Bismarck tri-weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, D.T. [N.D.]) 1875-1881, 1877-08-10

Viewers much pleased yesterday with
call from John d. Burns, Esq, the tai.
ented correspondent of the Chicago
Tribune. Mr.. Burns IS prominent
young lawyer of Deadwood City. He
left Chicago several months ago, since
which time be has written up the Hills
in very satisfactory manner. Learn
ing that gold has been discovered in the
Big Horn country, Mr.. Burns concluded
to spend his summer vacation in that
region in the service Of the Tribune.
He started out with others from the
Hills to make the perilous journey
across the country to the Big Horn
Mountains. The route he was obliged
to travel was through the region infest'
ed with wild, hostile Indians, but for
tunately he reached the object OF his.
visit without being interfersd with. OF
course the journey was long one, and
attended with great fatigue. Mr.. Burns
visited the new forts in process of srsc.
ton At the Little Big Horn and Tongue
Rivers. He arrived here by steamer
and goes to Dead wood by stage. sS>{ HeS
Mr.. B. reports the 24O miles of soun.
try traversed between 'Deadwood and
Oantonment Reno to be very largely .
semi. bad land region and very lily wa
tered. The party through the latter
part of this portion Of tho ride suffered
greatly from lack of water for men and
stock. Leaving Reno the route lay
along tho eastern slope of the Big Horn
mountains, and at intervals camp was
made, while prospecting parties pene.
trated the mountains in search of the
yellow metal. These parties ascended
the mountains, dug their way through
the snow and prospected the western
slope even to the Big Horn river. In
numerous gulches and wash gravel
mounds, which abound on both sides of
the mountain range, colors were found,
but nothing like pay. But it was in
the Big Horn itself that colors were
found most numerous. Mr.. B. obtain
ed from the sands at the waters edge,
from five to twenty-five fine fiat gold
colors, and a gravel bar which was
prospected back 150 feet from the riv-
er yielded from the surface down ten
feet to the water line about the same.
1t was thought by some that this bar
would pay under the ground sluicing
system. The question from whence
comes the gold carried down by thew
ter of the Big Horn, Mr.. B. thinks, will
not be settled this season, as the pros
pectors were rapidly leaving in discour.
agement. Should the gold found Upon
the banks of the Big Horn be thrown
upon her waters by any single one OF
her numerous tributaries, the ground
washed must be very rich. And Mr..
B. is of the opinion that the future will
fbring to light somewhere on the west
ern tributaries of the Big Horn rich
camp As to the agricultural resour-
ces of the country Mr.. B. speaks with
high praise. From Crazy Woman's
Fork to the Big Horn River, along the
base of the mountains, was one contin-
uous valley covered with tho finest
grasses, watered by numerous noun
tain streams, in which speckled trout
were found in abundance. Mr.. B. from
Tongue river visited the Custer battle
field, and found there exposed the res
mains of many scores of the fallen, they
not being buried to this day, there hav-
ing been made by the numerous par
ties who have since visited the field
simply pretense Of covering them up
on top of the ground. Mr.. B. traYeled
on horse back about 1000 miles and
found the country traversed singularly
free of hostile Indians although few
were met with. By the commanders
of the posts along the frontier, Sitting
Bull is still supposed to be in the Brit
ish Possessions, and Gen. Miles in com
mand of the Department of the Yellow
stone has sent 1t. Doane, of the 9TH
Cavalry, with force 5of 250 lodges of
Crows to burn the country in the Mus
selshellI valley and vicinity, which step
will have the effect of driving away the
game rendering improbable aa incur
sion by S. B. into that region.
Gen. Miles seems to be pursuing
new course in regard, to fighting Indians.
Having mounted four companies OF the
5th Infantry on the captured Indian
ponies, who make reasonably good cav
airy horses, while the, long guns car
ried bystheir sides are much dreaded by
the savages.
Mr. B. left Post No. I: at Tongue, rivs
erE the 9th inst. z@zytE5E
General Sherman, whoais now at Fort
Ellis, NJ. T., has telegraphed to the Ad-
infant General that be will return at