Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1885-12-26
The Mines Around Custer.

All the way from the head Of French
creek, where it takes its rise in the
hills above Dansby, clean TO the foot
hills where the valley widens two miles
across, gold has been found. 1t is found
in the soil, in the grass roots, and in the
present bed Of the creek, in the gravel,
in the old channel, on bed rock, and on
the rim rock, and on the high bars
There has however, been no systematic
mining done on this creek thus far,
and. although the first gold discovered
In the Hills In paying quantities was
found on this creek, and notwithstand-
ing the fact that French creek has been
worked for gold every season since the
early days Of 1874, first by the miners in
the employ Of the government, attached
to the expedition ofGeneral Custer, and
next by the miners under Prof. Jenney,
each of which reported gold in paying
quantities, yet We find no place on the
creek where the deep channel Of the
creek has ever been drained and work
ed. There Is no evidence Of bedrock
fume, and no hydraulic mining has as
yet been introduced. The earliest
record we have Of mining on French
creek we find in a report of Prof. Jenney,
written "in camp on French creek near
Harvey Peak, June IL, 1875" and reads
as follows; Gold was discovered in
gravel bars on French creek early in
August, 1874, by Ross and Mckay,
miners accompanying the expedition
under the command Of General G. A.
Custer. But from want Of time they
were unable TO ascertain definitely,
whether gold existed in paying quanti-
ties, although obtaining by q few days
work quite encouraging prospects"
On December %, 1874, a party of o5
miners from Sioux City reached French
creek, and built stockade and cabins
near the location of Gen. Clusters camp.
They passed the winter prospecting very
industriously for gold in the vicinity,
opening several quartz ledges in the
schistose rocks Of the parks. and sinking
pits on the flats and grave, bars along
the stream. Before cold weather ended
and frost came out of the ground, so that
the diggings could be opened up large
enough to practically test the richness
Of the gravel deposits, these miners
were removed by the military to Fl.
Laramie. Early in the spring of '75 the
miners who had been driven out Of the
Hills by the military stole back in small
squads, and when Jehney reached
French creek in June, 1915, he says,
about 10 miners were found, camping
about 1 miles above the stockade where
they had been at work several weeks
and had staked off claims. built small
dams, and were digging bitches pre-
paratory TO sluicing on the bars along
the banks Of the stream. These miners
were enthusiastic in regard to the min.
eral wealth Of the gulch and reported
from 5 to q cents 10 the pan from the
pay gravel" With regard to the rich
ness Of the placer bars OF French creek,
We do not believe there is any Of the
bars that will not pay if ditch was
brought on 10 them, and they were sub
jected to an extensive and wholesale
method Of hydraulic mining. OF course
since the early days TO which we have
referred, the country has been explored
and prospected quite extensively. But
mining has been carried on by poor
men, who have sluiced little here and
there from the rim or high bars, and as
often as any, wheeling their pay dirt
down to the creek and there sluicing it.
And by this slow and crude process, the
miner has in some instances obtained
as high as $50 per day to the hand. The
general average, however, has been, by
those who made it business one year
with another, good, fair average miners
wages or about So per day to the man.
And if these bars will pay this amount,
mined liz this primitive manner they
ought to pay fully ten times as much to
. company who can put in ditch and
mine on a more extensive scale. 1t is
estimated that the pay gravel on these
bars will yield from 40 cts to 81 90 to the
cupid yard Of gravel. and Of these bars
there is no lack. There is at this writ
ing about POO miners inches Of water
running in French creek, and this Is the
dryest time Of the year. 1t is Ito u.s. a
most singular thing, that these immense
bars of auriferous pay gravel should
have remained so long without some
moneyed company haying gotten hold
of them long ago, and reaped golden
harvest.