The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1876-09-15

ell BUNS; Lieut.. Green, from Cheyenne
to Ogden; Capt. Gregory, from Ogdento-
ward Sacramento, and Captain Huer
from Sacramento toward Ogden.
Character of the Black Hills Gold Deposits
There is one spot on Whitewood creek
where the rocks have apparently toppled
over and temporarily damned the
stream. Here the ~alluvial deposits are
very deep, as the whole basin has filled
up; and below this point, the gold dirt
is found near the top, while above it,
the gold lies very deep, gradually APP
preaching the surface as one goes up
stream. Then it begins to run deeper
again, and SO the depth fuctuates in
spots. At some points it is very rich,
the yield on one claim having been ST..
500 per day to each set of sluices, while
at other points it has not averaged over
So to 10 per man.
In some places, notably in Deadwood
creek, and some portions of Whitewood
creeks the particles of gold are found
very near the surface, while in other
places it runs lower and lower until it
can not be worked to advantage with
out more capital and machinery than
are now employed. Beyond claim No.
16 from discovery ON Deadwood creek
the. pay dirt apparently runs out but it is
believed that this is solely due to the
fact that the work has not proceeded
deep enough, and that possibly in some
spots it may be necessary to go dowri
nearly to the bedrock. This could not
be done without extensive hydraulic
machinery and for the present the most
work is done and the best results OBJ
tanned in the shallow claims. Yet fine
specimens have been taken from the
ridges more than two miles above the
point where the pay-dirt was supposed
to run out. This was obtained by drift
ing into a hillside nearly to the bedrock,
and it is therefore probable that equally
good results could be obtained all along
at a lower level.
With regard to the rock deposits,
there is no certainty as yet as to the ex-
istence of ''wall rock" still there are
ridges containing millions of tons of ore
which could be worked successfully and
as there is plenty of gold bearing quartz
to be had, it is immaterial whether it
exists in s'wal rock y or simply in de-
tached masses. There are some pecul-
~iarities of formation which make it APP
pear possible, that all this mass of rock
about the foot of the hills had slid off
from higher points above. In some
cases there are indications of immense
heat, while everywhere are visible the
effects of a heavy stream or other body
of water. At the points where the heat
has been SO intense (s'blow outs" they
are called) there are cases of the fusion
of a cement-like substance, in which are
often found fragments of quartz and
gold, showing that they had been fixed
there while the mass was in a semi-fluid
state. In another place a deep black
ore has been found, and the yield of
gold therefrom is very fair. As soon as
there are a few mills located in the vi
cinity of Deadwood, they will have
plenty to do, since there are numbers of
claims taken up among the quartz-leads
and the owners are only waiting for
mills to crush the ore.
When capital can be induced to invest
in the Hills, the production of gold will
exceed that of Colorado mines. When
the new treaty with the Sioux Indians
is completed, the land will be surveyed,
claims entered and recorded and patents
issued. Then things will come to light
which will place the richness of the Hills
beyond question.
There will be no difficulty this winter.
There are ample supplies to keep all the
present population for several months,
and there will be no trouble about
keeping up communication during the
winter. Indeed it will be safer than
at any other time, since the Indian does
not take to the war path until the snow
is gone.