The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-01-13
N THE BLACK HILLS.
Life Among the Cowboys in Wild
Part Of the Country.
THE DESOLATE BAD LANDS
Description of the Black Hills Region
Grazing on "a Large scale-Fourteen
Thousand Horses-Big Cattle Herds.

That great stretch OF country extending
westward from tho Black Hills for hun
dreds OF miles into Wyoming is desolate
enough most OF the time. Bands ofroving
cattle. horses and sheep are left to wander
for miles in those pasture regions, until
the spring or fall roundup, when the
herders, who have gone south or further
west 10 herd for the summer or
winter, as the case may be, return
TO the company's employ to resume
their former work. There are several
grades of perierment in the cowboys
calling. There is the reaper or expert
lariat-thrower. who with the grace and
dexterity born OF long practice lassos the
calf to be branded in the spring, or the un-
willing victim that is led TO the slaughter
in the fall. Then there Is the bronco
buster or tanner OF wild-horses, the night
hawk, who is on duty at night; the
day-wrangler, besides other who ride tho
circle and perform all sorts OF duties.
The chief occupations OF the settlers in
this region is grazing. writes a CORE
spondent OF the New York Tribune. Our
company pastures $4,000 head OF horses
in Eastern Wyoming. and the Swan Land
and Cattle Company owns no less than
$4,000 head OF cattle, and has selected the
Black Hills Range as affording the best
pasturage in the northwestern part OF
this country. On almost every little
stream and lake are numerous herds.
Those half-grown mountains known as
the Black Hills, which mark the boun-
dairy line between South Dakota and
Wyoming take their name from the ever
green trees which cover them. The tim
ber. which is mostly yellow pine on the
ridges and birch or poplar in the ravines,
to Aall lntty md Of la xalt fnp l,ap,
ber Unlike other upheavas. the Blaca
Hills are wholly disconnected from any
mountain range. and for 30 miles OH
every side are surrounded by gently un-
dulating prairies. The hills proper are
only about fifty miles from east to west,
and 100 miles from north TO south. Ridges
like spiders legs extend out In every di-
rection. One of the best known is Pine
Ridge, which extends into Nebraska, and
gives the name to the Indian agency In
South Dakota. 1t will be remembered as
the location OF the cruel war with the IN
dams last winter.
large tract OF country to the east OF
the hills is called the Bad Lands, because
wholly unproductive. Neither grass, weed
nor shrub can be found. The soil is
species OF clay, chalky and hard when dry,
slippery and sticky when wet. From
IL udS tuo Ol ieNtI
prairie, but il is SO badly washed as to be
almost impossible. Thousands OF men
might hide in the irregular trenches
which extend In every direction and have
n depth Of from five TO fifty feet.
There are numberless small stream
that have their source in the Black Hills,
and flow in every direction. Both branches
OF the Cheyenne River rise west OF the
hills, one flowing to the north around the
north end, the other to the south around
the south end, uniting on the east and
gathering up the small streams long be-
fore meeting the Missouri. Still further
TO the east may be found the White River,
one Of whose tributaries is tho famous
Wounded Knee. IL was in the valley OF
this stream that the savage massacre OF
women and children Was perpetrated by
United States soldiers last January.
1t is well known that these regions
were the winter quarters for the buffalo,
elk, deer, bear and antelope, but the dis
covery OF gold in the seventies was the
occasion for driving out animals as well
as Indians. There Is an abundance OF
minerals yet tnnined-gotd, silver, coat.
and TO some extent tin. Gold was first
discovered in the bed OF small
creek flowing east from the north OF the
hills. Only few months elapsed before
all the riverbeds were staked out into
miners claims. and washing began. The
outlay was million or two year, and
thriving cities sprang up in tie different
valleys, whose prosperity was as brief
as tho fever for gold In a new country.
Several large quartz mines are still
run with profit. and the coal found
in the west side OF the hills is
sufficient 10 supply the surrounding ter
ritory. Although a great deal has been
sald about tho Black Hills tin mines, the
first continuous vein is yet TO be discov-
cred. The strata OF rock are so broken
and irregular that the richest indications
only last few feet. The hills are orna-
mented profusely with prospect holes and
new ones are always being bored. The
region is easily accessible by railroad.
One line extends along tho east side, one
passes through the centre ana another
on tho west side is pushing Its way into
the Big Horn country.
The Black Hills aud the country extend.
ing hundreds OF miles west are as much
ahead of Vermont and New Hampshire
for farming purposes, as those States are
ahead oiGreenlard.