Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-05-21
the SOUTHERN NILS.

the SOUTHERN MILLS.
Gold, silver and MieA-SaAmpsdes the Or
Asr oftAs Day-rAs Lssk efErsd
:. C~fess-Steok Growing In
i the Hllls.
Custer City, May s,h, 1879. Eds. Press
asd Dskosaian-Thinking that you would
like some items from this land of stampedes,
I will put down q few Of the latest. SIAM
pede No. l began about two weeks ago.
Object, not gold. but mica, discovered on
Grizzly gulch, aear.H arney's Peak. I visit
ed the gulch a few days ago and inspected
the mines. I found Nessn. Neil & Munson
working like beavers on . deposit of mica
running through strata of Nicaceous gram
tie. They had taken out quite q quantty of
mi1aief excellent quality, which will average
about Hthrse by four inches, but the deposit
looked tostbs small. DR.. Govrick, u Rock
e%rville, has two locations, ia . Of which
he sold . one-sixth interest for five hundred
dollars cash. He had done but little work.
but from outside appearances one Of the
claims seems to be quite extensive. Several
other parties claim to have found mines of
the same kind. The Queen Of the Hills,
located by D. N. Ely about year ago, is
claimed to be the largest deposit Of mica in
the Hills. 1t shows = solid face Of one hum
dred and fifty feet in height, and over two
hundred feet in width, and a great deal oft
is of an excellent quality. Ely is running
a cut ten feet vide, into nearly solid mica.
and the quality improves as they go in.
Everybody has mica on the brain, except
Fred Cross who says he has Lost all relish
for stampedes. Well, he can afford to rest
on his ~laurels, as he has been offered $780,
900 for one of his mines, so l am informed
by reliable parties.
Stampede No. 2 began about four days
ago, caused by a sich discovery Of quartz on
the old Deadwood road, FIVE miles from
Custer City. I visited the mines yesterday,
and found the country staked for miles
around. I did not learn the name Of the
discoverers. but l visited their cabin and
saw the richest flint rock I ever saw. The
6rst piece he broke off the ledge was about
the size Of q water pail, and was literally
covered with gold. l should say that there
was at least fifteen dollars in sight. He had
other specimens equally as good. I took
rock from the same ledge in several places,
and all showed fine gold. ( saw two pans
of dirt washed from the sides of the lead.
One pan washed sixty cents, and the other
forty-fve cents. The groupings Of the lead
are white quartz, showing considerable traces
of iron. The lead crosses the road, and the
discovery was made just where many a poor
pilgrim has sat down to rest his weary bones.
At the present time there are some four
hundred men who claim to have sat on that
identical rock, and still other counties to
hear from.
Stampede No. 3 ls just below Gordon's
stockade, three miles below Custer City. l
visited the camp this evening, and found
about a dozen men from Deadwood, and saw
some of their quartz. 1t looked as though
it might carry silver, but not much gold.
Ia fact, l don't think No. s will prove a
success.
Hayward is quite a lively camp this
spring. The placer mines are paying we'll.
The flume company averages about one
hundred and fifty dollars per day when
they work, but devote most of their time
TO quarrelling among themselves, which
does not pan out as we'll.
Quite extensive discoveries of dry dig.
irgs have been made around Custer City
this spring and most Of them are paying
good wages and some much more. One
party of four men cleaned up four hundred
and odd dollars last week for five days
work.
, Ranching is all the rage this spring, and
every park and valley 10 the southern Hill
. is taken up by farmers, and breaking plow'
are 10 great element. Large quantities o
oats wheat and barley are being s,wp, an,
now is the time for some enterprisini
Yankee to put up . grist mill. l will yer
o ture to say. hat in Two years, the Hill
will have a surplus of stock and grain
4. their own production. A finer stock coul
I. try was never seen and large herds Of catt
are being driven into the ranges around ii
foot Hills.
The prospects for Rockford are yer
promising. I think that some of thei
10 mines are better than any ever discovere
q around Lead City or Central, and as . class
u much better.
Tigerville. q new quartz camp, near Ne,
tons Forks, shows some rich quartz.
But enough for the present. l will pc
70. you on new developments if you wish.
a The Weekly Press and Dakotaian reach,
Of US regularly and is read with interest by q
the camp. and is much priced by the boy
- Ynnra trnlu