Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, D.T. [N.D.]) 1875-1878, 1878-06-21

men, however who had an abiding faith in ii
stories Of gold in tho IIills, for. Father DeSmt
bad privately told few friends that gold and OIL
cr precious metals certainly did exist in the HILL
and in such quantities, that, should the whit
man once learn the truth the Indians would b
driven to the wall, his lands taken from him, an
bloody war, costing millions Of dollars aud hur
dreus olives would follow.
The country had passed through the rcbelliO
and was full Of wild spirits who sought adventure
and OF men who sought employment, an era q
| financial distress was upon us; the people wer
for the opening Of the Black Hills and CROWN
disposition to explore them in spite of all opp6
siton Custer . expedition was permitted 10 9
to the Hills in the hope that gold would not B
found b, cause the government desired to cure til
Black Hills fever by IN official report which it wa
hoped, would, forthe time, ut least, divert atten
not to discover gold, and If he did find traces of
to keep the fact from the public.
accompanying the expedition was Prof Win
chcll, Of the Minnesota University, gcOlogist o
no little reputation; Col. Fred Grant, who pos
Gen; Forsythe, Of Gen. sheridan's staff, a CORES
pohdent Of the New York Tribune; Prof. Donald
son. also Of the Minnesota University, who wrot,
series Of letters for the Minneapolis Tribune.
Mr.. Power. who wrote two or three letters for th,
correspondent Of the Birmarck TRIBUNE, and W
T. McKar, now in Dcadwood. and II. n. Ross, nj
30 still i'll the Black Hills, who were practca
Of his operations for the New York World. The
writer furnished u report for the Chicago Tinlci
and Tribune. the st. Lonis Globe Democrat, tho
New York Herald and ; the Assosintcd Press thu
1t IL worthy of note that all of the correspond
ents accompanying the expedition, excepting the
Bismarck TEIBuNE's and Gen. Custer, dircrcdltcc
the discovery OF gold. and ii was left in the main
for them and the writer to maintain the theor,
that gold had been discovered in paving qua..t Il
ties against the college professors who saw ne
others. who partially agreed with them. Hence
the original conflicting reports in relation to gold
discoveries in the Black Hills.
There were several experienced miners who ac
companicd thisexprdition as tcamstcrs or soldiers
who placed in Tie hands of Gen. Custer much in
formation that was not accessible TO Others. I'M
lcss we except the Bismarck TRIBUNE man who
was personally acquainted with almost every sol.
dicr and government employee in the expedition.
II was his good fortune. also. TO sleep and mcss
with Mckay and Ross, and although their mouths
were scaled to others. Cen Custer and Mr.. KNAPP
pen were fully informed az to their discoveries.
They discovered gold. silver. platinum. copper.
and lead and traces Of quicksilver. together with
marble, gypsum. anttmOny. &c. --..
Whether Gen. Custer intended to create the
gold excitement which followed will probably
never be known. but tide was set III motion
gion known on the face of the earth. AS ii is now
developed there is nothing like it known in Amer
ica or i'll foreign lands, and onlya small portion
of the gold region has as yet been even prospect
ed The gold belt is known to he about one hun
dred mii3s long. and from one to twelve miles
wide. The principal mining is now being done
i'll the vicinity of Lead and Central cities. on
ground not 10 exceed one mile in width and three
mile. in length. Indeed Senator Jones, Of Neva-
da said last winter In the presence Of the writer.
that from the information he had on the subject
there is more gold in the rocks within four miles
Of Dcndwood than there is the whole state Of CAL
ifornla. and Nevada. too.
Contemplate for a moment the two hundred
foot vein of gold bearing rock now exposed to
view for depth of sixty feet in the Father De-
Smct. the ore on the surface yielding about eleven
dollars per ton. while the cost of mining and re-
ding wear and tear of machinery and interest on
money invested. Indeed clean up. partially
made in our presence. from run of five days on
FathcrDeSmet ore, averaged over forty dolla per
ton. But of the mines we will apcnk hereafter.
Clusters expedition returned in October. 1915.
and in November following party of miners, led
the Hills, reaching the Custer City region late in
December. TwcIity-six men. one woman and n
child spent that wi inter in the Hills, only to be
rsmoved in the spring BY United State; troops
lowed i'll 1876. and i'll November 1871. placer gold
was found in Dcadwood gul lch aud Il few weeks
later quartz was discovered at Gayvillc. The Gus
ter party discovered placer gold in the vicinity Of
Custer City: They also found gold and silver
bearing rock. the first known assay OF which was
made by the Smithsonian Institute in Feb 1876,
for the writer.
