The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1877-04-12
BLACK HILLS.
From the Chronicle.l


MIR. E. Hamilton who was one of the
party who recently left this place for the
Black Hills writes us under date of
March 9th as follows: We have been
having some very pleasant weather of
late the snow having disappeared ex-
cept on the mountain tops, and frosty
weather having been succeeded by sun
shine. The boys which we left at Chey-
| enne have not as yet but in an appear
ance, but are expected daily. IF the
weather is as fine with them as with us
| their trip with the freight wagons has
| not been very unpleasant one. A new
| route via TT. Pierce has been open
ed which makes the distance to be tray
eled by stage $50 miles shorter than the
Cheyenne route. The Cheyenne stage
company is talking of putting line of
stages On this new route, and general
opinion here is that it will soon become
the most popular leading into the Hills.
Business is beginning to pick up lit
| tie. The claims are not open yet. but
will soon be in working condition.
Placer diggings will be pretty well work
| ed out this season, but the quartz
| Lodges are turning out "big''. Almost
| every man here is interested in quartz
ledge, and of course, all think they have
"struck it rich There are more mil
! 1Onalres here without cent than any
other place on the globe.
We expect trouble before long. Some
of the quartz lodges are claimed by two
| and three parties, and each party is
bound to stand their ground. Some
have built forts on different parts of
their claims to protect their interests,
and have secret torpedoes and planted
mines SO in case they are driven out
they can blow up the whole concern.
Shooting is likely to take place most any
day.
| Jas. Scott has bought an interest in a
ledge for $4,000, and has probably got
a good thing. He is to open the ground
and then have six months to find out
what there is in the ledge before he pays
any money for it. AS the cost of open
ing the ledge cannot exceed two OF three
| hundred dollars. he will not lose much
even if the ledge proves worthless. But
at the rate the same class of lodges are
selling, it will probably sell for $780,
600 before fall. He could not get half
of it at any price, but as the man who
owned it had not money enough to open
it, he was obliged to sell portion.
Deadwood is very lively town at
present. It lies between two mountains.
The gulch between is just wide enough
for one street, which is built up solid fol-
quarter of a mile There are some
very fine stores already up, but every
other building is either saloon or a
gambling house. A new saloon was
started the other day, and on the open
ing night the proprietors took in S1.500.
The prospects for pilgrims and ''ten-
derfeet" as we fellows from the states are
called, are not as good as they might be.
The great trouble is there are too many
of us here, and more are coming in from
all sides. Wages will consequently be
low. They are paying four dollars day
now but will pay less before long. AS
for getting hold of ground there is no
show at all. Every foot that gives a
color has been staked. There are hun
dreds of old miners prospecting all the
time, and when they can't strike any
thing, ''tenderfeeu' stand poor show
A man with few hundred dollars could
do better here than anywhere in the
states, as most any kind of business will
pay this season and there are chances to
buy into claims every day. would not
advise any one to come out here unless
he could bring some money with him as
there are plenty of men without money
! already here. E. H.