Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1878-05-23
Extract from Harry NOrtOn's Letter
to the New North-Wcst, From the
Black Hills:
THE pLACERS.

No new placer diggings of any value
have been struck in the Hills since my ar
rival here last June. Deadwood and White
wood gulches, which in the aggregate.
good authority says, have thus far yielded
two million dollars, will hardly last ovtr
the present year as profitable mining
ground, though no doubt bedrock tltime
will be put through each with profit in
time
PLENTY OF LABOR.
In all have said or may say about the
mines, although nothing but plain state
mehts OF facts have been given, l wish it
distinctly understood by all who may
read, that the Black Hills at present offer
no inducements as profitable field for the
laboring man. The labor supply for the
present year is abundant at from $500 to
$500 per day, and there are many appli-
cants for each vacancy. The mines are
not yet sufficiently deep to require much
labor in extracting the ore; the mills give
employment to but comparatively few; the
ranchers are not numerous, and every
avenue to which laborers, whether mechan-
les, tradesmen or professional men, could
look for employment is already more than
supplied. 70 men of means and nerve t.
invest, the Black Hills is the best field |
know OF. 10 the prospector who has 4
few hundred dollars laid by to bear neccs-
sary expenses while hunting for paying
mines, the chances are in his favor; but to
the absolutely poor man we say, don't
come here, unless you delight in trusting"
for living, and have fortitude enough to
sit for any length of time on all sorts of
ragged edges, and can stare hungry APP
petite out of countenance-for that's Just
where your pilgrimage to this country this
seaf will wind up. All classes of business
are, if anything, oyerdone, and among
Mercantile men it is continual scramble
after nickels instead of an independent, |
pleasant, manly tussle after $50 gold pieces I
or ounces, such as marked the early DAYS
Of Montana.
ABOUT PILGRIMS.
There are too many ''pilSrims' here to
keep up prices. Understand, l have no
prejudice against pilgrims particularly. In
fact, like them. There is something so
new and ridiculoi'siy strange to western
man IN the ayidity which they pounce after
Il nickel; in the wise and charitable look
they give fellow when they hear him call
for two-bit cigar; in the grimaces when
asked to contribute fire dolla,su! to send
some poor old disabled miner out of the
or the nervous, almost villainous,
twitcling of their finger muscles as they
notice some husky old miner throw down
a So greenbac1 in the contribution box at
or the thousand and one peculiari-
ties during their acclimatiOn. They are
tot to blame for this. Their business hab-
its have compelled them to make economy,
if not avaiice; study. They think they
heed nickel III their business, and they
have right to think so, but they eventu-
lilly get over these notions, and their ma
-ulal liberality comes to the surface sgain.
md. God bless their souls they get II be
Iecent people before they know it. One
western man will leaven whole lump of
eastern men, only give the lump a little
While to rinse off the old stingy habits.