Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1878-11-23
The Black Hills.

The bills themselves that stand
about Deadwood, and the many mining
camps in its neighborhood, are strik-
ing in their hight and boldness; and in
summer, covered as they are with wild
roses, with white, yellow, and purple
daisies, and host Of other flowers of
which I do not even know the names.
are beautiful as well as picturesque.
The city of Deadwood is, as is we'll
known, the great receiving and dis
tributing point Of the Hills. It lies in
narrow valley or gulch from 300 to
500 feet wide, and it may be two or
three miles long,-in one direction
running into chinatown" and Eliza
beth, and in the other into South Dead
wood; while still further up Deadwood
Gulch are Gayville and Central City,
and, off to the left of these, Lead City,
at this time the principal quartz.min
ing camp of the Hills.
The architecture of Deadwood and
its neighb ring settlements, Or camps"
as they are here called, is not CLASSICAL
nor even pretentious. The Welch
House has some eighty rooms, and
they are plastered, which few other
public or private buildings can boast
of being. Usually the house is of
boards, battined, though some of the
principal stores have in the rear what
is called ''fre-proof," or storehouse,
with low brick or stone walls, and
wooden floor and roof. I believe theown-
ers fancy that, in case of fire, the other
buildings would burn so suddenly and
rapidly that the "tire proofs" would be
left unframed. I sincerely trust that
NO "Chicago fire" may ever put this
pleasant theory to practical test.
But, if light and unsubstantial, these
wooden stores and houses have one
quality not generally found in YOUR
Eastern cities at this time, though very
desirable. That is, they "pay" splen.
Many stores have been pointed out
70 me that would be sold for 81 200 to
81, 800, and that are rented for those
prices per annum. One of the best
houses in the place, . two-story and
basement frame on the corner of Main
and Lee streets, sold some months
sinse for 81 900. and is now rented to
good paying tenants ct 81 200 per an.
mum. Think Of that, You poor Chica-
60 real-estate owners. who find il diff
cult out of your rents to provide for
your annual interest and taxes.
But few Of the respectable inhabi.
tants live in the valley, or on the
ground floor" Of the town. very
many Of the principal houses are perch
ed up on the hill-sides, and are reach.
Cd BY steep paths, or in some cases by
flights OF wooden steps, and these pref.
y white cottages. looking down from
their airy locations among the tall
pines upon tine busy streets below.
form peculiar and beautiful feature
Of this strange and unique Western
Metropolis.
Deadvood proper is variously esti-
mated at from 600 to 10000 souls.
while the total number of which il ia the
head-center and source of supplies il
put by many well-informed persons as
high n p, 900.
have already spoken of this populs-
lion - heterogeneous" The epithet
gives but the faintest idea Of its extr.or
diary variety ana diversity. Besides
the quiet but obaervsnt Yankee. the
brsinees-like Ncw-Yorker, the stirring
Chicago trader. and the driving and
active capitalist from Frisco" every
nation Of Europe il here we'll repre-.