Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-12-31
OUT IN TnR HILLS.
4 Former Elk Pointer Writes Entertain.
ing1y Of the Hills Country.

\ Former Elk Pointer Writes Entertain-
ingly Of the Hills Coantry.
Deadwood, S. D., Dec. %, 1s96-ED.
COURIER: Thinking perhaps many
Of your readers as we'll as your
self have heard many rumors Of the
great discoveries being made in the
new mining district Of the Black Hills
known as Ragged Top and that true
statement OF some Of the facts regard.
ing it would be acceptable, however
| poorly expressed, take the liberty Of
attempting to give you . few truths. !
have been over the ground during the
past few days and consequently am
somewhat familiar with the camp and
what is going on.
The country takes its name from an
irregular shaped mountain which up to
q short time ago was practically COW
cred with bOulders that would weigh
from a few hundred pounds to several
tons each. This mountain is about
twelve miles southwest of Dead wood
and for years and years old prOspectOrs,
miners and mining experts have trav-
eled over the ground in search OF the
precious metal and merely because the
formation did not correspond with
their fixed opinions of q gold country
have passed it up SO to speak and the
only use made of these boulders which
now show value OF 5000 and $500 per
| ton, was to scratch matches on to light
their pipes.
! A few months ago prospector broke
| u1e Of the smaller bOulders open and
| being impressed with it's queer appear
ance and resembling rock he had seen
before, brought it to an assayer and
was surprised when returns were made
showing value of $50 per ton. Furth-
err Investigation showed this to be only
q poor specimen when compared with
other boulders in that vicinity. The
| secret soon leaked out and q rush was
made for claims. Today there is not a
foot OF ground for miles and miles that
is not taken and some retaken and is at
this early date in litigation.
| The richness Of this boulder fOrma-
tiOn only spurred the prOspect0r on to
| greater efforts. Shafts and drifts were
soon started in the mountain sides and
the grass had hardly been removed
| when verticle veins of rich ore were
encountered. This ore is now being
| ''quarried" in many instances, not
mined. Claims that we're to be had
| last June for the mere locating are
being sold now for thousands of dollars.
Two "cities" have sprung into exist
ence as if by magic, Balmoral and
| Nerve City, and are now striving for
metropolitan hOnOrs. Where two
weeks ago only cabin or two of pros
pect0rs stood, today can be seen row
after row Of buildings, men working
like beavers clearing the ground for
buildings, cutting away the underbrush
| and forest making streets. Probably
the one who has attracted the most
public attention in connection with
this camp is a Mr.. Eilenberg, tailor
/ by trade, who came here last summer
from Sioux City and opened tailoring
establishment. A poor prospectOr who
was sadly in need of clothes after a
great deal of persuasion and investi-
| cation succeeded in obtaining a suit
Of clothes for himself and each of his
four associates in exchange for a little
wedge shaped fraction about 200 feet
in width at the widest end. Mr.. Ellen
berg put men to work to ascertain
what, II anything, was to be found.
The removal OF few sLovels full of
dirt disclosed a verticle vein of high
grade ore several feet in width extend
ing across one cOrnOr of his claim q
distance of some Is feet, Experienced
mining men thought and said this vein
would "pinch out" that is grow narrow
err as it went down but this did not
prove 10 be the case. as they were mis-
taken in their opinion of the country
formerly SO were they in this respect.
Mr.. Etlenberg took out over $1,000 be-
fore he sold the claim to local capital
list for $1,000. Mr.. Nable, the present
owner, has since refused $l5, 600 for this
property.
While there is no question as to its
being Truly ''poor mans camp" it Is
no place now for man without any
means whatever. As | said before
there is not a foot of vacant ground for
miles around and while the weather for
the past few weeks has been all that
could be desired, change must come
and cold, stormy winter weather must
be endured, which ordinarily lasts sew
eral weeks longer than on the plains or
farther east. For the man who has
several hundred dollars or thousands
he can find no better place for an in.
vestment that will bring good returns
Work Is not easily had even now and
when rough weather does come great
deal of development work as we'll as
Otber industries will be stopped. Sc
for the laboring man should say keeI
out for the present. r. G.
Il Public Examinntion.
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