The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-05-25
The Mineral Wealth of the Black Hills.

W. iudhe tHc iOlioNiHB cAtiaSp iiohi
the n. Y. Suns special correspondence
from Deadwood:
A TALK WITH BANKER STEBBINS.
To secure rs definite ideas as possible
concerning all this mineral wealth, l
called Mt the banking house of Stebbins,
Wood, Post Il Co., and was most cor
daily received by the senior member.
Gold and revolvers were visible every
where. Dust and nuggets in elbow
ers," and heavy bars of yellow dust,
were as carelessly handled, and n care
lessly left apparently unmatched with
your correspondent, as though they were
of no value. ..5
GLOW is business?" said Mr.. Steb7
bins, echoing my question; ''simply
wonderful, marvellous, astonishing, L
never experienced or heard of the like
in the whole of my career. Why, sir,
although the weather has been very bad
for mining, as you know, during the
past twenty-five days we have purchased
over $40, 600 in dust-the bulk right
from this vicinity. Look at this" and
he pulled out his books. "This is our
debt account for to-day-SG,000 in dust.
But isn't this beautifully and he passed
wei a ''blower," half full Of great
coarse gold entirely free of sand and
alloy of every kind. "This is a $1,000
purchase" he continued, that 1 have
just made; it beats anything l rel saw.
Isn't that beautiful"
Uncertainty was the richest display of
''dust" I had ever seen. 1t came from
Potato gulch. '.
'But how's this?'' said Mr.. Stebbins,
as he handed over two well-flled buck
skin sacks, about eight inches long, and
resembling bologna sausages more than
anything else. 1 took hold of one, much
as l would grasp a cane. 1t weighed
tw%enty-four pounds, and, with its COM
panion, contained $3.50.
"Where does the best gold come
FROM" E#
''From Spring creek and Potato
gulch, the former produces a very fine
quality, bright and clean; the latter
is very coarse-nuggety-and absolute
ly pure. Look at this" and Mr.. Steb-
bins handed me a'glistening mass about
the.size of q ladies' brooch. 81 paid
$21 for that lump. 1t weighs exactly
that many pennyweights. 1t came from
Potato gulch also"
Duringthe conversationthatf followed,
Mr.. Stebbins assured me that the Il
try (Deadwood section) had been under
instead of over-rated, but he believed
that every inch of ground was now To-
Gated, and owners would be foolish to
sell for less than they are asking-that
is, as a rule. lie regretted the wonder
full influx of people, many of whom are
without money to buy or experience to
work the ground, but for lucky locators
he predicted a ''golden future" An
average quanty of dust sells for $17.50
per ounce; but certain qualities such
rs that taken from Niger and Potato
gulches and Spring creek readily bring
S21. The difference is caused by the
rust and black sand that go with the
finer quality taken from Deadwood.
Deadwood gold is far superior to that
found in Colorado and Montana; sin
fact,'' as Mr.. .Stebbins said, ''it is the
best found in America"
NfrNED,S ucE-uARn WORK
Mr.. Stebbins introduced me to Mr..
Anthony, owner of claim No. %, who
said that he came from Illinois last fall,
and after ''gunning around awhile, y
pooled in with two other tenderfeet and
bought their present claim. They dug
and drifted for weeks without securing
pay. Completely discouraged, they con-
cluded to run a drift in the opposite
direction, and, if the streak was not
reached in a reasonable time, to throw
up the sponge and return East. They
worked until hope failed them, and a
conference was again held. His part
ners were forabandoning the property
at once, but by dint Of Of much persua-
sion they were induced to work one day
more. When they ''cleaned up" that
night they had $3.50, and have been
taking out an average of 5000 every
working day since.
The process of mining as conducted
here is very simple, and consists Of
leading the water by means of fumes
from its natural to an artificial channel,
thus permitting the men to dig to bed
rock Sluice boxes with rpfies, Slated
false bottoms, carry a small volume of
of water directly past the shaft, or
breast, as the a may be. Into this
the dirt is dumped, and being tossed
out and dissolved by the force of the