Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-03-20
THE BLACK HILLS.
Infarmat'on for the People
The l'iacer., Quartz, 4 'rown.and
Roads.
iI.w ~ &c, Thore aud WHAT g
H.w ~ &c. There aud Whss 90
= Carry.

lH.w ~ &c. Thore aud WHAT 70
We nfc IN re: :ips OF great n inber OF letters
npa.lriie absat the Dakoin gold Geds and how
o -, ui,ir lnrcpiying 4. ta-rsz inquiries, We
IN w OF no better iuetpod than to send the att.,
,rptisn ui the ilills, wiiish Was prepared ey NJ.
,ieo Henck!a, acompctsGi I. depaiy surveyor
Flio spent las, reIsau III thai country aud VINO
look sxtrapta.bsr4 ianssto atqnaini hifhts.i
Aithever. poii,on pi u; le aaatt t5i 10 he de-
sesppiol os The hit-, ~ tase ded lew
xords IL Ia rostes aBd tla b.si 10 gtt lhNfa.
Ar. llenchte's rcpot, ~a- dpllqsfsd 10 he isgis-
nt.c ass e:nbiy ol lukot OH / he ssd VI Jxnuars:
Gtn.lsiaei Of tat Council cnd Ha,tsf ef Repre-
stata!isss:
/, Is mol ors of my qsaii,ie. o express my
ppnioH,- md what have seea of The BACK
Hills ol Dakota, I hrgr therefore condensed my.
views 10 writing npoa,the subject. aud hope that
Vi Aar+a LII srca1 coMnlTy VIII
lead yonr honorable body III such Ncps ~ may be
The prople OF HE tcrrt.ury and cs :
pec.ii. 70 thase me. who IN eeAance'of ali OF
slaei.s rom whatever tonrce. have hsAyed the
hardsAips cf opening up country SO richly siit-
ed by kind providence.
,ls- ~ February '76 went TO The
Hills and stayed there, except four weeks, to me
10 h III December, &c ai.d my remarks upon the
subject viii be strictly confined 10 what have
cen and not 10 huarsay or guess work.
Being here IN the cipsc ~ oil surveyor had
an opportunity TO see he duin:s OF the industli-
ons penSlr there aud gain their confidence from
which learned flares and facts, which VIII
probably as;ontsh yod but are nevertheless true.
THE rLAorn MINES.
The richest OF these mines 80 far discovered arc
on hendwDod creek and were dis-
covered IN the latter part OF December 1875, by
Dan Mucklcs hardy pioneer, bat not miner,
WHO had lost his way and found this creek acct
IDENTIFY. As his objsct was. hnding gold, he
washed pan of surface dirt which yielded him
one penny weight OF thereabonts, he then return
cd To Caste creek, where men aud acqnaintauces
OF HIS were look la vain for the yellow metal, aud
with dozen OF his friends 'hsy returned to Dead
wood ia the middle of January forming the Lost
dis tict, consisting of Deaawood creek and Its
tribn; aries; but ewing 10 The inciemency OF the
mining could net he prosecuted I'LL the
latter part oil April When the ground com.
mcnGed to thaw the enormous wealth 4as laid
bare: ella ms watch during the winter could have
been bosghttor acoupie OF sacks OF fonr. very
scarce aricl- at that timcMere he d at ,tpp to
81 900.
i,iscovery claim which lays 200 feet below the
Rlolii h OF kataha.,a gnleh among lhn hrst
oiss asa worked IN its lower line bed rock: ie
shallow and to l.is mining war comparatively
eaey. ,rhis claim has yieiael daring the season
S,aj 900 and ls aiJuili oneslanrlh worked ont.
= No he4aM d st.yyery his yielded according
n the books ~ The omHc.s S1a ,ulJ up 10 pec.
IL h, 1876. aud g good ler'a great deal more in
peN, aad cemng scasuns.
Ne. . beia " discovery l. ,he el aim which has
Ii ~. nhahllall ihe lltls AM prob
ably The oufs dv,worid. II was blngbt. ~ APRIL
for 81 600 ana IN sep. lsi, 1876, the lucky tayer
W r. nAc lsrge;Erned 10 ihe aias with I1l,
eeO dollars rs yoi dnss. fte ei.fim il about one
half worked oa,.
No !, hcios di,coYcry yields lats sly, bntoain. !.
To the sHpers,iton N ne owner could NOT learn
the amount IL re urncd.
No's. 4 aud 5 yielded itnting the summer in the
ncighborhood Of slso '9J, ana wis lensed for next
season Tor si.poa.
