Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-11-21

Election Top,o. and ,s ksss Nine Troubles.
Editorial Correspondence.

Editorial correspondence.
=. DEADwOoD, Nov. IA, 1877.
Il To reach Deadwood one drops from th
# clouds into a huge crack In the earth. TIL,
opening 10 the gulch which Yields tho roc
!. of all evil in sufficient quantities to rende
Deadwood one of the busiest spots In th
> entire mining region of America. 1t |
, walled in on the right and on the left b!
hills which rise hundreds of feet almos
perpendicular, and leave its denizens only
small strip of sky to half break their neck
, in trying to look al. 1t is the bed OF To,
. Whitewood and the bed of the Desdwooc
creeks. Small mountain runs they are, anG
in and over them and along the PERCEPTION.
faces Of the pine clad hills is the city ol
Deadwood and it's suburbs built. 1t begins
with Etizabethtown on the north, and runs
up the gulch q distance Of four miles a,
least, taking in its course Deadwood prop
er, GaYville and Central City. This is an
almost continuous settlement, and consists
mainly of business houses. Among them
winds the creeks which drains this region,
aud its waters are thick aud red with the
refuse from the stamp mills at Central and
Gayville, which are busy night and day
crushing the golden mineral and separating
therefrom the yellow particles which have
brought people and prosperity TO the will
derness of two years ago. The settlement
and rapid growth Of these mining towns is
a result which astonishes even those who
have taken up their abode therein. If l re.
member rightly it is not more than two
years since Pearson lifted the frs golden
speck from the waters of Deadwood creek,
and that Was the beginning OF its history.
1t is less than three years ago that john
| Goldnn and his squad Of adventures came
into Yankton from the wilderness of the
Black Hills and told the story Of his gold
discovery and exhibited specimens OF what
he had taken from the soil of the Then al
most unknown gold fields of Dakota. II
was his success which turned toward the
Hills the eyes of the world and Sent its
laden trains and eager thousands across the
prairies to this new gaol OF the fortune
hunter. 1t was Pearson, of Yankton,
whose lucky find" brought the nucleus
of the present thriving settlement in the
gulches Of the Wildwood and Deadwood.
That the result could have been attained in
so short q time is due alone to the excite
ment which enthuses a people when the
nope of speedy riches is laid before them.
The population Of the Hills is now mainly
congregated in this region, for the reason
that the rich placer mines of its earliest
history, made easy to work by the abund-
ance Of water which flows through
the gulches, formed an inducemen,
not offered in other known portions
of the Hills. The placer mines were, how.
ever, quickly exhausted. and attention wa.
turned to the quartz deposits which max,
up the hills on either side of the gulch
Capital and labor, first directed hither b,
the easy yield of the claims, turned its at
%tention to the development of the quartz. l
proved remunerative and of 80 great an are'
that mill after mill has been added and tn,
gulch above Deadwood is alive with bus,
stamps, working night and day reducing tn
golden ore. The argument of the Dead
woodite is that where the money is Their
will the people congregate. Certainly the,
have gathered here, and their numbers ar
variously estimated at from ten thousand t
twenty thousand in the gulches tributary Il
this city. New mills are constantly comm,
in, and developments are being rapid,
extended in all directions. The mining i
all carried on above Deadwood, at Gayvill
and Central City and Anchor City and Lea,
City. These separate designations have al
come from the names Of mining camps which
have rapidly grown into cities which hav
in turn run together so that it is difficult t
tell where one begins and the other leave
of. The people Of Deadwood proper ar
beginning to fear that their town is liable I.
be thrown into the shade by the rapit
growth of others located at the scenes of &C
tual operations. Where the workmen ar
concentrated and where the gold is bein,
taken out are the more natural busines
points, aud extensive mercantile houses fol
low rapidly upon the heels of every fresl
development. This draws trade away from
Deadwood, and Deadwood is not at all ess,
under future probabilities. Its people hav,
therefore conceived the idea of building
narrow guage railroad from the head of tn,
gulch down to their town and Transporting,
the crude ore to within their own door,
With their superior water privileges the,
hope to thus induce the removal of til,
stamp mills to Deadwood, whsn its wauiu,
star will beam brightly again end Dead
wood will once again become the hui Of tn
mining interests Of the Hills.
! The population of Deadwood comprise
all classes and conditions of men and womer
1t is a heterogeneous mass of humanity
with a liberal sprinkling Of active, energet
ic business men. E~verybody's object is I
make money, and I am strongly tempted 4