The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1877-03-22
THE BLACK HILLS.
EOW THE BOYS LIVE WHO ARE DIGGING
MONEY IN SITTING BULLS PRESERVE.
From the Denver Tribune


MONEY IN SITTING BULLS PRESERVE.
From the Denver Tribune.
III. Il. Johns, of Greeley, in letter gives
the following particulars about his recent
trip to the Black Hills country and expert
ence therein We had but three pleasant
days from Greeley to Custer City, and part
| of the time it seemed almost impossible to
keep from freezing. But the night we
passed Alkali Springs, nearly two hundred
miles from Cheyenne, was the toughest
we found on the entire trip 1t is bleak.
dcsolute place on the open prairie-no wood
no shelter, and the hills all covered with
snow. We camped here about , o'clock in
! the afternoon, and an hour afterward a cold
| storm came up from the north, driving the
snow IN every direction, sending it in drifts
IN the corral we had formed with our wa
! gons until it was ten inches deep on our
beds. The next morning the thermometer
! stood % degrees below zero, and as the
stage came along the passengers were too
! glad to avail themselves of the handful of
fire we had to keep from freezing. Nearly
all OF US troze our fingers and ears, while
| George Barns trozc one of his feet quite
badly while in bed, but was not aware Of it
until next morning. The next day the storm
continued until we reached Alum Springs.
when it cleared up, but was awful cold.
every breath freezing our whiskers. The
snow continued getting deeper until we
reached Custer-in many places it drifted
so badly that we had to shovel our way
through. At Pleasant Valley, nine miles
from Custer, | had the misfortune to lose
horse. He got loose in the night. pulled
fifty pound sack Of -four out Of the wagon,
and at 1 0 clock the next evening he ''passed
in his checks" We reached Custer on
, the 23d OF January, in good health and ap-
petlteS that were luminous to Il hotel keep,
er. Here we left our wagons and built us
sleds out of pine, loaded for other parties
for DeadwOOd, and stored our goods. We
took $500 pounds to a sled, at four cents
per pound, but would have done better had
we taken 800 instead of ,, 800, for the roads
were horrible.
We were six days getting to Deadwood.
and our teams looked as though they had
been drawn through knothoe After
discharging our freight we drove up to the
Buffalo Corral, kept by two Greeeyites.
John Harris and William Lynn, Who are
in good spirits and doing well. About
month ago they bought the place they now
occupy for $500 and they were offered
$4,000 for the place, in my presence, a few
days ago. The next day was spent in look
ing around. We went up Deadwood Greek
to Gayville, South Bend, Central, Golden
Gate and Gold Run, finding the miners all
busy in washing out the dirt they had been
drifting through all winter. and meeting
with good results. Two miles Of Dead
wood Creek is very rich, paying from $500
to 81 800 day to four men. The balance
of the creek pays good wages, say about
twenty five dollars day to the man, while
Whitewood aud Gold Run are some better,
but the Placer mines are not the prominent
mines of the country. Some very rich
ledges have lately been discovered, two of
which sold, only last week, one for $4,000
and the other for $4,000 cash. Three
months ago the young men who sold these
lodges were not worth a dollar in the world.
while number of sales Of less importance
have also been madc The country Is com
pletely covered with quartz, the lodges
cropping out everywhere. Five lodges are
actually worked by mills now in operation,
and three mills more are on the road up to
be erected on Whitewood, and large guam
titles Of ore piled waiting for them. The
Black Hill contain population Of about
10000, while 5000 are concentrated at
Deadwood, and as you stand at the head Of
Main street on Sunday and look down
through the principal street, you see per-
feet jam Of men on every side. Sunday is
the great day in the mines, and merchants
and business men look forward to this day
as their harvest. Money is getting plenty,
and but very little cry Of hard times, yet
there are a great many idlers herc-men
that are cursing the country and trying to
get away, while others seem to be satisfied |
and happy. My opinion is that the Black
Hills have not been ovcrrated but offer
better inducements to men Of energy and |
perseverance than any other country in the |
world and now is the time to strike them
for they are yet in their infancy, but in my
Judgment, will convince the most credulous
as to their richness the coming summer.