Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-11-16
THE BLACK HILLS.
A Mountainous Mining Country
with n Romantic History.


Lees is known, probably, OF the Black hills
than OF Sydney, Australia 1t has a history,
however, which in some particulars rivals the
best stories Of fiction. 1t would not be well
90 investigate thoroughly all the incidents OF
Its settlement, nor OF Uncle Sans treaties,
says a Deadwood dispatch. There is a sort OF
poetical retribution IN the reported rejection
by tue Sioux Indians Of the proposal TO cede
more OF their territory TO those wAom they
charge with having scooped In the Black
hills without rendering to them the quId pro
quo. That gold was somewhere found in the
mountains bordering the great American
desert (ths region being thus designated on
the maps Of the long ago. was known to
Indian traders and others Indians would
sometimes appear In councils east OF the
Missouri with small nuggets as nose and ear
pendants 1t was not, however, until after
the completion OF the trsnscontinental rail-
way that adventurous whites began to peDe.
trate farther and still farther into this un-
known region. In the southwest hills, several
miles from the Ruby basin, some prospect OF
the early mining camps found several human
skeletons near a rude cabin-the remains OF
white men-and some nuggets OF gold, which
evidently other than Indian hands had gath.
cred. Whether they died from natural causes
An exploration OF the hills In those early
years was rather an unhealthy undertaking.
Numberless encounters with the red men are
among the traditions OF almost every hamlet,
aud some OF the old settlers can tell OF hair
breadth escapes more or less apocryphal.
Down thar" said an old ranchman, 'the
Injuns fired on me, and me and hall. dozen
more was lucky 70 git away. We was out
lookn' for sum bosses, but we didn't look no
farther that day. Right here near TO where
Sturgis 10, we had quite a brush. III the In
uns hadn't been aieered OF the hills (they
are awful feered OF the mountains) nary
white man would have been left alive"
A pioneer Methodist preacher was killed on
Wildwood creek and the early stage coaches
we're fired on times without number Some
times passengers we're robbed, aud once some
gold bricks were taken from the Homestake
treasury coach. The robbers held up the stage
aud, my Information is, disarmed the guards,
carrying Oft the gold. Most If not all Of the
treasure was recovered by Que OF the robbers
turning informant.
There has been and still Is deal OF specu
lation IN mining stocks. ANY number OF com.
panies are formed, and millions OF stock have
been Issued the real value Of which Is from
nil 10 nothing Some OF these mines are val
liable, but the management Is swindle. In
deed, much Of this stock would be dear at
cent share. Ever and anon assessments are
made, ostensibly to develop the minc-to sink
a shaft or 10 buy machinery-and thus from
month to month the tapless wight VINO holds
these luckless certificates is mu cted In as
sessments. Sundry neat cottages 10 Dead
wood, Lead City, and other mining towns
have thus been erected. Four or five years
ago the Harncv draulc became a famous
speculation. Experts reported placer mining
profitable. and it was assumed that the rocks
we're worth from s. to 500 per ton / saw
some nuggets that were indisputably taken
from the gulch. One was OF the size OF $40
gold piece. Here was testimony strong as
holy writ. Who put them there will never be
known. There is a gentleman who spends the
malarious season at the Hot Springs, In the
Southern hills, who could tell much OF gener-
al interest on the subject If he were so incin-
ed. Sitting In the psrlor Of the Harvey hotel
Ia Ra pid, a stranger near me suggested that
numberess bricks In tue surrounding build
Jugs were lad from the proceeds Of the salted
NINE
Two or three years ago there was craze IN
mining speculatons which rivaled, in a small
way, the doings In the old Nevada and Califor.
mia mines Iron hill, In the Carbonate camp,
couldn't find BUYERS at the nominal price OF
10 cents per share In some way some officers
At Fort Mende possessed themselves OF a few
thousand shares, and then the fray began. Up,
up went the stock. until thousands were
made bv some lucky holders IN single dav.
One lady who held l., 900 shares, W S offered
C5 per share aud refused to sell Shares rose
10 81 per share when the bubble burst. The
directors let things drop and you can now
buy all you want OF these lithograp pied SOU
veprs at IL cents per share