The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-08-05


ern homes, and promise themselves, If they
ret back in safety to 90 on no more "wlld
goose chases" These, however, as rule, are
men inexperienced in mining, and unused to
hard work land there is no harder toll than
gold miniDg) and who cannot, consequently,
secure employment in competition with OLD,
experienced mining men. Good miners have
no trouble believe, in getting employment
at from five TO SIX dollars a day. But com.
paratively few young men of the east would
think of coming to the Black Hills to work
for wages. The only inducement to make
the trip is the hope Of striking fortune
If they only had the figures, slowing how
few out of the aggregate number of seekers
find fortune in sold-mining countries this
hope would soon dissolve.
CHANCES OF SUCCESS
ARE indeed remote But money circulates
abundantly here, and men o: pluck and ener.
gy can scarcely fail in general bnsness en-.
terprises. There must be a steady improve
ment in general business for some years, as
we yet know but little of the extent Of the
mineral resources. Another season, at least,
will be required to even get the majority OF
the claims in Whitewood and DesdwOol gull
ches into proper working condition.
The chief object OF nay prospecting tour
was to study the geological formation, and
deduce, If possible, some rule to be observed
in eXplorlng-intendIng if / found a paying
claim, to make the most Of it. | failed in
finding paying claim, but as expected
should from the beginning, this was not a
crushing disappointment. But found this
that past experience in gold mining goes
for nothing here have said there were no
regular deposits. The precious dust Is
bnr In I ,lnr Ia
posts. The old "bedr and wash !"
theory is knocked all TO pieces BY the prac
teal experience of the Black hlll, There is
no bedrock - here, and but little wash :"
The original bed -rock-ii an old miner would
be allowed to speculate-has been torn to
atoms by some kind of a cOnvulion, and it
is run through the sluice. boxes ID sharp, an
gular fragments of slate. Neitlnr the gold
nor the rocks show the action of water to any
great extent In some places found coarse
particles of gold on the surface, II loose grav-
ell, and
NOT A COLOR
in the present rock.bed. There are places on
the SUBMITS of some OF the highest hills
which are very rlch-paying we'll to carry
the dirt down in gunny .sickS-whi little or
no pay is found in the guch deposits below
Pilgrims" find good pay in he most I'M
likely places, where an "old miner" would
no more think of looking tor god than in a
ledge of limestone. The gold apparently is
in secondary deposIs-that is, lfter having
first been deposited from the quartz veins, il
has again been scattered by subsequent con-
vulsions, and is now where you find it.'
Finding, on my arrival, great excitement over
gold bearing quartz veins, have given them
some attention. / have examined some rich
a n Oh, IL,
rock specimens being spangled al over with
free gold. AS the owners call these well.
defined veins, they will thank ne, probably,
for not designating them by name. Some Of
them may lead to regular veins, hut they GER
talnly do not IN themselves bear the eviden.
ces of :" true assure veins | haH seen some
well.detined lodes here, which | believe to
be rich IN mineral, but they SHOW nothing to
excite anybody. Usually quartz which is re.
markedly productive at the surfGe 1Oes not
hold out SO well as that Of moder,te richness
Long tunnels must be run in It practical
polnts-Ione have b:en so startedyet, | think
and deep shafts must be sank TO find the
gold if there is any.
have not yet visited the agricultural dis.
tricts. The Speartish valley, l. miles west
of Deadwood, is said TO be fertile, and a fine
grazing section. Forty or fifty
FARM LOCATIONS
have already been made there, ant little
town established. ! have n, doabt general
farming will prove successful here, in favor
able localities. as there are ,ome fourishing
gardens in Wildwood ant Deadwood gul-
ches, high up in the mouutdns.
Rains are very frequent lere, accompanied
by terrific electrical phenomena; Days warm
and nights cool and pleasait Though there
are no mosquitoes inthe Hills, il is the most
insectiierous region, 10 thesummeT season,
ever visited outside the tropics,
BUGs AND PLIES swARNIy4 EVERYWHERE.
An expedition Of 20 men.ei out fUm Dead
wood City day before yesterday !o' The Big
Horn mountains They vii 20 ig way OF
the head of the Rosebud, where u is said /
there Is a flourishing LITTLE caTnpDi noun /
tain miners, who have stuck paying dig. I.
gings. This camp Is said 10 beAboui l2j
miles northwest Of DesdwuoG City It's re-
ported here that paying diEgiDgs -4yc Also
been discovered in The Owl Creek Mountains,
one of the western head iribU'sriesN the Big |
Horn. | hear of sull another larE e1pell- !
ton organizing for the Biz Horn 0untry.
Emigration continues u pour iu'uhe HIS.
and tie population j. now estlmatd al from
5 O00 TO 10000. The latest who arrred report
that they had no trouble with 10 Indians,
and few were seen b. them. Toe warriors
are all doubtless concentrated OF cooperating /
in harrassing the troops 10 The ed. But
here are small struggling parties u hos'ilcs
around the Hills, beyond doubt hey made
l raid on herd OF horses down Mar Crook
City, Il miles below here, q igwdays ago,
md succeeded in getting away 81 half Il
loZen head.
LIBERAL REPUBLICANS