The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-12-13
OUR BLACK HILLS LETTER.
Water specuIaiions. Coupled win Inter
es,ina Mining Gossip.
CENTRAL CITY, Dee. q.

have to contend with is the supply OF
water. and already n few of these in this
vicinity are running not more than a
the TINA. The water of the creek can
only be used by the placer claims, and
hitherto the supply for the mills has
been obtained from wells sunk only to
bedrock, and until recently this was
| found to be sufficient, but now that the
frost has dried up n portion of that
! supply, a grave loss must be the
result unless some means are found to
remedy the deficiency. When we con-
slider the loss entailed by running only
half time-probably 800 per day
it will not be surprising that many
efforts have been made to procure
water from other sources, but none OF
them have yet been successful. One Of
the most hopeful is to bring a ditch on
from Spearfsh into Deadwood, q dis
tance of from 10 to 20 miles, but even
this is liable TO failure, as the water in
its course may become frozen during
the hard weather we may reasonably
expect during the winter. The most
certain remedy, however, is the sinking
of artesian wells, and had We the
requisite machinery here this would
undoubtedly be done. Here then, is an
excellent opportunity for some enter
prising capitalist to take up this matter
and make a few round thousands dlring
the next three or four months.
One of the most remarkable facts in
the history of the Black Hills has been
the growth of Central, from a dozen
cabins in the month of April, to a
fourishing city in the month of Decem-
Der, containing stores, hotels, churches,
schools and private residences-the
population probablyN reaching 1000
or 5000 at the present moment. The
vote cast here at the last election
was over HOO. This calculation will
not appear extravagant. Two Of the
principal reasons for this great increase
are the change of stage route from
Cheyenne, thus bringing passengers
direct to the greatest centre of indus
try, and the immediate location of the
richest mines in the Hills within n few
hundred yards Of the city. The hills
overlooking the city on both sides con-
tain such mines Is the following:
Keets, Hidden Treasure, Aurora,
Roderick Dhu, Fairview, Pecacho, Lu-
ella, Father de Smet and Woolsey, any
of which, IL brought into the market,
would certainly run into hundreds Of
thousands. The mills for crushing these
ores are all here, and thus Central has
a source of stability which Deadwood
never had, as there are no mines in the
vicinity of the latter. Indeed excepting
for the law courts, and a number of
wholesale stores, which will probably
always give Deadwood n certain value,
I should he inclined to write over her:
"Ichabod, Ichabod, thy glory is de-
parted"
Speaking Of the election reminds me
of the pretty quarrel we have OH hand
just now, rs to its result. Ever since
1t was decided that we did not geogra-
phically belong to Wyoming, but to
Dakota, a bitter feeling has existed
against the Yankton nominees, whom
we may safely call carpet-baggers, and
it was resolved at the first opportunity
to overthrow these gentlemen and
make our W appointments. This feel
ing intensified the excitement on Nov.
9Th, and resulted in the complete
discontinue of Coy. l~'ennington's
proteges. Lpug before the election
this year Judge" Miller (Democratl,
gave it as his opinion that it was per-
fectly legal, Judge Bennett holding
the contrary with equal certainty. The
election, however, was held, and the
Yanktonites beingousted, nowfall back
on Judge Benefits opinion, and ask
that the certificates be withheld
from the successful candidates. The
case will come on for trial at
Yankton on the 18th, and the greatest
possible interest is felt here in the re-
suit. The total vote cast was over
1000, and though the Democrats were
successful, q great number of the res
pectable householders supported Sheriff
Bullock, while the Democrats may
trace their victory to the saloon-keep-
ers and gamblers, who came out strong
on the occasion. Had woman suffrage
obtained here, rs in Wyoming, the
Democratic majority would have been
still larger, rs of 100 respectable
females, % would probably have stayed
at home, and of the 800 "frail
creatures" 300 would have voted to a
maxwell, to u woman-for Manning
and his party.
The great majority of people here
still regard Cheyenne as the source of
all nj supplies, our great means of
communication with the outer world,
and in every other sense our capital,
except in the geographical accident of
location. This will probably account
for the large patronage THE LEADER re-