Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-01-21
THE BLACK HILLS.
WHAT n LEADING CI111EN oA1 D.
Glowing Reports of the Richness of the
Country--More Gold in an Area of Seven
Miles than in the Whole State of Cali
fornia--The Bismarck Route.

Last evening GLOBE representative ran
across, in the corridor of the Merchants
Hotel, gentleman who is universally recog
nized as one of the representative men of the
Black Hills-Mr. E. r. Collins. Mr.. G. is
man of medium stature, 1.-the, active frame,
keen piercing eye, and probably in the neigh
borhood of As years of age. He was just
about to take the evening train for Chicago,
bnt readily submitted for few minutes to a
reportorial inquisition as to matters and
things in the Hills, and other matters of in
terest to the host of readers of The GLOBE.
Mr.. Collins is an old miner of Is or 20
years experience, having gone to Colorado in
1860, where he engaged in mining, and
acquired much valuable experience. Two
years later found him in Nevada, where he
remained for two years. In 1864 he travelled
further northward, to Montana, where he
remained eleven years, and achieved
reasonable success in mining operations.
in October, 1876 he went to Bismarck, and
in November of that year he sent
J. j. Sutherland on prospecting tour to the
Hills who sent back the first gold that ever
came this way from that auriferous region,
and which was brought to the city by Mayor
Mclean and Col. Lounsberry when these
gentlemen visited st. Paul for the pupose of
demonstrating the richness of the region in
question and the advantage of the Bismarck
route thereto.
He regards the Bismarck route to the
Hills as by far the most practicable. The
staging, he says, is q real
pleasure, and the hotels on the line, are
ample and well kept. So far as ease, facility
of travel, general accommodations and dis
patch are concerned, the route in question il
far preferable to all its competitors.
Times in Deadwood he represents as ex
tremely lively. Within short time pas
not over two months-over two millions
of dollars of capital has been invested
in the Hills by California capitalists.
The fact is now established that the Blac]
Hills is the richest mining country yet dis
covered. Col. Dean, Chairman of the Boar.
of Brokers of San Francisco, who is himsel
considered an expert in mining matters, ant
who was sent by the Board to theHills to ex
anime and report upon the mineral wealth o
the country, has submitted a report in whicl
he says there is more gold in an area o
seven miles in the Hills than there is il
the whole State of California.
Mr.. Collins is personally interested il
large mining properties in the Hills, ant
has recently made some very good sales-il
one instance having realized some $2OO04
for his interest in certain mines. Lately h
and Mr.. G. w. Carpenter of this city, pur
chased two-thirds interest in the Brooklyl
mine, which is in a rich belt and bids fai
to be as prolific in precious metals as any ii
the Hills. He is also interested in two sill
yer leads in the Bear Butte district, which
he says, is the coming district in the Hills
and will eventually prove so beyond doubt
It is distant from Deadwood some nine O
ten miles.
Mr.. Collins, who was originally from Syria
cuse, N. Y, is on his way East on business
and takes with him general assortment o
gold and silver taken from the variou
mines and lodes in different sections of tn
Hills, all showing the general average of th
several Ores Among his large collection
of specimens, is one of silves ore, whic]
assays $11 $50 coined value to the ton, take1
from the Lone Jack lode in Bear Butte dis
trict. From his long and varied experienc
in mining countries, Mr.. Collins says he ha
no doubt the Black Hills is the richest min
ing country yet discovered. He consider
the country still in its infancy as to develop
ment, but it's richness has been so we
demonstrated that there can be no reasonab]
doubt of its unprecedented wealth and re
sources.
At this point Mr.. Collins was forced t
hurry off to the train.