The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-06-21
OUR DEApwoop LETTER
Advice to Intending Gold Hunters-How and
Where to Outfit and What to Do.

Special Correspondence of The Leader.l
DEADwooD, June 16.
To the Editor Of The Leader:
In q series of communications which
L propose to forward from the Black
Hills, 1 shall pass over the peculiar for
nations to be found here. They have
often been described before. To the
experienced miner they present new
features which he must see in order to
appreciate, and to the inexperienced,
technical definitions are of little value.
1 presume the great and indisputable
fact which is of most consequence to
all is-there is gold here, and that too
in large quantities. How far the belt
extends is the question that is being
solved by the new discoveries that are
made from day to day in placer, quartz
and hill claims. Not only are these
discoveries being made in new localities,
but even in our own midst, on ground
over which thousands have already
trod OH their onward rush to be
first. While / write I can see hill
claims overlooking Deadwood and Bob
tail Gulch, that have been located
within the last two weeks and are pay
ing Is largely as any on the main
streams. The same remarks apply to
many quartz leads in old localities that
show as good prospects as the Hidden
NzAl4, a S,na arl ofhny.
world renowned mines. As to the con-
tinuance of the placer claims ON Dead
wood and other gulches, 1 am informed
by owners in whose words l place i'm
plicit confidence, that the yield of this
year will be more than five times great
er than that of last, and may go on for
the next ten years. Shakespeare says
tive are creatures that look before and
after U.S." Strange, says some one,
that we do not look a little round about
us. This is particularly true of the
Black Hills. The quartz taken from
the older gulches shows without any
manner of doubt that the entire range
of hills overlooking them is one
Of gold-bearing rock, and only patient
industry and a little capital are neces-
sary to develop as rich leads as any yet
struck. No doubt those who strike
further and onward will have their own
success, for that the gold belt extends
miles beyond Gayville, Gold Run and
Lead City, is being co~nclusiyely shown
every day, but 1 here assert as the
opinion Of the most experienced men in
the Hills, that within Il radius of three
miles from Deadwood, ten times as
rich strikes must be made rs any yet
come to light.
1 do not propose in this preliminary
letter to enter into details a to the
various mines at present working, and
have only written these Introductory
remarks to show that there are heaps
of wealth being taken out, heaps yet to
be discovered in new localities, and
heaps under our very eyes in old locali-
ties waiting development by the more
patient and cautious seekers after
them.
"Tools to him that can use them,''
Carlyle says, and this brings me to one
of the questions I propose to answer in
this letter. Who are the men likely to
succeed here? And here, as a brother
workman, one of the great struggling
mass who has taken the rough road my
self, and been fairly successful, 1 wish
to hold out a helping hand to the thou
sands who may read this-to those who
are faltering behind, undecided and
uncertain what to do. The Black Hills
have, 1 think, suffered somewhat from
the praises of injudicious critics. Com
parsons have been made between them
and California. And they may not be
so rich in placer diggings as she was,
but IN quartz they probably go far be-
You'd her. But we must remember that
even if they excelled California in every
respect, we live in times very different
from those of 40. Our lines have not
fallen in so pleasant places. We are
on the borders of civilization, within
easy reach of the centre of population,
and consequently likely TO find it a
sterner struggle here than in the pic.
neer days of 40. The class of mer
who will succeed here are the steady,
determined, energetic men who come
determined to conquer, and not be
discouraged by a few dific ulties; who
will take what comes first and nearest,
and then wait for better things. A
man who will locate himself somewhere
near a few actively working claims,
make himself familiar with the en-
ployers, and call persistently upon them,
will soon acquire a character for steadi,
ness and sobriety, and within a week
take the place of the drunken and thrift
less who are being discharged from day
to day. Thousands are waiting for this