The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-08-23
'ON TO THE BIG HORN"
Where Gold Abounds in Streams
and Mountains.
The Evidence Thereof as Given by Those
Who Have Been There-A Hun
ter's Paradise.

in vast placer and quartz deposits o.
gold cannot be a matter Of doubt. We
have the testimony Of veteran pros
pectors, scouts and guides to this effect
and this region being now thrown oper
to exploration and settlement, its vas
mineral resources will o be devel
oped. Gen. Custer, just before hi.
death, said to a reporter:
"The mining party from Bozemar
that I spoke of, set out for that region
A few persons had contrived in the
past, when the Indians were not trou'
blesome, to enter a portion of it, and
they returned with wonderful stories
Of the riches hidden there; and fine
specimens Of gold were shown as
proof. Gen. Sheridan, in his letter to
Gen. Sherman, corroborates this view,
and he thinks that the wealth of the
Big Horn country will be found to sur
pass that of the Black Hills. Beyond
report nothing positive is known about
it.n
Tom Sun, an old mountaineer, who
makes his headquarters at Rawlins,
Wyo., says:
az have myself seen gold in the pos
session of Indians at Boray's ranch
and at several other places, which they
traded at the posts for goods. But this
is no reason for me to suppose that
they took it from the ground them
selves, and 1 should rather suspect that
they had taken it from miners whom
they had found in the mountains and
killed.
"For game no place in the world can
beat the Big Horn country; there are
any amount of antelope, black and
white tailed deer, Rocky-mountain
sheep, elk and moose, buffalo and
bison, cinnamon, black and grizzly
bear, and Rocky-mountain lion, wild
cats, silver-gray, black and red foxes,
etc. Mountain grouse, sage hens, geese,
ducks and chickens are found in great
abundance. Swarms of trout and other
fish in the streams"
"Old- Iim-Bridger," who for years
has lived among these mountains, says;
zone day after having travelled q
few days in these regions known as the
Big Horn, 1, feeling thirsty, got off my
mule and stopped down at a small
brook containing clear and inviting
water from the ~snow-capped mountains
to drink, and while so doing my atten'
ton was attracted by the curious ap'
pearance of the bottom of the stream.
1t appeared to me like yellow pebble:
of various sizes, from that Of the head
of a common pin to a bean and larger
Though well acquainted with the ap'
pearance of gold, 1 was somewhat in
doubt of its being the precious metal,
| since it had never occurred to me that
gold could be found in that locality
but my curiosity being excited, ]
scooped up a handful of the stuff, and
rode up to DR.. Hayden and Captain
Reynolds. Both at once pronounced
it pure gold, and asked me where ]
procured it. After I had told them
where 1 had found it, Capt. Reynolds
got very much. excited, and insisted
that 1 should cast it away, and not tel
any one of the party of the matter
under any circumstances. he fearing
that a knowledge Of gold in such album
dance and of such easy access would
certainly break up his expedition, since
every man would desert to hunt fol
gold. 1 very reluctantly complied
with the officers request. Since m.
first discovery of gold I have found thu
same metal in that country while trad
ing with the Indians, though not il
such abundance as the first"
Gen. P. E. Conner, who led an ex
petition through this region ten year.
ago, says concerning it: 81 did no
have time to examine its mineral re
sources, but from information derived
from some of my officers and men 1 an
of the opinion that silver and gold will
be found in paying quantities on thu
headwaters of Powder, Tongue and Biz
Horn rivers and their tributaries"
Frank Grouard, the widely-knowI
chief scout of Gen. Crooks principa
expeditions, has frequently told of hi
knowledge of placer gold in this range
and of his finding it in fine large nuggets
In a letter recently received from hin
he uses these words: SIN the northern
portion of the Big Horn mountain
there is plenty of gold that 1 know o
myself.n MI. Grouard vas for 81
years a prisoner of Sitting Bull, and ii
his rambles with the hostiles had ampl
opportunity to make these discoveries
DISTANCE TABLE.
Mile
CHEYENNE to Lodge Pole Creck.--"..-.......
Lodge Pole Creek to Bear Springs"..--.......
Chugwater to Hunton's Ranch-.-":...... -. !
Hunton's Ranch to Phillips Ranch.---.--
Phillips Ranch to Cottonwood Ranch-......
Cottonwood Ranch to Elkhorn .......-.--"."
Elkhorn to Wagon Hound........-...--.-...
Wagon Hound to Fort Fetterman".--......
Fort Fettermant to Sage Creek s-.."---......
Sage Creek TO South Fork Cheyenne River
South Fork Cheyenne to AntelopeS pringst
Antelope Springs TO Dry Fork OF Powder