Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-01-28
THE SOUTHERN HILLS.

Evening Weather Which Would Pale an
Italian MoonliRht--A Visit to the CHINA.
bar Mines--Nature's Quicksilver
r~atory.-Thc Cement Dcposfts--work of
the Hayward City Mills.
Correspondence Press. s Dakotaian.
HAYWARD CITY. CUSTER COUNTY
Dakota Territory, Jan. II '7S. {
1t hasbeen some time since I bothered
you with a letter and I think probably by
this time you have come to yourselves again
so this one will not delay the Press or drive
you "crazy mad"
The old year vent and the new came while
We were enjoying the most beautiful Octo-
Der weather; and still Indian summer seems
laizily hanging around the Hills. When I
lived in the states and even in that splendid
climate of eastern Dakota, when the winter
winds howled and the snow flew, I used to
think of sunny Italy, Florida and other
places noted for their mild climates. But /
shall never let my mind carry me SO far
from home again. I am wiling to let those
who wish to, warm themselves upin Florida
and eat oranges picked fresh from the trees
on New Years day, but I will be satisfied
with beans, bacon and the mild, healthy eli
mate of the Black Hills to spend my winters.
Let those who can't see any silvery m,on-
light evenings in America take their trips
across the "pond" to see them in Italy, but
ifthey were here tonight We could show
them one SO bright that an italian moonlight
would look pale beside it.
Those who make their regular pilgrimages
to Paris to see the fashions would discover
nothing to interest them in that line here
without they should happen to
see Sheriff Ely with his
halfsoled pants on. This might be a nov
city for them and cause a run on buck-skin
to supply the eastern demand.
On the Sd of January, feeling as though
1 wanted a few days of recreation, l rolled
my blankets for a trip to the cinnabar mines
of the Black Hills Quicksilver Mining com.
pany which are situated between Rapid and
Spring creeks in Pennington county, about
Is miles from here. 1 can take you over
the hills and through the wild canons of
that days tramp much easier with my pen
han I "hoofed" over it after that "Burro."
There tits: Many of your readers will
say, "what is a Burro?" To such 1 will say.
read the scriptures read your bible. Let
me see who was it that rode out of Jerusa-
lem on a "Burrow Well, I'll stop right
there for I don't wish to get into any scrip
fr,ro orr,1p,onf rish Ia {a11 -oy, am
thing about the quicksilver mines when l
get there. We travelled on and in course of
time came to Spring creek. Yes, right
down on it, for we had come some hundreds
of feet down a steep hill and were right
along side of the stream in a beautiful
canon, the bottom of which bid goodbye to
the SUMS rays when the great tumble took
place. The "Burro,"I believe, thought he
was about as near the place he will finally
go as lie could get and live-that he had
got pretty near home, for he stopped right
there. 1 might have thought he was ad-
miring the beautiful scenery if l had not
known the nature of beast, and seen those
ears working. The trouble was ahead, for
there was ice rign. where we wished to go
and a great stone wall right where we
would have liked to 60 round.
began to wonder how long
our provisions would last, for l did
not expect any such good fortune as came
the "cbildren of Israel" for Billy did
not say nice words. Editors, you know
fhof rban n e p,.,oO doo,+ -.,x 49,.
any place, he don't want to 60 mighty bad,
and the only way to get him along, is by
strategy. So Billy and l made "spars OF
ourselves and heaved away until we get him
where 1t was as far one way as 1t was the
other. then he concluded to 80 the other
way, and it was a great relief to US. Inean
the "Burro," too. l bet that "Burro "
never knew before that we were capable of
saying such pleasant words. AS we did
not have any more ice to cross, we got to
" Victoria" That is the name the Quick
silver Mining Company have given their
camp. 1t smscks q little of the English,
but is nearly pure American. The reason
they gave it that name was because they
could get no other. There is so many
towns in the Hills that the home names
have all played out. They were 10 the
same fix for a name that an honest German
was. He came into our registers Office to
record q quartz lode. I asked him what
name he gave it. He told the name. and l
told him that there was one of that name
recorded. He then mentioned q number of
names, all of which had been taken
" Well" he said, "call him the Elephant.
Guess nobody got that name" So with the
mining ~company-they call their camp
Victoria thinking no other town IN
the Hills has tina, mama. II ia . nice
place for q town, being in a valley
that here runs nearly cas-. and west,
With gently rising sides. covered
with . heavy growth Of ~ fine pine timber