The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-09-23

Narrative Of = v,sis % shs New "Dry
anlEs1sg III Diggines." hIog aaW
Especial Correspondence q TIE Leader.l
SITTING BULL CITY,

tSpeeial Correspondence Of TAe Leoder.i
SITTING Bull CITY,
BLACK HILLS, Sept. II, 1871.
Catching my broncho after a long
search over the hills and mountains,
finally finding him on Slate creek, about
five miles from camp, Itook up the trail
for the new diggings. For the first
two miles my route followed up Cotton
wood guich, and noticing about every
one hundred yards a stake drove deeply
into the ground, my curiosity was
aroused to such an extent that I wal
compelled to dismount and examine,
which resulted in my finding that this
was the doings Of the railroad survey
ors, and with q wish that I might soon
ride from my cabin door into civiliza-
ton (Cheyennel in a few hours, I pro-
ceeded on my way. Crossing Slate
creek I could not help stopping and
feasting my eyes on the home-like look
of Slaughter's ranch. Several coy
cabins nesting at the base Of a hill
with several bare-headed, bare-footed
children playing around the door; the
old man attending to his patch Of
caters" beans, etc., and "Missouri''
driving up the cows, q herd OF IS fine
American cattle, which have proved q
big investment for Slaughter, he fur
nishing milk at 20 cents per quart and
butter at 60 cents per pound to the
miners Of Castle creek. After joining
the old man In a friendly glass Of
milk. 1 pushed on. Shortly after, pass
ing over the divide between Slate and
Newton's Fork, 1 ran across the first
batch of miners working the dry dig
gings. Tascher & Co. had struck
a s.hill, claim and with q bull team
were hauling their dirt two miles to
water, where it went through the pro
cess of rocking, yielding from SO to So
a day to the man. A little farther on
I came across an outfit that were wash.
ing out the entire wagon road. Their
dirt was hauled to water by q pony
hitched with rope harness to a rude
drag, and when questioned as to what
luck, one, with a quizzical look, said;
oval we're maxim grub, 1 reckon
Farther down, and on the opposite hill
side / saw several men working a steer
gully. Finding that these were the
original discoveries of the diggings, and
said to be the luckiest ones, I singled
out the leader and tried to get some
information. He being very reticent
felt sure they had a good thing, and did
not leave until / saw nearly $1,000 in
nuggets, the result of two weeks run
for the five men. 1 next interviewed
Washburn, the man who was shot by
Dunlap, for a deer. While out hunting
he had struck a pocket from which he
extracted nearly 5000, in three days,
after which luck deserted him, and q:
he expresses it, he could hardly make
grub" In all there are about 80 OF
40 men along the gulch who are work
ing hill diggings, and carry their dirt
in all conceivable ways down to the
water, where some rock, some pan anc
a few sluice it out. All the gold is
course and of the finest quality, going
S20.7 10 per ounce, and is all found OF
hillside, being unable to work the
main gulch on account Of the large
amount of water on bedrock. This
same gulch was first discovered in tht
winter of 1856. Old residents
of Custer can yet remember the mid
night stampede there, and the subse
quent stampede from there to Dead
wood. Oil. ...-.
This ended my trip, and wishing
luck to the boys ! left the gulch and
turned my broncho homeward.
~ BLUE GRASS.