Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-06-30
Warren's Gold Diggings.

az oSoth, ~ NS'S gwen a oedt
with a party OF four and rapidly driv-
en- by Master Frank Booth down to
Pleasant Valley rancho, which is built
in the mouth Of. the newly discovered
gulch. Nuggets had been exhibited in
town the preceding eveningwhich were
large enough to arouse the curiosity if
not the cupidity of a large number of
the Obstetrics whom we either met on
their return from the gulch or over
took while on their way thither.
Leaving the wagon at a point in the
guIch about half a. mile above Field
ings rancho, we parted with Frank,
leaving previously arranged to meet
him at the -Four Mile rancho on the
road back to Custer. The gulch runs
nearly parallel with the road toward
town, and had we been aware Of this
fact the party could have struck it near
the discovery claim just over the di-
vide from the mouth of Ruby gulch
on French creek. This we did not find
out until we began our ascent from
Pleasant Valley. The first stake we
found numbered something like one
hundred below discovery, and the
claim belonged to Fielding, the owner
of the rancho. 1t is a very peculiar
gulch, being full OF little springs and
pools of ice cold water. about two
miles up we met Mr.. Walter Mankay,
who with a party Of three, had driv.
en- out to prospect the new diggings.
These gentlemen PANIED out sixteen
colors from gravel five feet from the
surface, which was as deep as they
could go on account of the water which
began to show itself at a depth Of
about four feet. The discoveries are
headed By a gentleman named War
rem, after whom the gulch is named,
and who also has possession Of the
nuggets aforesaid, which caused the
t stampede. There were about one
g hundred miners at work, who with
about the same numbe. of visitors.
made the gulch look lively and cheer
full. One enterprising immigrant who
, was driving a herd of mich crows in
from Cheyenne forsook "the tenor OF
his way" and driving his cattle up tc
the site of the newly iaid-out towr
did thriving business in selling milk
g to the miners and visitors. Another
o man was dispensing rancho whiskey
from behind a counter nearly as higl
i as a mans chin. "Makes it easieI
a for 'em to put into their moutn,' he
! explained, when Geo. Staiger, who
:, was in the cabin, chaffed him a littl,
= about it.
u Free gold quartz is claiaed at tn,
Q head of the gulch, specimens of whic!
! were displayed in Custer last week
Q we failed to get a view of. About
mile below the discovery claim, Mr.
Stewart" Mckay, of the Ten Mil,
d rancho, picked some little BITS of golt
' out of the shallow bedrock with hi
pocket knife. We saw a number 0
y good "prospects' along the gulch, bu
! having reached a point opposite Fou
Mile rancho turned off on the divid,
. toward the Custer road. On top 0
the divide, near the rancho" we me
"Uncle Billy" Hicks, of Oregon, who
with Messrs. Wittke and Staiger
were out prospecting the diggings
n Arriving at the rancho where Franl
was awaiting our arrival, Mr.. Hicks
with an odd twinkle in his eye, whicI
we did not understand just then, kind
q ly rendered us the use of his pony t,
!, :, ride back to town ahead of the rest
We accepted the kind offer, and leav
d ing u rife and overcoat in the wag-
on, mounted and rode ahead. Gent
= reader have you ever been sold
Have you ever thought you had sof
thing, feltsgood in your own mind i
consequence, but found out after a littl
y that it wasn't SO soft after all? Wei
we were exactly in that situation. The
saddle wasn't cinched far enough
re back; the stirrups were attached +
the saddle at a place SO far backsas t,
tip the unlucky rider over on his nos
if he made use Of them at all, and
r he kept his feet out of them entirel
r they swung around merrily and crack
~ y ed his thigh bones alternately on eithe
:" side. The saddle-blanket kept slip
ping out on the off side, and while W
were fixing it the team drove by Will
~ Uncle Billy, George, Robert an
y Frank grinning from ear to ear.
a. Well, all things end so we fna
y ly reached Custer with the rest, di:
$ mounting with an odd pain in one lie
caused by the lariat having slippe
is around under the saddle blanket. A
n we turned the pony over to Mr.. Hick
he very kindly offered him to US agai
"a at any time, but SO long as the walkin
is good and our boots don't leak we
Mt choose the latter alternative.
h,