Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-03-17
THE BLACK HILLS.
Information for the People.
rhe ,''acer., Quartz, Town. aud
Roads.
Hew TO &c. Ther. aud wh.s 20
CARR.

We are in recsIpt of grea, number Of letters
10 get there. In replying 10 there inquiries, we
knDw OF no batter method than to send the dcs-
cr ption OF the Hills. wLish was prepared by Mr.
Geo. .Hcnckle a competent e.. deputy surveyor,
who spen, last season in that country and VINO
took extraordinary rains TO acqnAint himseAi
with every portion o! It, In addition 70 the ue-
.trip,ion OF the Hills, VIC have ADDED rev
words as TO routes and the best way 70 get thcfe.
Mr.. Henehic's report was delivered 10 he lngis-
lstise assembly OF Dakota on iie I'D Of JsnuarT;
Gentlemen OF 0t Goenei oad Hou~ Of Repre.
sentaarts:
opinion, and what have SEGA OF ihs Black
Hilis OF Dakota. have therefore csndcnsed my
views TO writing area tbs ~ hlnct aud hops ah.t
what have 10 say about this grcat country VIII
lead your honorable body to such steps ~ may be
beneficial to the people Of tho territory and cs-
pccislly tn,those mcu who In defiance of Al oh-
stacles rom whatevcr source. have braycd the
hardsaips al opening up cogpty so richly Gilt
ed by d kind providence.
In the earlier par, Of February ,7s went to thc
Hills, and stayed there, except four weeks, 10 he
18Th Of December, 20 and my remarks upon the
subject Will ba strictly confined to what shav.,
seen and not o hcarsay or guess work.
An opportunity TO see the dainss OF the lndustri-
ous people there and gain their. confidence from
which, | learned nnires and faetss which VIII
probably asson sh yod, but are nevertheless true.
TUE PLACER nxE.
The richest OF these mines so far discovered are
undoubtedly on Deadwood creek aud were dis
covered IN the latter part OF December 1875, by
Dan Muckles hardy pioneer, but not miner,
who had lo-t his way ANA found this creek acci.
IDENTIFY. AS his objcct WAS finding gold. he
washed pan OF surface dirt which yielded him
one pcnnyweight or ihereabonts, he then rctarn-
ed 10 Castle creek. where men and acqnnintanccs
OF his were look In vain for the yellow MEAL, and
with dozen OF his friends hey returned to Dead
l.tl nF fs,.
dis rfct, consisting OF Deadwood creek and lis
tributaries; but owing 10 the inc;emcncy OF the
weather mining could net be prosccutcd till tho
later part OF April. When the ground CON.
incnced to thaw the enormous wealth was laid
bare; ella ms-whch during the winter could haze
been bought for couple OF sacks OF f,oar, very
scarce article at thai ling were he d alta e0e to
$1,000.
liscepssr claim which lays 200 feet below the
mon, OF Rutaoaga galch WAS among the drst
ella. ses worked III It's lower line he'd rock is
shallow aud 10 this mining was coupar atiyeIy
es-y. 1hls Claim has yielded during the season
<6a 600 and Is abour one e-lourh worked out.
No. ! below d scoyery has yielded according
70 the books Of he owners S73 osO up 10 Dec.
lith. 1876, aud 10 good for Il great deal more In
mex; And coming sessons.
No } below discovery Is thn claim which has
Astouished the inhabttan sof tho Hilir and prob
ably The outside world. Ii was bought in April
for Fl tS ant In Sept. ls, ,.lsIb, the lucky buyer
W. 7. Wheeler returned 10 The s,aics with if5..
600 dollars in gold dust. The claim II about one
half worked out.
No. 3 below discovery yields largely, n,owin
to the superstition Of The owner could not learn
+ Ao'.. and 5yieIded during The summer In the
neighborhood OF sl2o,ocu. and VAS leased for next
season Tor ti,oo)
ko's.6. Z, and o are abont oncsixih worked
out and yield from 1.-Two TO three ounces TO the
ma per dayof ten hours work. 1t requiring seven
m 10 Work claim
Nos. 10, II, l2 and IL, are about oneeiyhth
worked out ana bring enormous revenues to
their eWners.
