &c per pound
for freight or provlsions-this by wagons
drawn by skeleton horses. or bucking
baIky bronchos. A mans provisions and
passage cost him at least $50 for the
round trip over, and he lnvariabl y walks
four ffths of the way. Ninety-nine-hun
dredths of the people now in the hills
paid for the privilege of walking here.
How? say you. Why, this way: Five
or six men take passage on wagon
which is to start from Cheyenne in the
morning. They get their mess.kit and
bedding ready at their hotel; the team
drives up loaded down with freight.
Whats that in the wagonT ask the
passengers. "Thats feed for
the animals" says the sarcastic driver
with a grin. That "feed" cost 2! cents
per pound in Cheyenne, and sells readily
in Gustav ut II cents per pound Per
haps two or three sacks are used on the
VOYAGE over, and the eight or nine re-
naming are sold here for 10 or II cents
per pound. The teams are heavily load
ed before the victimizcd passengers are
called for, hence they not only walk, but
push up the steep hills, of which there
are not a few. The best way is to buy
tough "broncAo" pony, hire your food
hauled and sell your pony here for what
it cost in Cheyenne. Flour In Gustav
sells at $40 per 100 pounds; bacon, 70 |
cents per pound; venison, 10 cents per
pound; coffee, q pounds for 81; sugar % |
cents per pound, and dull; butter scarce
at 60 cents eggs in demand at Is cents
per dozen; vinegar, IS cents per gallon,
and none in the market; postage stamps,
10 cents each; water favored with whis-
XIV, % cents per drink; shave, 80 cents;
cigars, 25 to so cents. Dry goods, none
in the market. Women in demand; none
offered; all engaged. General merchan-
disc, 100 per cent. above Cheyenne prices.
Money scarce and getting scarcer. Gold,
none offered.