The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-07-17
BOUND FOE TIE BIG HORN.
Senator Spencer,s Expedition at Reno-in-
cidents Of the Trip from Deadwood-A
Very Undesirable Route.

ton, says:
1--WE camped for the night upon the
Belle Fourche, about twenty-five miles
from Pumpkin buttes, and upon
AN IMMENSE CoAL-FIELD,
the groupings of which were tested
with most satisfactory results. The
valley of the Belle Fourche, through
which we rode for five days, is about
two hundred miles long, with an aver
age width of seven miles, but this fire.
quently narrows into gorges and
chasms of limited width, with tower
ing walls of limestone. The bottom is
covered with a rank growth Of sage,
cactus, small and stunted shrubbery,
such as cottonwood and pine. The riv-
er has an extremely winding course; is
muddy, sluggish, and strongly impreg-
mated with alkali, this latter feature
characterizing every pool and puddle
between Redwater and this place, and
is a serious consideration to all called
upon to journey over the desert, and
when l add to this that in two weeks
time no water of any kind can be
found for a distance of over seventy
five miles, the fact becomes of vital i'm
portance to every overland emigrant.
During the last three days of our trip
our water supply was taken from stag
nant pools, green with slime, full of in
sects and reptiles, and dangerous for
use by man or beast. These pools were
formed by the recent heavy rains, and
are fast drying up. Another peculiari-
ty of the country passed over was the
almost total absence of game, and this
becomes more prominent when it is un-
derstood hat hunters, both Indian and
white, do not frequent those parts. 1
can account for the scarcity only by
the fact that both grazing and water
are of such poor quality. We shot a
few deer in the Bear Lodge range, but
after entering the prairie this side, we
saw nothing but a dozen or so antelope,
and killed but one of that number.
One of the most conspicuous land
marks along the entire route is
known as
pumpkin DUTIES"
located forty miles southeast of Reno
las the train leads), near the headwa-
tiers of the Powder river upon the west,
and the Belle Fourche on the east.
They are nothing more or less than four
immense sand mounds capped with a
layer of sandstone, and have fiat, ever
SUBMITS, that at a distance give to the
formation the appearance of huge forti-
tications. The sloping sides have been
washed into innumerable draws and
''swags," often to the depth of fifty
feet, thus giving to the willy savage
many places of cover or retreat-facili-
ties that they have not been slow to
improve. AS a result the locality is
recognized as dangerous ground, and
in that view we from experience con-
cur, for as we were ascending the east
ern slope, w came upon two recently
made graves, at the intersection of an
old Indian trail with the one we were
pursuing. No head-board, monument,
or token whatever was found designat-
ing who the unfortunates were, or from
what locality, but the near proximity
of the buttes, and the finding of two
horse carcasses near by, convinced us
that the duo were vending their way
to the land of gold, and when nearing
the divide were surprised and killed.
THE EXPEDITION
consists of tifty-two men, all thorough
ly armed and p~rovisioned for at least
two months. The personnel is perfect,
being made up from the very best men
in the Hills, all, with the exception of
your correspondent, being old Montana
and California minerS-men of expert
ence, of grit, of good sterling common
sense. There isn't a ''pilgrimn in the
party. Accompanying us are eleven
wagons and absut twenty-five pack ami
mails. OF course every man is mounted,
and upon the very best stock the Hills
could produce.
Time is not fixed for our departure
north, but we will probably leave Oh
Saturday next, and over the route lead
ing to Sioux pass, thence into the
mountains to the headwaters of No
Wood and No Water creeks; Grey Bull
and Shrinking rivers, and so on up to
Clark's Fork and the Heart mountain
country, returning through the Yellow
stone National Park, and U. p. rail-
road at Green river. Considerable, en-
igration has set in for the mountains
on every side, there being no less than
three thousand miners at this place at
present preparing for prospecting tours.
IN REGARD TO THE COUNTRY
lying between here and the Black Hills,
but little can be said in its favor. The
Centennial and Spearfish valleys are
well watered and timbered, furnish
excellent ground for st~ock-raising, and
by irrigation, can be turned to some
agricultural account. The Redwater
valley may be utilized by stock raisers
but water is very scarce. The Bear
Lodge range presents superior induce
ments to stockmen, there being abund-
ance of both water and wood, but be-
tween the range and Powder river there
is not an inch of ground Of any real
value whatever. The distance from
Deadwood to Reno, as shown upon
maps, is about one hundred and sixty
miles, but the trail is so irregular,
winding here, there, and all over, that
we actually travelled two hundred and
twenty-five miles. OF this distance
then, to summarize, there are not fifty
miles that can be devoted to any pur-
pose whatever, unless 1 except that por-
ton wherein we discovered coal. The
earth is absolutely barren for one hun
bred and seventy-five miles. For six
or eight months the roads are impassa-
BILE, the soil, or earth, being composed
of white clay and sand, into which
wagons cut to an astonishing depth.
l.. F. W.
RAILROAD RACKET.