No. IA has yielded in one day Aug .i7th. 1876,
more than any other claim In ons day namely in
'ssa1.s @ pisee q. sfouna ba, !.
=ot The lower Iyeadwood. creek bed rock being
deeper. it ia rot iairly opened. s's
Nofs. i6 to u most Of Deadwood. are ALL deep
claims aud not fairly opened but show all.good
prospects ray from 25 to - cts. per pau.
No. ! aboye discovery IN the arss drifting claim
this means claim where the sutface dirt ~ not
worked. hut only from two to three feet above
and one foot of bedrock arc taken and wa shed
Tho expenses for opening sach claims nre cen.
siderable, as large quantities of waicr 10 ON bed
rock which has 10 be drawn tberefrom by pumps
or drifts. II hiss paid We'll all during the season.
NJ. isa well paying claim Of Yankton.
No. 4 has Yielded fabulous amounts, for In.
stance during the period OF Il days II returned
been worked. has u yielded fuss than $35A.
Eo's. s. q, 7.S, and all clnima above there have
nor been opened and the amounts 10 be taken
theretfom III next hu.uIneE VIII Ahtonlfn tne
world presume.
All hiil and bar placer digg+ags On Deadwood
are undisturbed with few EXCEPTIONS and II
capital shonld bring water on me surron ndinp
yond expression. IS It Is nearly impossible &c
wash . pan OF bill dirt, without nnding an an
conraging prospect
the divide between False Bottom creek ani
Blacktail creek, eight claims are worked on thii
creek aud yielded largely. The upper claims or
AL knS,&
rich enough At present, but Will bring ~ mar
who inssnds TO work, about frosa slose t'2 PEI
day. ~
small gulch emp,ylng INTO p@sdwood abou
800 feet above the Inwnsite OF Gsyyilie, with
shallow bed rock. This creek consists OF eigh
teen claims OF which nine have been worked
during the season and yielded according to III.
owing ssh = Ss 10 the fsct ,ha, :. seeomposee e
| quartz arc cut by II, and the metal Of the sam,
ular standing bed rock, with NO sluices 10 b
| washed away by currents Of this little but rspis
| mountain stream.
Wood the most Of VIII .ch are open TO prospectori
for location.
/ Whltewood creek, of which Dcadwood cree,
- xesy lsn a
which commences al the mouth Of Split Tail
| and also hetw cen here and tue mouth Of Dead
| wood creek. Tue ClRlinH ON thtA creek are no
| opeu with . few exceptions.
4 Tho Whitewood Hydraulic Mining Co. with
stock capital Of <I5, coo owns all the ground be
tween the mouth Of DeAdwood and Geid Run 90
|! The elevation Of their ditch IL At It's terminu
lTs fret about the level Of the creek and carryin
4 $50 inches Of water this power will in next ses
! son tear the gravel deposits TO pieces and "bi
/ cleanup" May bc looked for. IS the gravel is &C
tuaily lousy with gold dust. Above The mouth 0
Gold Eun most OF the claims open for lcoa
i tiop nwing 10 their deepness 10 bed rock
4 The claims kslow ihe mouth or Split Tail ar
shallow, and some Are In working order, bringiG
4 good compensation for the labor invested.
Il Whitehall creek, q tributary TO Whstewood
rich In placer deposits. and lis open for location.
4 Yellow creek also. tributary 10 " WhitsWoot
4 has not been proSpectsd, but great man
lodcs OF decompo .ed quartz are In ilr vicinity, n
doubts exist in my npnd liza Il 10 rich In suffsc
diggings.
Gold tun, another tributary TO Whitewood,
enormously rich In placer depo its. 1t may
considered The great quartz center OF the Hill
Mining on this creek could not he pursued AZ
deserved. owing 70 the searclfy of water whio
was remrdied nj, in The latter part OF the sci
| son bylhc Pioneer Ditch taking water over th
hiiis from " hitctnii. This creek has aecordin
TO my caeuit ions turned out 100000, and IT.
hardy visible. In comparison to other creek
worked. that the ground has been disturbed. +,
:. tensiye hill and hydraulic diggings ara In Its
| r,t,,, vtte -