The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-02-11
WINTER LIFE AT THE MINES.
NOT MrCH DOING At present, BUT
GREAT EXPEDITIONS.
Gold Digging under Dimcuities 90 Buying IA
Boiler -Bioodshed Ahead mt Battle Creek
Advice to Noviccs-A Miners Outnt.

. II
creek is the longest and carries the greatest
volume Of water OF any stream in the hills II
is formed by Castle and Little Rapid crock the
latter two having sources near Crooks monu-
mont forty miles from hcrc and at an altitude
ofncarly 900 feet above sea level. The cxtrcme
length Of Rapid from source to the mouth mt
Cheyenne river Is about scvcnty-nvc miles. di-
rect measurement. It's waters pass through
wild and rugged country abounding in quartz,
both gold and silver bearing. and possessing
every indication Of mineral wealth. Immense
chasms and assures. filled with granite and
1uartztc from which the gold. Released by the
force of tho elements, has bscn washed into the
ravincs and present main channel of tho creek
and along the bed are numerous on thersidc.
Gold was discovered here soon after the Dead
wood excitement. u year ago, and In an incredi-
bly, short space of time every claim. both upon
the gulch and bordering hills, was takcn Work
began early and continued uninterrupted by
Indians or othor causes. until the season closed.
with n most disheartcning result. as not enough
dust had boon secured to provision the miners
for the winter. Shaft after shaft was opened.
and the most strenuous eXcrtions wore made to
reach bedrock, but the openings reached but
few feet below the surface when tho water
poured in rapidly that labor was naturally
suspended Machinery could not DO secured in
the hills. and the miners were too poor TO send
East for il. Confident Of the richness Of their
claims. they CONSTRUCTED two monster pumps Of
the crudcst material and pattern. working day
and night for over month. To opor-
ate them the creek was damned; two
immense water wheels. necessary fumes and
connections were made. aud. after tedious
suspense. and when the plucky miners were on
the verge Of starvation everything being in
readiness. the new works. capable of raising 700
gallons Of water per minute were put in motion.
For few days everything worked well. and
everybody expected To soon behold bedrock.
but ere their hopes were realized the wooden
coes broke. the bark betting parted AMI the
rondorou pump. upon which 80 much labor
had boon expended. stood moiiOnlcss wreck.
That WIS certainly an occasion for despair. hut
these hapid creek boys are not made of weak
mutcrial. One-halt of the party remained on
the claims while their partners went to other
digRlngS. secured grub stakes" for all. and
0turned. Then a combination was formed. an
as 'esmcnt was levied upon every claimant.
andthe money sent 10 Chicago for pumps. An
| ntncr tedious wait ol two months occurred
before tue imported machinery arrived,
when 1t was discovered that they had
! no proper motv. pow'r. Here was another
/ great dilemma To send To- Chicago for u
holi"rand engine would require two months
/ time and several thousand dollars. which they
| did not poS- 1858. Will. rejecting upon the best
| course 10 pursue, Nebraska man arrived with
at Battle crock. Tho boys took upa collection
/ that drained every pocket. and metied them
sou. This they offered for the use ul the boiler
/ for thirty days. Twelve hundred dollars was
/ demanded hy the ayurieiou- millwril;ht. hut
seeing that he cuuldu' get il he closed the com
/ tract and tue boys are now placing their last
/ resort in position. There h. no limit t. the
] eNpe"aiion OF rich pay upon bedrock enter
/ tnn"lt lv these miners. they are confident that
/ il viii surpass any and everything elsewhere
| taken from the hills. Bed rock il between thr-
the only way that the claims can be- worked
Rapid ciiy y one Of those peculiar mining
Gated near the foot hills. forty miles from Custer
and thirty from Dcadwood. and contains
ton 81 my prisons. l. The n.-t ciairi- arr lar
W.T. of the place IL Will never assume lHrg"r
syo,i cas- 10 h's' an Ni7l 'n'r SAY 't, STAG"
