Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1877-03-24
Tho Black Hills q Fraud.

Letters received nom Lawson HaWn
describe new discoveries of rich mines
constantly being made along the mineral
district" of the Black Hills.
The Black Hills. under the auspices Of
the Union Pacific Railroad Company. have
assumed mammoth proportions. which
call for An exposition of some Of the facts
in relation to this assumed. and with
many accredited. Golconda.
The area of the Black Hill country is
extremely meagre when compared with
mining districts already recognized and
established within the geographical sur
vev of the word.
Upon the west the Black Hills front
on the Wind River. and on the north en-
brace part of the southwestern portion
of the Territory Of Dacofa; on the south
it extends TO Sidney, taking the eastern
point at Cheyenne city and creek within
Its boundary. as far east upon the eastern
meridian ~ the junction of Deer Crock,
with the Little Laramie As the eastern
boundary.
THIS scope Of secondary volcanic results
has never been considered by any scien-
,ific prOsPector as q basil cont aiming any
of the rarer minerals tsuch as gold and
silver worshy of u secondary considera-
fion. The entire area does not contain
over three hundred square miles within
the arc of is general cvcle flor cycle it is,
geographically and representing, miner
allv speaking, the surface outcrop OF
maenetic iron.
The entire physical representation ID
that of small bodies Of magnetic iron.
dispersed over al of the cardinal prom
inences of the elevated portions of the
country.
ANY man at all acquainted with the
formations of mineral producing countries
will At once acknowledge that gold il
found in lamipa and powder tfOur the
general term wherever the sulphuro!te of
iron is found dissolved. Iron and copper
pvritss have long been proved to be the
matrix in which gold Is found TO he the
germ Of the metallic base in which it
exists. the gold always being in minute
quantities.
The Wind River country has been most
thoroughly prOspected at as early . date
rs 1862. when an outfit of Mormons from
Utah explored the country for the double
purpose Of opening mp more Mormon ter
ritory and finding placer mines.
The first outfit wore returned Mormons
from the gold fields of California. and
were educated in all indicative represen-
tatioDs of gold fields. The second explO-
rations extended down the Wind River
Range to the head waters of the Big and
Little Laramie Rivers, thence across the
heart of the Black Hills mountains to
Sidney. They prsspecred the entire Black
Hills region, and had the sanction of
Spotted Tail to facilitate their measures
The reports returned TO headquarters IN
Utah, was to the effect that the Black
Hills contain. in and through the entire
surface soil, gold in flour. but in quanti-
ties not to justify working. Second. that
the seasons were no short, and SHOWS so
deep that only about three months of the
entire year was adapted to grazing cattle.
Farming was cut Of the question"
The third general exploring party not
only explored the heart of the Black Hills
country but they passed through Dacota
and entered the British Provinces and
returned through Idaho into Nevada
thence to California All report. that
have ever come from the Black Hills
through government officers OF mining
prospectors. where those parties were not
bought up for special purposes. have been
uniform in the general denunciation of the
country as one thst would not Justify
looking after Is a gold bearing or proc
ducing region. The Union Pacific Rail-
road. from the beginning. had an eye to