The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1876-06-23
Letter from the Black Hills.
From the Audubon Journal, June II.

From the Audubon Journal, June III
The Black Hills reports begin to
take on a better shade of "color"
than heretofore. Wea permitted
to make extracts from a letter writ
ten at Crooks City, by J. Emmeluth,
former editor of the Journal, to a
citizen of Audubon. After describ-
ing the situation and speaking of
the prospects of their newspaper
enterprise (Which he says exceeds
their most ardent expectations Mr.
Emmeluth says:
"Crooks City, where we are now
located, is a new town started about
four weeks since. 1t is situated at
the foot of Whitewood gulch, one
of the richest yet discovered i: al
ready has large population, daily
and rapidly increasing. x
This place is the outlet to the entire
Deadwood country, and will doubt
less become the supply point for the
entire region. Houses are going
Cp by the dozen and on the out
skirts of the town are scores of
tent towns Five wagon trains are
in corral about one fourth of mile
from town, aud dense herds of
horses and cattle strongly guarded,
cover the valleys. In town all is
life. The supply stores are doing
heavy business, but the saloons, of
which there are plenty, double dis
count them in that respect.
Tell the boys that there is gold here
in the Hills and plenty of it. Bob
Tail, Split Tail, Deadwood, White
wood aud Spear Fish gulches are
rich in deposits, but every foot OF
them has been claimed and much of
them is now being worked.
Charlie Jacobs owns and is working
a claim in Deadwood gulch. He
was IN town on Sunday, in attend
ance at the miners meeting, and
1t was there we met, and you may be-
lleye it was jolly meeting we two
had. Of course we had a long
chat over old times and exchanged
notes. Charles fatheris also here
following the trade of house builder
He is dong well at it, and informs
me that Charlie is making from $40
TO $50 per day on his claim. Many
Of the claims are paying twenty-five
cents per pan, and when bed rock
is reached, as high as 81 per pan is
expected. Quartz is discovered
somewhere about the head of
Whitewood gulch. The discovery
Is OF very recent date, and nothing
definite in regard thereto has yet
been learned. Provisions are very
high: Flour, $40 per cwt. Bacon,
35 cents per pound; Baking Pow
der, $ per pound: Hams, 40 cents
per pound, and everything else in
proportion; flour has been as high
as thirty-five dollars per hundred
this spring, and at one time money
could not buy it. If any of the
boys come out, it would be we'll for
them to lay in at least six months,
supply. It will be money in their
pockets to do so.
I do not wish to be understood
as advising any one to come to the
Hills; far from it. What might
suit me might not satisfy others.
SO far | am perfectly satisfied with
the prospects. The mines wher-
ever worked pay well, and the min
ers all have gold. On all sides we
see evidences of prosperity gold in
plenty and abundance of work for
Ilaboring men and get, in the midst
of all this men are leaving the
country, cursing it as they go and
cursing the men that led them to
take the step. Wages are from tour
to FIVE dollars per day for ordinary
labor. In the saw-mill they pay $50
per month and board. 1t is hard
work any way you take it.
f Donald Stevenson, who came ou
in our train with ten wagons loaded
with -four and provisions, returns t.
Bismarck tomorrow with $4,000 il
gold dust, having sold goods u
, that amount since our arrival eigh
J days ago. He has probably CLEARED
at least $4,000 on the trip. He vii
reload at Bismarck with provision
and return Immediately with fort
, wagons"