Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1911-04-29
THE BLACK HILLS PIONEERS.
A Narrative of the John Gordon Stock
ade Party in 1874.
CONTRIBUTED TO THE CUSTER CHRONICLE
BY DAVID AIKEN, voNA, COLO.
[Continued from last weekl

a the Elkhorn, consequently we did moi
i, know whether the order prohibiting
parties going to the Hills still existed OF
not, but supposed it did, as no one had
. ventured in and If it still existed we
were quite sure that no one would at.
, tempt to come in until our party was
, heard from and that the existence oi
, gold in the Hills was proven to be fact.
So when Gordon took the gold dust as
specimens and started, it was with the
express understanding that he would
return as soon as he could raise small
squad of men and secure provisions.
We still continued to prospect for placer
diggings. At two different times during
February lone Indian track was seen
in the vicinity of our camp and we nat
urally supposed that we were being
closely watched.
In February the snow about all disap-
peared and veins of quartz showed up
all over the country. Ridges Of quartz
could be traced for half mile at
stretch without break. We made many
locations and did quite an amount of
work on these lodes, but we could not 60
deep, as we only used the pick and
shovel. No gold was discovered in this
quartz but the experienced miners said
it was gold bearing without doubt,
when proper depth was reached.
We surveyed and laid off town on
the fat occupied by the Stockade and
gave it the name of Harney. Thus mat
ters went on until the fourth of March,
when four of the party started for Chey-
enne. They had just about enough pro-
visions to last them through, provided
they had no bad luck. They had come
TO the conclusion that it was better to
eat it on the road out than to eat it in
the Hills and be finally compelled to 60
out without anything to 60 on. AS near
as we could estimate Cheyenne was be-
tween $50 and 275 miles in direct line.
There was no snow on the ground and
with no roads to follow and knowing
that they must pass in the vicinity of the
Indian agencies and were almost sure to
come upon their camps at any time, the
trip was not pleasant one to contem-
plate. Nor was it liable to color the
dreams of the participants of the forlorn
| hope with the roseate hues, nor people
its path with the comical innocent
brownies of the fairyland of youth and
am sure they all felt as did Thomas
while contemplating the trip the even
ing before they started when he said,
"Well, l wish l was in Cheyenne al
ready yet"
Their departure left but Is of US at the
Stockade. Our principal living was ven.
ison. We still had -four, beans and
bacon, but our principal menu was roast,
stewed, fried and boiled venison. Time
passed rather slowly though not un-
pleasantly, to those of us who kept busy.
But several could not kill any game,
while others took but little interest in
prospecting, being discouraged and
homssick. To such, time dragged along
with weary tread.
One fine morning after fresh fall of
snow, my partner, Johnny Boyle, struck
out, fully determined to kill deer. AS
his name would indicate, John was a
Typical son of the Emerald Isle, brave
and sturdy with dogged persistent
determination that yields only to the
inevitable and as he passed out of the
old Stockade gate armed with repeat
ing rife and cast his eye toward the high
Hills south, remarked to some of the
boys standing near, that from all appear
ances John meant business and without
doubt would make one of the most de-
termined hunters on record. He had
never hunted any on the trip and did
not know that he had even fred his
gun, but this morning John was going
for meat. The air was crisp. Just snow
enough for good tracking and the sky
almost cloudless made an ideal day for
such sport and John took stride that
soon took him around the point of the
bluff and out of sight. Now if he had
been walking against time, there is but
little doubt but what he would have
stood fair chance to have come in win
ner; but in hunting deer such gait sell
dom leads one to success.
After John had travelled a few hours
without getting shot at deer he came
across huge track that was without
doubt an uncommonly large bear. As
the snow was quite soft and melting con-
siderable, it was quite difficult to tell
which way it was going. But he soon
settled this point to his own satisfaction
and started out at rapid pace, deter.
mined to overtake bruin before night
came on, if possible. Thus mile after
mile went by, slipping and stumbling,
tired and hungry, with his eyes fixed on
those great round tracks, he resolutely
plodded along. AS he passed along GER
tain landmarks looked quite familiar tc
him, but he was so intent on following
the track that he took little note of hi'
surrounding until he had actually came
in sight of the camp. Here it dawnee
upon his mind that he was returning
the same way that he had went out ant
in fact was following his tracks back
When he fully realized the situation ant
the excitement occasioned by the sup
posed bear chase died away, he almos
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