The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1877-01-20
The BLACK HILLS.

Inefe are many adventurous spirits
in Texas, that are casting longing eyes
to the Black Hills, and viii likely roll
out for this favored Ell Dorado in the
spring. For their especial information
the following late correspondence from
that land of gold is printed:
81 have been shewn two specimens OF
quartz taken from the Webfoot lode. a
lead commencing two miles from the
city and running due north, as far as
prospected, eight miles. The first spe-
cimen was taken from the claim next TO
the discovery, eight feet from the sur
face. and the quartz assays $50 600 to
the ton. The other specimen was taken
from the eighth claim. and was said TO
be almost solid gold, and to assay about
S5u, COO l was taken over to the De
Smitt lode, to the east to Lawn, where
the quartz assays 81 III and some cents
TO be precise, and thence to the Cen
tennial lode. to the south of the city.
and shown big Jumps of ore / inquired
about the placer diggings, and was told
that I'VE don't care To bother ourselves
with such small, tickle, and transient
enterprises. We have our lodes; there's
millions in EN-, and with them we are
more than content"
But Battle Creek is now the rallying
cry, and il tho region from Dcadwood 10
this city is not soon depopulated. il will
| be because Battle Creek is net long
enough to held the people rushing
hither. There Is much reasoning in
their madness. too, for Capt. Timblin
showed ine a nugget to-day that he
picked from the ground, Just as you
would hickory nuts, you know 1t
weighed fifteen dollars and (again to be
m,nutel four cents, while pan of
earth from the same claim washed out
ten dollars. The discovery is said to be
equally rich, If not more valuable than
the famous Deadwood gulch, from
which the Wheeler brothers took so
much dust. A sprightly little town has
already dubbed into existence, and will
soon blossom into city
The first quartz mill to enter the Hills
passed through here to-day bound for
Deadwood. II cost $4,000. 5000 for
transportation, and tumhled from the
wagon into Cheyenne river while being
taken across. entailing great labor to
recover it. Its owners are the Pinney
brothers of Nebraska City. There is a
fortune in that mill if there is money In
anything, for the great need of the
several mining districts is machinery to
reduce the ore
Deadwood begins to look down in the
mouth. Her placer claims are nearly
all worked out, and she has not suffi-
Gent quartz mining to enable her to
hold her own. The luckiest fellows in
that district, next to the Wheelers. have
been three colored men. who had no
more knowledge of prospecting and
mining than they had of astronomy.
But they trailed into little spur. thrust
their shovels into the bank. and drew
out several "colors" at the first fiji.
Their pay Incl eased as they proceeded,
until they demonstrated their possession
OF the richest claim in Deadwood.
Crowds foeked to Niger Gulch. as il
was called, TO see the shiny" washed
out, and when the trio shut down. for
the season, few weeks ago, two went
home each with SO, 900 in their pockets.
The third remained 10 watch their still
valuable claim.
Prices are remarkably low in Custer,
considering that freight from the u MON
Pacific at Sidney to this point il seven
or Eight cents per pound. For instance.
beer Ia only 81 90 per gallon at the Gus.
ter brewery. and board fair to middline)
81 per week. Flour sells at SO to IL
per cwt., and corn meal the same. Poor
whisky. -two bits drink; good whisky
not in demand-it isn't rsspy enough,