Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1879-03-29
DAKOTA MINES.
An Old Miners Opinion Concerning
Their Outlook.

Mr.. William Plumhof has kindly allowed
lis to make the following extract from a
letter written by Joseph Gorgas, Esq,
from Rapid Greek in the Black Hills
/ am sorry to learn that you have such
dull times. Does the trouble arise through
eccentricities in the formation and s~tratifi-
cation, whereby the metalliferous sinuosi-
ties superinduced by the Intervention of
the superintendent limestone subtend an
acute angle? or which, or how? Which
ever or however, we here in the Hills can
sympathize with you. Our formation is
inclined to be irregular, and the stratitica-
ton somewhat mixed. Still, traces OF de-
sign are manifest, but to what end is still
slightly shrouded in the misty realm of
conjecture. The rising sun Of intelli-
gence, however, Eliminates the horizon
in the shape of some new and doubtless
valuable discoveries Of quartz containing
the precious metals in paying quantities.
Notably among which is the Rockford Dis
trict, located about "a miles southwest
from Deadwood. There appears to be an
abundance OF low-grade ore, say, five or
six dollars per ton on an average, which
will pay here, since it can be mined and
milled at a cost of from two to three dol
lars per ton. They have made no very ex-
tensive Developments as yet to ascertain
their depth. The California Company
bonded two of the leading mines last fall,
made a crosscut or two to the depth of
some twenty feet, then suspended work
and closed up the mines, allowing no one
permission TO examine their developments.
So I am informed, in consequence of
which the camp is ID for the present.
There is, however, enough ore in sight
on and near the surface, to make a good
camp for some considerable time to come,
but the mine owners should also be mill
owners to make them pay, which happens
not to be the case, as the locations are
mostly held by poor men who are unable
to do anything with them. 1t is
THE OLD ANTAGONIST
Between capital in hand, on one side, and
poverty with millions in prospective on the
other, both prompted, to a greater or less
extent, by an inordinate, selfish greed, the
result of which is stagnation in business
| generally Tor the present, and discontinue
to the poor miner in the end. When the
poor prospector will be satisfied to accept
a reasonable compensation, which capital,
in most instances, is willing to pay, he
will best subserve his own interests and
those of the community at large.
There are some very encouraging deyel-
opments being made on Newton's Fork, a
tributary of Spring creek, in both gold and
silver ores, and the outlook generally is
more hopeful than in tho past year. There
is a continuous line of iron groupings,
somewhat resembling the base ore crop
pings in Nevada, extending from Box Elder
on the north, crossing Rapid creek about a
mile to the east of and below Pactolor
Originally Camp creek through to Spring
creek on the south, that carries gold, silver
and copper. specifically, it has more the
appearance of a continuous vein than any
thing l have seen in the Hills. | think, in
time, it we'll prove to be the most perma-
nent, paving mineral belt in this part OF
the country, but it will require a consider
able outlay of money to develop it. l re-
iterate here what l have stated before
this is
o A coUNTRY FOR A POOR MAN
To come to from your side Of the Rockies,
from a mining point of view. For those
in the East, who are inclined to follow ag-
ricultural pursuits, there are plenty OF OPP
%portunities to acquire good homes. The
soil in the valleys is rich, and the seasons
favorable to the growth of most all kinds
of vegetables and cereals, l believe. What
is needed in the mines is capital.