The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1876-05-30
A FRESH BREEZE FROM THE HILLS.
Ga ND Euien, the Latest Arr Val. Gives
hLs 0PiaiSa Of Ihs New ri
Dorado and Ils Prospects.

tAlf- Dayaa Ettlen, q gentleman
who has had many years experience
among C~alifornia's rich placers, and
who recently went to the Black Hills
on a tour of inspection, left Custer
City May Goth, arriving here Sun
day morning.
Mr.. Ettien went into the Hills to
prospect, and e for himself whether
there is gold there. He visited the
numerous gulches about Custer City,
and with his own hands washed out
pan after pan of dirt. He states
that he went to the tops of hills,
along their sides and penetrated
heavy forests, in every locality gath
ering dirt and washing, and that
he found the i" color in every pan
of dirt, no matter where he took it
from.
He brought with him over two
thousand dollars worth of the finest
gold We have ever seen brought from
the Hills. He exhibited his treas
ure to many of Jul citizens, but re-
fused to sell any of it as he intended
to take it to Denver for the purpose
Of convincing the people of hat vii
lage, and especially the doubling
newspaper men of Denver, that gold
in paying quantities, is being found
in the Black Hills.
Mr.. Ettien says he visited all the
mining camps northwest of Custer,
and found the best prospects near
the Wyoming line, on Deadwood and
Whitewood creeks, and Iron and
Sand creeks, and in Bear gulch. He
spoke of a party named Carr, who is
working fifteen men on Deadwood,
and cleans up, on an average, $3.50
per day.
All the good claims within safe
distance of these several creeks are
taken up, and Mr.. Ettien says, pros
pecting beyond the line is hazardous,
as the Indians are hemming in the
miners on all sides. If the fear of
Indians did not prevent them. a
multitude of miners would go farther
west, to the Bear Lodge district,
where most excellent prospects were
discovered last autumn. Provisions
are getting plenticr in the Hills, and
especially in Custer, where the
miners get their supplies, but at a
high figure.
Mr.. Ettien says that the richest
mining districts will yet be discov-
cred on the Wyoming (western) slope
of the Hills, but not until the Indian
troubles are settled. Much business
is being done in selling claims to new
corners who have means to buy.
Claims are being sold at prices rang
ing from $500 to $4,000. Some of
those claims, after a days work and
cleaning up, will average $50 per
day to the man.
Among the lots of gold brought
by Ettien were five bottles, most
of which is very coarse gold,
several large nuggets being
mixed with the dust. One bottle
contained $116.25, valued at $18
per ounce, and was taken out in
Deadwood. A second contained
$96.20, valued at $40 per ounce,
from Bear creek. A third contained
1925, worth $50 per ounce, from
French creek. A fourth contained
sos, worth $50 per ounce, from
Spring creek, and the fifth, 1925,
worth $40 per ounce, from Sand
creek.
On the morning that Mr.. Ettien
left Custer a man arrived there from
Deadwood with SIS, 1000 in gold, which
he desired to sell, and Ettien says he
could easily have purchased $4,000
worth of gold if he had possessed the
requisite funds. He says gold is
plentiful in Custer, being the regu-
lar article of exchange in lieu of
greenbacks or coin.
Ettien denounces the stories re-
Gently published, to the effect that
Custer City is almost deserted, as
false, and states that when he left
there were fully 1900 people there,
and he thinks not less than 1000.
Large numbers of men are constant
ly departing for the north, but their
places are Immediately filled by new
arrivals.
Ettien came out with . party of
eighty-four men and twenty-five wa
CONS. They were not molested by
Indians, and saw none on the road.
At Custer, however, Indians are fire.
quently seen, and the miners carry
their arms with them to their claims
with as much regularity as they car
ry their shovels or pans. He states
that large numbers of miners, lured
by the captivating stories told of the
Big Horn gold fields, are anxious to
visit that region, and promise, if the
government will only furnish them
supplies, that they will clean out the
Indians and open up the country for