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

Extracts from the Letter Ofan Expe
rienced Miner.


rieneed Miner.
Kansas City Times, March %.
Every days sojourn IN these diggings
adds to the accumulated evidence show
ing this gold excitement to be one of the
most stupendous frauds Of the age. That
gold does exist here upon French creek,
or Spring creek, and other streams in the
Black Hills, do not pretend to deny. L
know that gold exists here, for l lave
seen it taken out, and haye washed 1t out
myself; but 1t has not been found yet in
quantities to pay miners wages. There
is ONLY one mine in this district being
worked, and that worked by man nam
ed Sweeney, assisted by young man
named Csvanaugh. They work every
day, and this is what they report. Said
Sweeney last night waile we sat by the
side O. the moonlt gulch:
"These mines are fraud. | have
prospec:ed in every hole along this gulch
where / was allowed to pan out dirt, and
| have never found dirt which will pay
wages. am the only miner working his
claim in this gulch, and what L say l
stick to and challenge contradiction. And
this is what l say: A good miner can
make from two to three dollars per day,
bu. poor one can't make his salt"
No one here cares to contradict old
man Sweeney, and all the practical min
ers lniorse his assertion. 1t only real
estate brokers and mine spectators who
endeavor to keep up this fiction about
rich diggings on French or Spring creek
| have made daily and diligent search for
a sight o: some gold mineral IN the bills,
but MS vet have not seen ten dollars
worth in Gustav. None has been sold
here since my arrival.
1t is rich land. But the absence OF
gold in quantities sufficient to pay for
mining should not deter those seeking
lovely and beautiful homes from coming
here. The soil is deep black loan; IN
no place have ! found It less than four
feet in depth. There are countless springs
Of nure water. Inexhaustlble bodies OF
nine timbers cover the rocky places IN the
hills. while the valleys are open and clear
of both brush, rock and timber, Inns
pir @ makes clean white lumber, and there
are hundreds of miles Of it awaiting own
ers. Grass grows in the valley knee high
and forms a sod equal in density to the
Kentucky blue grass sod. Under the
pine trees the gamma grass and punch
grass grow more luxurlantly than upon
the plains, and even now can gather the
green grass by handsful rs | rambie
through the woods, which are,clear OF un'
dcrbrush. Valuable beds Of mica or ISM
GLASS have been found. Cement. CHINA
bar, fire clay, lead, iron, coal and lime,
stone | have found in various portions oi
the hills, the lead, iron and coal IN I'M
mense quantities.
1t is ten days or more since we came
into the Hills, and during all that time
overcoats have been dispensed with, ana
two-thirds OF the time l lave been In m y
shirt-sleevs.. The nights are calm ana
frosty. the mornings misty and foggy, ana
the afternoons and the middle OF the days
warm An bright. There has been very
little snew here this winter, none since
we arrived here. A little snow yet re-
mains on the northern slopes Of the high
est peaks, Plums, cherries, Strawberries,
blackberries, rsspberries and cu'rants are
found wild IN all the valleys. Garden
seeds, such Ms radishes, turnips, beans
peas and wstermelons, planted near the
stockade last April, were found matured
in August, when the settlers returned,
and several bushels Of fine potatoes were
dug up from the rubbish left by the
soldiers, where they had thrown out their
potato parings. Showers Of rain fell nere
all through the spring ard summer
months, and old trappers snd hunters
with whom l have conversed, say the ell
mate is one of the milaet and most de-
lightful on earth.
The absence Of gold and silver in pay
ing quantities in these placer mines does
not preclude the possibility Of the exis'
tence of rich placer digglngs in the new
| Undiscovered Deadwood and Iron creek
districts on the north side OF the hills
Two.,hirds of the people who arrive al
Gustav go on over the hills to Dead wood
and the Iron creek diggings, where sil
per day diggings are reported. Few ~ae
| 90 over come back here, and those VINO
do invariably go back to their claims Al
ter purchasing food. Immense quart
lodes have been discovered, but the ao
sence of an sssayer in the hills has pre-
vented test being made An envoy
from the miners leaves Custar to-day u
carry specimens OF quartz to ouaha
Should these assays equal the eIpecistlo,
of the prospectors and miuers the biael
Hills will soon be full Of quartz mills
But even without further discoveries 0
gold or nlver-and conceding that IN
placer mines Of French creek, Sprinf