Nor. q, Z, 8 and . are about one-si1,H worked
out and yield from i,vo u three oaAees to he
man per das OF ten honrA work Ii requiring seven
IN II 10 work IA claim.
worked out ana bring enormous revenues TO
their ewncrr. .,s.:,s
No. IA has yielded In ono day Aug nth. is.s,
more than ANY other Claim In one day namely In
ten heitfs for seven ~ en- %, $40
No.lJ well PAYING piece OF ground, but as
on The ef'eAdwoud creek bed rock being
Nos. IL 10 70 mos, u Deadwood. arc all deep
claims and not fairly opened but show all good
prospect. say from 20. To ~ ets. per pan.
No. above discoseryis the arst drifting claim !;
this means a claim wAerc the surface diti IA net
worked but only from two 10 three feet above
md one foot ot bedrock arc taken ana washed,
siderable, rs large quantities OF water Is ON bed
rock Which has 10 be drawn thereirom by pumps
or trii,s. II hss paid well all during the season
No.2 g we'll paying claim Of Yankion
a
from ssuo TO 81 ,0o0 per day
.No.4 has yielded fabnlsns amounts, for In.
STANCE during tile period OF q days 1t returned
no dpy less fhan S.,2U and no day since H. has
been worked. has il yielded less tiian.$ $s5o.
Nos. 3. &, I $. and AL claims above there have
not been opened and The amounts 10 bs taken
ihereiton N next summer will astonish the
world presume.
All hlii and bar placer dlggng4 ON Deadwooh
are nndis,nrbcd vita few exceptions, and II
capital should bring water pn The surrsnnding
~ .ys, bA
yond expression. as II Is nearly im.,oss ibe 70
wash pan Of Hill dirt, without finding an en-
sccuragins prospect.
Backtsii = tributary to Deadwood comes from
the divide between Fase Bottom creek ana
Blackiail creek. eight claims worked on thi.
creek and yielded largely. The npper Claims on
Heb enough a, present, but VIII bring ~ mar
who In ends 10 work, about frusi tl0 to &i2 pei
day.
A small guicn emp;ying INTO aeadwood about
800 feet above the townSite OF Gaysilie. with
shsliow bed rock. This creek consists OF eigh
teen claims OF which nine have been worked
during the season and yielded according 10 tht
estimate>of experienced miners the neat r3nnt
stl.n-of s2,C0oO0 This creek is expressly rich
owing 10 the fact ihat leads OF decomposed
auar,x are Gu, by It, and the metal OF the ea,nt
being deposited In The creyice OF the perpeHd lie
ular standing bed rock, with no slnices O bt
washed away by currents of this iiiile bat rapic
mountain stream. -
Numerous otasr little brooks enter In ne,d
wood the MOS, Of VIII ch are upsn TO prospcctor,
for location.
Whitewood creek. OF which Deaawood csecl
Is tributary IL very rich In placer deposi,s, es
pccially In the upper part OF Caps Horn distric
which commences at The mouth of Split Tail
and also betw een here and the mouth uf Dead
ood creek. The claims this, creek no
opeu with q few exceptions:
Tho Whitewuod Hydraulic Mining Co. with
stock capital of SI5,UV0 owns all the ground be
tween tho mouth of btasfw1ud anu tiofd Rfa Go
The elevation of their ditch is at Its terminu
I'D 4 6. aboat the level of the creek and csrryin
s,o iachca uf water. ,his power VIII In next tea
SOB tear the gray ei deposits 10 pieces and "bi
clean up may be looked for Is The gravel Is NC
/ iualiy l,,usy with gold dust, Above The mon; 9
/ Gold Kun most oil the claims are open for locl
| t,an, owing 10 their decpness 10 bed rock.
T. The claims below the mouth Of Split Fail ar
/ shailow, and some arc in working order. bringin
/ good compensation lor The labor invested.
f. W hifetall- cfeek.A tributary to Whiiewood
| rich In placer deposits and Is opeu for lucaii N.
I Yellow creek also. a tributary TO Whttewood
4 his not been prospccssd but AZ great man
lodes OF deeempo. ed quartz nre In les vicinity, II
doubts esist IA my mind taa II is rich iu suEiac
/ dggings. IN
] Gold hun, another tributary 10 Whitewoqd,
henormously rich in placer depoSns. II may b
| considered he great quartz center of the Hill
/ Miping ON this geek could not be pursued rs
! desefyed, owing 10 tho scarcity OF water whic
A-A. n ~. l... IL xF