The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-05-17
THE LAST OF THE poUs1ERs.
Fia.teriag Tribute ID DE fossd Regions
From the Chicago rfibune.'

AAAbob< " XIV Aio
From the Chicago Tfibune.
The Chicago Tribune, which has been
one of the last western newspaper to ad-
NIT the existence of gold in the Black
Hills, has a correspondent at Dead
wood now, vvhog writes toshisApaper as
follows:
Rich discoveries are being made
daily. The streets of Deadwood and
Gayville are at times crowded with
pack animals, which the prospectors
drive ahead of, them on their: journeys
over the Hills.
Bear Butte is fast coming to the
front as one of tile leading silver-min-
ing districts of the entire West. In
several of the mines of this district ore
is taken out in large quantities which
yields from 300 to 1,6O0 ounces per ton.
And so far as developed, and present
prospects indicate, this rich belt is not
a narrow one. One mine in this dis
trict has been sold for $4,000
The market for mining property is
assuming a more fixed condition.
Prices for quartz mines range from a
few hundreds of dollars-and a very
poor prospect hole IS worth this sum
all the way up to 800, 900. tUudoubt-
eddy some Of these mines are worth
many hundreds of thousands of dol
lars.
FORTUNES BEING MADE
in handling this class of property,
which is usually done by bonding the
mineifor o certain number of days,at
an agreed sum per day-that is, n
buys the privilege of purchasing for a
certain period. He then makes a sale
to a third party. p
An unmi stakable indication of the
worth of the mines is the fact that Cal
ifornia capital is making itself felt in
the market, and representing it are, of
course, men of large. experience in
mining countries. The 0ealth of the
Black Hills is no longer d question, but a
faced fact. Courts are established, titles
are no longer inrolredin uncertainty, and
a better field for the investment of cap
ital, whether adventurous or conserva-
tive, is probably nowhere between the
Atlantic and the Pacific. Is w
PRosPEcToRs.
These are generally grizzly-bearded
men, and often quite old, having spent
years at the business. This long search
has a fascination for them which l am
unable to understand. They live in an
atmosphere of golden expectations.
"Croppings'' are found, but this is not
the ledge,-it may require weeks of
labor to uncover this. Foot by foot
the hillside is gone over with pick
and spade. Thus months of work may
be done, and in the end the claim aban-
doned.
The Hills swarm with these men
now, and generally they are peaceable
they are liable to 60 on a spree. AS in
their prospecting tours, there, is always
about their waists a few soft
is in these, when it is often thought
the proper thing to shoot out the lights,
or the cups from the dining-room table,
or any other conspicuous object which
may present itself at the moment.
They + generous towards their
friends, for whom they will weigh out
the last grain inltheisack, and for whom
they will fight at the "drop Of the hat"
They will resent an insult with a blow
or bullet, as may be most convenient. i.
And all the judges and lawyers in your
city could not convince them that they
have not a full right to shoot any tres
passer or .stjumper," as they are called
here, upon their claims.
LABOR. +
Wages continue at about 81 to SO
per day. But there are many idle men
here. Board, with lodging, is $16 per
week; day board, $40. !
1 would not advise laborers to come
here without something to live upon
until work can be obtained, or
land located and a crop raised. All
kinds of produce will surely command a
high price as soon as harvested. The
Hills are, rich inthe. precious metals;
rich and fertile valleys, watered by
fine running streams, and .bubbling
springs of as pure water askis to- be
found anywhere, are about their bases.
But work fer cash wages is scarce.
Mining operations are carried on with
few men. An Industrious man, with
a few hundreds of dollars, should do
well here.
There is bond Of sympathy between
such rugged natures as are our plains
men and mountainous and the mild
and picturesque scenery in which their
years are spent.
The solemn silenc ofthe plain,