The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1876-03-10
FRIDAY, MARCH 10. 1876.
DIR. SILAS REED.
Oar Late Surveyor General Heard From.
He Favor the Cheyenne Route TO the
Black Hills.

Our friend, DIR. Resd, late Survey
or General of this Territory, a gentle
man we'll known and of great ipIu-
ence in Missouri and elsewhere,
writes as follows to the st. Louis
Times on the Black Hills question:
Permit me to Jay a few words to
men who propose to go to the Black
Hills this spring, and are in doubt
as to the best, safest, quickest and
cheapest route to take from Missouri
and Illinois. l do this because one
OF your correspondents has quoted
the authority of Gov. Pennington, of
Dakota, in favor of the Yankton and
Fort Pierre route.
The governor says: "All persons
going into the Black Hills are tres
passers; but II people will go there,
their best route is by way of Yank-
ton, Forts Randall and Pierre. Any
person who does not know this, and
Is fool enough to go all the way to
Cheyenne and then come back TO the
Black Hills, ought o TO go at ALL"
This Governor does not seem to
have a correct idea of the topography
and geography of Cheyenne and the
Black hills. The latter are almost
due north of Cheyenne-from which
place it is only lS2 miles to Red Cloud
and Spotted Tail Agencies, which
are located in the edge of the south
ern foot hills Of the Black Hills prop
er. / would prefer my chances of
comfort and speed by the Cheyenne
route at double the fare charged by
heYankton route. First-class ticket
fare from here to Cheyenne via
Omaha, is $3.50. With a through
ticket l suppose 1t would be less, and
also about the same via Kansas City
and Denver. Indeed, by your morn
ing paper l see that tickets are offer
ed at the Missouri Pacific Railroad
Office, under the Planters House, for
certainly cheap enough, l think.
east meet the crowd all the time
coming in from Colorado, Utah, Ne
vadis, Idaho, and California. and can
have plenty of company any day to
journey towards the Black Hills,
without danger from Indians. The
road is good and direct, and all the
time freight trains or stages are close
atlliand, If not in sight.
Twenty men could load a wagon
with tools and provisions, and keep
along with 1t on foot. Few men
ought to go there who are too feeble,
lazy, DE- proud TO walk over that
smooth, dry road. At Cheyenne they
a buy all they need of tools. or
other OUTFIT, as cheaply as at Yank-
ton, or anywhere else, with freight
added AS to the "trespassing' part
Of the, business, that is played out, at
least, I aln rejoiced to know.
Our hardy pioneers have entered
the Black Hills, and are bound to
stay there. They have been going
there since last autumn they have
been there all winter, and are firmly
resolved to stay there.
They are numerous enough now
to whip all the Indians who may at
tempt to enter the Hills and drive
them from their mines, though they
a annoy, and by surprises, kill
some OF the whites around the base
of the hills.
Gen. Crook knows and anticipates
this danger, and is now moving his
army tVprotect the miners, aud he'll
do 1t effectually, no doubt.
The Indians have lived there for
generations, and knewthere was gold
there, and in the BIgHorn, but never
mined for It. What the poor squaws
would sometimes pan out, in both
mountains, would find its way to the
post trader at Fort Laramie, where /
saw some of 1t in 1870.
From the Missouri River to the
Black Hills the wild Indians occupy
most of the country, and miners
would have to go in large bodies, and
in best fighting trim, to be safe. To
go In a stage at regular times, and
not protected by a large force, would
be inviting certain death.
We own no stock in stage lines in
Wyoming, nor houses or lots in Chey-
enne, and, therefore, have NJ pecuni-
airy interest in advising our young
men to 60 the Cheyenne route.
Those who go from Northern Him
OILS, Iowa and Minnesota, and desire
to go in large companies with supply
trains, should, perhaps, take The
Yankton route.
But if I wished to go there early
in the spring, and also safely and
comfortably, and cheaply, l would
not hesitate a moment to go via
Cheyenne, even at the risk of being
considered a fool by SO wise a man as
a Dakota Governor.
Respectfully Yours,
~ AS SIIAS REED.