The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-05-20

~ - esAE4 ONoe-S -
souri,, and over the so-called road which
leads from Bismarck to the Hills via
Fort Pierre. The consequence is that
the machinery has not been received,
and is not likely to get in for some time
yet, as the roads are very bad between
here and the place it vas at last ac-
counts. Had it been shipped over the
favorite Cheyenne route, the work
would have been in full progress ere
this, and the value of the vast extent
| of placers on Castle creek been accu-
rately determined. "a I
Steam pumps are on the ground, and
others arriving every few days. Within
| a fortnight no less than ten will be
working between here and the head of
the stream, and l prophesy right here
that the amount of gold taken u dur
ing the next three months will astonish
the best posted miner in the Hills. j.
Il. Billings has the credit for putting
in the first pump, and lhaye inspected
its workings. 1t was first located on
what proved to be the wrong spot, but
is now believed to be over the channel.
The pump throws out 1000 gallons of
water per minute, and works well, al
though its boiler is too small, and viii
| be Immediately replaced by larger
one, when better work will be done.
The gravel taken out by Billings after
the pump had cleared the shaft of
water was washed, but the amount of
gold obtained therefrom is kept secret.
Billings seems happy, however, and it
is quite probable that the result of the
panning was fully as good as he ex-
pected. At any rate he keeps his pump
! at work, and is in good spirits.
few hundred yards above Billings
pump is the claim of Reno & Pierce.
These gentlemen have just ordered q
large pump, with a boiler of 25-horse
power to run it. The pump will lift
1900 gallons per minute, and the firm
expect to have it running within thirty
days. Three miles above Castleton
Col. Smith is putting up two steam
pumps, which will throw 700 gallons
per minute when working.
A very curious feature of the coun-
try along Castle Creek is that good pay
dirt is found on the mountain tops and
in all the dry gulches which put into
the creek. Some miners who climbed
one of the peaks nea Castleton, found
a small level place, p~rospected 1t, got
colors, scraped off the gravel down to
bedrock, there only about 10 inches be-
low the surface, and hauled the few
wagon loads thus obtained to the creek,
where they worked it, obtaining nine
ounces of shot gold and nuggets. ]
was shown a sack of shot gold, and mug
gets weighing from" n to six dollars
each, taken from a small bar in Hoodo
gulch, which puts into Castle Creel
neal here.
One cannot fail to notice the great
resemblance which this creek bears tt
Deadwood. The gulch is narrow ant
the side hills tall and precipitous, while
as at Deadwood vast quantities of deat
timber are found along the streams OF
either side.
A shortadistance above Smiths cab
in, and but a few yards above the creel
bed, I found q silver lead, located a few
days ago by Newt. Donnell, an ole
Utah miner. The vein is wide, show:
well defined walls, and the ore seems t.
be what is known as antimonial silver
and therefore very rich. Leads o
quartz showing free gold and quite ricl
have also been located along the creek
and bid fair to prove valuable, but ART
not being developed very rapidly.
i, have. written of Castle Creek al
considerable length because 1 hav'
faith in her mines. / stopped Their
with Mr.. Smith three days, saw every
body, saw the mines, and heard every
body talk of them, and if l had writer
half of what I was told by old miners
readers would discredit my statements
1 have boiled down my observation
and, believe / have written the truth
certainly 1 have tried to. Battle, Squav
and other new southern districts will
be taken up in a future epistle.
RAFFERTY,.