! rnan-H station. InNrs 10 eDn-ldH ratle flur
gsri i,nl'ufM iaiil al4rrnt amt brlw~n, ths
/ iN"t mus AMI Cayenne rlN 'r murh ni Whirn
/ has been iil"i upon. and from wh % -'N raj
/ hrinslu- an average prirr ui 80 i't i'N. -
I iin'- were also raised ~ a considerable extent
I amt s." successfully. both m TO- yield and profit
/ thM - Is moro tnhn probable that potato CLAIMS
Will 10" very humorous tl' coming 'ason. The
/ price rnalizcd last year averaged eighteen cents
SIX Rlpil tevery miner considers his own
! district the best ~ ,'pur-,'l. Castle Crock he-
! hes"d o. contain tn richest deposits oi gold,
/ ana a. IL 10 a priu 'iuu feeder Of THIS stream,
/ there Is no r"aSon WHY II should not b. equally
| ~ Mluapl" ma MINING point 'i view In, same
/ deep btd ro'k and immense quantities OF
/ water. \ complete st'am-pump'ns Quilt des-
/ custer. hut lArg" gang pl miners has gone ~
| the res ~. and 'u7 hoped that everything viii
! h' in working order in week or So. | shall
/ pi1 led To Castle after completing my in~pec-
| ugn more
! Eight hun lrol wagons aro now on the road
10 Custer and On" hills from Sidney. II pretty
iairi ~ alton ivm lnc srrnf ni,ra'i1n VII
teams. alb il daily arrivals of men intent upon
mlhinS or ln' hhiii" nniruit- are large ana
constantly in .rras ng. tn, stamping sroaul
continues Ia bee Battle crock. over which many
Sorni T. hay" gone rr;zg. with no warrant what
! over therefor. FiN" hundred claimants would
he "A low c~timnt' of the uumb. now actually un
tn" ground. and they ar. pouring ina from every
side. Claims are being bought az high prices:
"mmpod'' in the absence of tho owner; trains
ferr AMI r,frin-'"rrd from tn" Ring Ovho
in lace nt the stringent l,y off 800 f,.t f. tho runn
and no moro Ia lri"n /, thereof and titles 50
confused thnt wien .pr"-"ni i1n diN arrives
lR" WI OF n7,.ly l' 81 ~ 1onlloscrsy 9nl
h'"isl'N such i the ppn'pn Of conl-h"adrd
nicn who have -trivrn. hui ia vain. 10 'eur an
sets IN. \ miners meeting was hold ~ Harvey
or, on the 18Th for the purpose of -.ttllns all
disputes and revising ti" it-"urirr'- book lint
a. me men got drunk iir9t. and tried 10 transact
hu~ mess htcgwarI, H. - merely Surr"drd in
ou~ilng the oll ami ol'ft ing % now Recorder. u
preceding that throw affairs into more un-
settled state than before.
Iron rock, tine prin 'ipnl tributary Of Battle.
is claiming MONOPOLY of attention just ut
present. owing to the ia,t that partyof Califpr-
h,an- arrived there = fey days ago; and from
Th' men ut one" pat ~ q cabin, aud ar" now
hard al work upon their claims. hcing Ia" only
ones doing anything whatever NJ present. \
very filD Mica or i-inga-- lead las also h'en
discovered IN tin SAM district. Tho Nelu lur
nishrS prrf'rt shoots "a t'ni square.
Affnit- ia and about DoadwOOd are more than
tranquil, they are apparently dead. Mining
operations of an kinds have enS.d for The vim
| ter. many miners having gon" Ia the now dig
eings AZ Battle. A. "A result there is bat very
| littl" II ans prospecting lur now claims.
and unless the " tcn'er-tret' expected in from
the States open NJ a Kew country. no rnlargn-
mont oi the mining Interests ul the North Will
| occur this year. with ihr possible exception ut
| IN" introduction of qunrt@ mills 10y IN" develop
m'nl ol the several valuable gold loads nlrrhdy
| j. I'D. Quart mills arr needed everywhere
IN III hiil~. and ii -ome of the dl" Eastern cap-
| iinl COULD b" secured, rich return would be
! gulrantNc,l, and luuur Tor thousand. OF mon
/ AT lrlrl. Thcrn may Ice grounds for argu-
urnt regarding. the value uf placer diggnl~.
| hut there cannot he two opinions con 'rn.ng
/ the rrhn - ol the many lulc-, both oi silver
| and gold, They confront IL everywhere in
| great wild" veins. and bear upon their very faces
| Mdl'hions mat even novice IN mrallugy
cannot mistake | know of the presence of
| seven separate leads ia n distance of three
! miles, and there arr undoubtedly more in tho
| snm'' district
! Mining laws compel each locator in orler To
! perfect his tltlr Ia amy bead. tn rXprnd 500 in