The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1877-03-28

A
H.R. Johns, of Greeley, in letter
gives the following particulars about
his recent trip to the Black Hills
country and experience therein We
had bat three pleasant days from
Greeley to Custer City, and part OF
the time it seemed almost impossible
to keep from freezing. Bot the nigh,
we passed Alkali Springs, nearly two
hundred miles from Cheyenne, was
the toughest we found on the entire
rip. II is a bleak, desolaie place on
the open prsirie-no wood, no shell
ter, and the hills all covered with
snow. We csmped here about three
O'Clock 10 the afternoon, and an hour
afterward cold storm came up from
the north, driving the snow in every
direction, sending it in drifts in the
corral we had formed with our wagons
until it was ten inches deep on our
beds. The next morning the tber-
mometer stood % degrees below zero,
and as the stage came along the pass.
engers were 10 glad too avail them
selves of the handful of FIRE we bad
to keep from freezing. Nearly all of Us
froze our fingers and ears, while Geo.
Barnes froze one of his feet quite bad
ly while in bed, but was not aware
of it until next morning. The next
day the storm continued until we
reached Alum Springs, when it clear
ed up. but it was awful cold, every
breath freezing our whiskers. The
snow continued getting deeper until
we reached Custer-in many places
it drifted so badly that we lad to
shovel our way throu"h At Pleas
ant Valley, nine miles from Custer, |
had the misfortune to lose a horse.
He got loose in the night, pulled q
ffty pound sack of -four out of the
wagon, and at ! O'Clock the next
evening be passed in bis checks"
We reached Custer the 236 of Janu-
airy, in good health, and with appe-
tites thar were ruinous to o hotel
keeper Here we LETT our wagons
and built US sleds out of pine, loaded
for other parties at Deadwood, aud
stored our goods. We took 2,50e
pounds to a sled, at four cents per
pound, but would have done better
bad we taken 500 instead of $500,
for the roads were horrible.
We were six days getting to Dead
wood, ard our teams looked as
though they had been drawn through
knothole. After dischsrging our
freight we drove up to the Buffalo
Corral, kept by two Greeleyites, John
Harris and William Lynn, who are
in good spirits and doing well. About
a month ago they bought the place
they now occupy for $500, and they
were offered 2,20O for the place, in
nv presence, few days ago. The
next day was spent in looking
around We went up Deadwood
Greek to Gayville, South Bend, Gen.
trail, Golden Gate and Gold Run,
finding the miners all busy ia wash
ing out the dirt they had been drift
ing through all winter, and meeting
with good results Two miles of
Dsadwood Greek is very rich, paving
from $500 to 81, 500 a day to four
men. The balance of the creek pays
good wages, say about twenty dollars
a day to the man, while Whitewocd
and Goldrun are some better, but
the Placer mines are not the promi-
nent mines of the country. Some
very rich lodges have lately been dis
covered, two Of which sold, Only last
week, one for $4,000 and the other
for $4,000 cash. Three months agC
the young men who sold these lodges
were not worth q dollar
in the world, while a number of sales
of less importance have also been
made. The country is completely
covered with quartz, the lodges crop
ping out everywhere Five lodges
are actually worked by mills now in
operation, and three plills more are
on the road up to be erected on White
wood, and large quantities of ore
piled waiting for them. The Black
Hills contain population of ABOUT
10000, while 5000 are concentrated
at Deadwood, and as you stand at
the head of Main street on Sunday
and look down through the principal
street, you see perfect jam OF men
on every side Sunday is the great
day in the mines, aud merchants and
business men look forth to this day
as their harvest Money is getting
plenty, and but very little cry of
hard times, yet there are o great
many idlers here-men that are ours
ing the country and trying to get
away, while others seem to be salts
fed and happy. Ny opinion is that
the Black Hills have not been over
rated, but offer better inducements to
men of energy and perseverance than
any other country in the world, and
nov is the time to strike, for they are
yet in their infancy, but, in my judg-
ment will convice the most credolous
as to their richness the coming sum-
mer.
Pretty Tolernble Mean