The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-03-24
A BLACK HILLS PIONEER
Something About Charles Blackwell. Who
Went to the Hills in 1874 with
Captain Russell.

Mr.. Charles Blackwell, well known
to the people of Cheyenne as a member
of Capt. Russell's party that went to the
Black Hills in the winter of 1874 from
Sioux City, and constructed the stock
ade near Custer City, arrived in Chey-
enne last Thursday, accompanied by a
party of emigrants for the Black Hills.
Mr.. Blackwell has been afflicted with
sickness for the past two years, other
wise he would have returned to the
Hills long since to recover the property
which he and his party left when COM
PEELED to depart from the country.
We published on March 18th, 1876
more than two years ago-the account
of an interview with Mr.. Blackwell
and his companions, who had reached
Cheyenne from the stockade in the
Hills, after a p%erilous journey over
what was then an unknown region. To
Blackwell, McClaren and Newton War
rem belong the honor of breaking
through the wilderness from the Black
Hills in a s%outherly direction and OPEN
ing a road from the mines to Cheyenne.
1t is to be regretted that neither of
these hardy pioneers have derived any
benefit from their llbors, while others
who went to the Hills in later years
have profted by the adventurous spirit
of these pioneers.
! We reproduce from our files of 1875
a portion of the story told us by these
returned Black Killers, which, at the
time, was ~discredited by so many. Let
u readers judge noiU how near the
truth THE LEADERS, statements came:
son the 9th of October 1874 the
party, consisting of twenty-five men,
one woman and one child, left Sioux
City, arriving in the Hills on Deem
Der Odd. They located themselves in a
small valley about eight miles south of
Harvey Peak. Here they erected Il
stockade eighty feet square and ten
feet high, with bastions on the corners,
of logs about one foot thick. A trench
three feet deep was first dug and logs
thirteen feet long set upright in it.
Plenty OF loopholes were made. Inside
of the stockade six good log houses
were built, and in them the party Win
tered, \PThe valley was called Custer
Valley and is about fifteen miles long,
and varying in width from one-half to
five miles In this valley the principal
prospecting for gold was done, although
some of the party went on the north
side of Harvey Peak, about twenty
miles from the stockade, where rich sill
yer ore was discovered. AT the upper
or west end of Custer valley, Thomas
II. Russell, of Sioux City, an old miner,
sank eight prospect holes, about eight
miles from the stockade, and found ex-
cellent gold prospects in each of them.
The water prevented him from going
to the bedrock. All were satisfied that
the diggings would pay well when
opened and a p~roperdrain race to carry
off the surplus water was completed, or
hydraulic pumps could be had to keep
the water down. Benjamin Logan, an
old California miner, rocked out in less
than three hours over five dollars worth
of gold with a very poor rocker. The
dirt was hauled about fifty yards to him
by two other miners named Dempster
and Mcdonald. 1t was the opin-
ion of these miners that with
proper sluices and other necessary
appliances for mining, the diggings at
this point would pay forty dollars per
day to the man. The impression FORM
ed from the appearances of the country
surrounding was that better gold digyings
eristed to the tCeSt and northwest of
Custer Valley, although no prospecting
was. done in that direction for fear of
encountering the Indians. The danger
to the miners from the Indians has
been felt all along, and this feeling re-
tarded and restricted their movements.
Good gold and silver quartz lodes We're
found in the Hills in several places.
Mr.. McClaren, who is a practical
miner and has mined in Montana, says
that on the bars and benches of this
valley he found in the various holes
sunk by him from half q cent to five
cents to the pan, the prospects increas-
ing toward the creek, but the album
dance of water preventing any very
extensive prospecting being done. He
says that he considers it rs good a min
ing country as Montana was. These
two gentlemen say it is their intention
to return if the government will protect
the miners, but grave app%rehensions of
the danger from the Indians will pre-
vent them and the others who have
come out from going back, unless this
question is settled.
They also declare that the only re-
liable route there is by way of Chey-
enne; that it is the shortest, the cheap
est and by all odds the best. Blackwell
says he is u carpenter and builder, and
well known as such in st. Louis. Both
have the appearance of hard working,
truthful men, and can have no desire
to state anything but the truth in re-
gard to the Black Hills, as they do not
propose to return unless the govern
ment permits and will protect miners
and settlers there"
Polack is selling blankets at the fol-
lowing low prices: $500, $3.50, SO. so,