The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-09-21
THE GOLD-SEEKER'S REALM.
WONDERS OF THE BLACK HILLS
DESCRIBED.

EustthttiOH Oi ltin1n2 -thliuie en- Dr1A1nH
Tam els and Sinking sh tfis.
a Deadwood (Dakota) letter to the
Pittsburg (Penn.) Chronicle says:
From the level plains a days journey
east OF the Cheyenne river the weary
traveller sees a cloud about the size of
a mans hand rising above the western
horizon. Morning never silvers nor
evening gilds this sullen cloud, that
seems to frown in perpetual challenge
to the northwest winds. This cloud is
the Black Hills, this marvellous realm
that only a little decade ago was in.
cluded In the great American Desert
that convenient phrase of geographers,
and map makers. To-day a thousand
trails traverse these hills, and they are
destined to become famous before this
hoary century dies. The Indians from
time immemorial have avoided this
country and regarded its mountain
:olitudes, where storms are almost
continual, and where the note of the
song-bird is never heard, with a super
stitious awe, having its foundation
perhaps in a legend that the evil spirit
turks in these rocky Businesses
1t has only been eight years since
the gallant Custer vainly attempted to
check the current of emigration that
set in simultaneous with the reported
discovery of gold. But the intrepid
argonaut and the reckless adventurer
eluded the vigilance of the army and
poured into the hills, accounting the
perils by the way as nothing in their
nal quest after fortune. The story of
their coming is mutely chronicled in
the line of unmarked graves stretching
across the desolate plains. Rich placer
mines awaited the newcomers, and
every gulch yielded up its hidden
treasure-a prize to the daring. Fab
ulous fortunes were made in a short
time, as is always the case in a new
mining country, and the means of
spending them were soon at hand.
About a year later, the Government
having bought the mineral-bearing
.ands of Dakota from the Indians, the
country was opened for settlement, the
tity of Deadwood organized and pro-
visional courts established. Deadwood
was so named from the dead timber
everywhere abundant. In 1879 Dead
wood was burned to ashes, the losses
a%ggregating over a million of dollars.
Last June a disastrous flood destroyed
about half the city. Despite these ter
sible reverses, Deadwood is still the
metropolis of the Black Hills, and the
iveliest town on the frontier. Its
population is about 1900. The near
est railroad is at Pierre, $50 miles
away. A single telegraph wire out of
order six months in the year sings in
the breeze. And so Deadwood enjoys
a n of isolation quite oppressive
until one gets used to it. The arrival
of the mail is the event of the day.
The streets are crowded in front of the
p~ostoifice, and everybody seems hurry
ing for news from the States.
DeadwOod has at least two hotels
equal to any in the East in every of
the conditions that 60 to make up
comfort. The table is supplied with
NIL n of game, elk, deer, grouse,
buffalo and prairie chicken. All the
vegetables you get here are canned,
but an abundance of wild berries are
quite as acceptable as sliced tomatoes
and new corn.
Everybody succumbs to the fas ina.
ton of mining. | watched little chill
dren playing in the sand the other day.
They were driving tunnels and sink
ing shafts. Professional men, me-
chanics, Chinese laundrymen-all Of
them have mines. The Hills are full
of proSpectors; long, gray-bearded
man t,onn- Of than u-hn hnN-n fn11nUnH
the reckoning of their star all over
the continent, with pan and mortar
wandering here and there, waiting
for that happy moment to come when
they will strike it rich. These miners
never work except for a grub stake"
Then they lay in flour and bacon and
coffee and resume their prospecting.
Many of the mines here have suggest
I've names, "a for instance, 1.-THE
National Debt" "The Sub-Treasury,"
"The Paymaster-General," and sc
on. The Homestake mine, located
four miles from Deadwood, is
the largest mine in the world. 1t
pays over $4,000 every month in divi-
dends. The De Smet, a close corpora
ton, is supposed to be paying equally
well. The ore worked by these mines
is of low grade, but the deposits are
so large and the process of milling so
cheap that they are said to be much
more profitable than refractory ores of
far higher grades. The Iron City
Mining company have mines in Spruce
three miles from Deadwood.
Gambling in every form is carried
on here openly and heavy games are
frequently played. The cowboys and
the freighters are the disturbing ele-
ment. and do a little promiscuous
shooting occasionally and hold up a
man now and then, but beyond these
little pleasantries Deadwood is as quiet
as Pittsburg. After the railroad
reaches here the Black Hills will come
to the front as a health resort.