The product of the mines. the first year of their
opening. was about S3UO.OOO. mostly placer. one
claim. the Wheeler. yielding. according to general
report S1SU,0D
The first quartz mill, the Alpha, was put in op-
Grafton December 3lst. 1876. Ii had twenty stamps
and has crushed something over twelve Thousand
Costcllo's. commencing work Jan. Is. 1877. The
Racine Company. Dan CASTILLO. being one of the
firm. next erected a twcnty-stamp mill which
commenced work April II. 1871 Then followed
he lnnrS ANN Nr,1in
May I'd, 1877: the Golden Terry ) ten stamps. May
11th: and Plcrsons g 20 stamps. May Goth. making.
all told. only one hundred stamps in operation up
to June 1st. 1877.
At the present time there arc scven hundred
and thirty stamps ut work. and mils having two
hundred and twenty stamps are in course Of con-
making nine hundred and fifty stamps
within eighteen months utter the first discovery
of quartz.
While there is much ore in the Hills that assays
thousands of dollars to the ton, the average of
the ore millct does not exceed twelve dollars per
ton. At present the cost of reducing il about 81
per ton. but improved machinery and cheaper la-
bor will reduce the cost to about three dollars and
fifty cents.
Two or three California companies have made
investments in the Hills. For the Homcstake
and Golden Star they paid. MD @ last fall, sInIoo The
at six dollars each, making the present estimated
value S6OO.00O. The ore yields about eleven dol
lars TO the ton. Forty stamps src now at work on
it, but by Goth the new eighty stamp mill will be
completed when two hundred tons per day will be
crushed yielding profit Of Mt least six dollars
per ton.
1877. also to Il California company. for four hun
dred thousand. The mine is now rated at five
hundred thousand. The ore now yields twelve
dollars per ton but with improved machinery the
owners are confident that the yield can be increas
to not less than twenty dollars. At present at
least per cent of the gold is lost in work
that. The yield Of the Golden Star has already
been increased from five TO eleven dollars per tor.
The Father DcSInet was purchased in JANUARY,
1873. for four hundred thousand dollars. Its pres
cnt value is unknown. as its Owncrs. Archie Bar
land A. uemmc and Col. Call Dean. OF Califor
nin. rcfnscs:o place its stock on the market. The
vein is about 200 feet widc it now appears, and
shaft sunk some sixty feet deeper shows better
pay as they 20 down. The property IL probably
worth not less than ten million at the present
lars per ton. and the cost Of working is about five
lollars per ton. Ofcoursc the ore II liable to
prove much richer tllan this. streak Of ore was
struck last week which averaged over forty dollars
ID over twenty-five per cen! OF its cost. and yet
he owners are just beginning to get into it, The
OcSmct has eighty stamps now ut work on its
're. and will have eighty more Of its own in ope
alton IN few weeks: The company employs 80
men bnt the force will be largely Increased rs fa-
:ilities for crushing the o:e are added.
superior Mining Company for S55odO. is now val
led at s3OO.OOO
The PalmettO-Amcrican Flag. bonded to Young,
Burrows and Others Of Dcadwood. IL
,tfcrcd at present for SIOO,OOO. 1t contains the
ichcst ore yet discovered in the Hills and mills
twenty-five dollars to the ton. The vein, as now
xposcd. is twenty-five feet in width and shaft
as been sunk ii IS feet. 1t ndjOins the Home
take No. and will soon be quoted among the
Millions.
The Justice. Golden Terry. Grant, Bclchcr and
;oldcn Gate are also owned by California parties
nd arc rated iIr the hundreds of thousands.
Mc.srs. Carpenter. Waite. Castncr und Others. Of
It. Paul, own very valuable property consisting |
# the Rukeye No. ]. Buckeye West. the Chicago |
nd Woodpcckcr. The owners don't talk much |
bout their mines but IEOticc Mr.. Carpenter buys |
he interests of his associates whenever they otter
0 sell.
Mcss-s Crookcr & Co. OfMinncapolis. own the |
'uirvicw, Great Western and Golden Terry Ex- |
cnsion. They have taken out money enough to !
ay for their mines and expenses and have been |
ncrcd two hundred and fifty thousand dollars for |
that IL left.
The Hidden Treasure. Kccts and Aurora consol- |
dated. would be worth several million dollars If |
laced OIL the market.
The Reno was recently sold for one hundred and |
fly thousand dollars. The ore Is rich that |
ndy gathered Il few pieces in pocket handkcr-
hicf which. on being crushed. yielded one dollar
nd twenty cents.
The owners Of the Bessie. Messrs. I. W. Forbes
/, Co.. refused sixty Thousand dollars for II n few
nys ago. 1t cost them fifteen thousand dollars !
lst fall.
The Pierce. purchased last fall for three thous.
nd dollars was sold last month for sixty thous- |
nd dollars. The Little Nettie was offered the |