Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-06-05
CHAPTER III
The Town q Hob PromIee.

The Town Of High Promise.
They halted their horses at the TOP
OF steep descent early In the sitter
non and gazed down into the lower
er1 Of Deadwood Gulch. The gulch
seemed to end abruptly against a
ridge In the middle distance, but San
Juan explained that its course was
very winding and that it was fully
ten miles long. Both sides Of the road
were lined with log cabins, shanties
of rough boards, and tents.
''It amt very pretty to look at, "
obviously commented Lottie Carl, gaz-
ing disapprovingly at the scattered
dead pines, the survivors of fires and
windfalls.
IT agree with Lottie. 1t isn't much
to look at" said Dinsdale.
Forget the scenery, man. Remem-
Der that Deadwood City wasn't laid
out till last May, and that all supplies
and the machinery for the sawmills
had to be freighted in for two hun
bred and fifty miles with much of the
road being in hostile country. Dead
wood is great town. No other like
1t In the world"
And in saying this the gambler spoke
with but little, If any, exaggeration
for the mining camp at the junction
of the two creeks was miracle OF
American enthusiasm and enterprise
Up to the middle Of May 1t had been
tangled wilderness. with the growth
SO thick and impenetrable that the
government exploring expedition OF
the previous year, sent out to confirm
the Custer expedition of 'seventy-four
had not entered the gulch at all.
Since the middle of May, when
Craven Lee and Isaac Brown built the
first pine log cabin and helped to lay
out the streets with a lariat in lieu
Of surveyors chain, it had grown
into a business center Of feverish ac-
tivlty.
San Juan Joe dismounted before
Parkhurst's Lager Beer Saloon" on
the left of the road and announced:
"This is the beginning Of Deadwood
City. Let's have a glass Of beer
It'll stay here with Lottie." replied
Dinsdale
San Juan was soon back. AS he
swung into the saddle he told Dinsdale
1t was true that Wild Bills slayer had
been acquitted and allowed TO leave
the town.
On that August day seven-eighths
of the Black hills population, or some
seven thousand people, were in the
town. And it was estimated that sew.
en- out of every ten lacked employ.
ment and were living from hand to
mouth. While justly called the ''poor
mans digging" there was scant op-
portunity for late arrivals to go pros
pecting SO long as the fear Of the
Sioux held the people close to the
town.
The talk Of the milling crowds was
not of gold but Of Indians. Even the
Chinese laundrymen abandoned their
work In the Centennial wash house
and loitered outdoors to pick up
scraps of information concerning the
warriors Of Crazy Horse
San Juan Joe was one Of the best
known men In the gulch. Decent men,
as well as the refuse of the worlds
quarters, passed through his big
gambling tent. When he was recog-
nized there was a general crowding
forward to greet him and learn the
latest news from the south. The
gambler did not attempt to speak at
first, for he was battered with fierce
queries from score Of men at once.
where's Crook?"
Lord! Is the government going to
let them devils wipe us out?'
s'Have the Crows and Shoshoni
joined Crook YETI"
"Where's Terry? Where's GibsonT
"Why don't the soldiers Gomez"
The gambler raised a hand for ST.
lence and briefly recited what little
outside news he had picked up while
at Howman's ranch on the Cheyenne.
With more detail he told of the mas
sacre in the canyon and was compelled
to wait until the chorus Of oaths and
yells for vengeance had spent itself.
The wild outburst changed to wilder
cheers and tremendous exultation as
he spoke of the five Indians slain by
him and Dinsdale.
zone word more," cried San Juan
'This little lady is Lottie Carl, the
only survivor of the Belman outfit"
'Buy her pair of Shoes" howled
citizen.
Deafening cheers greeted the sug.
gestion. A blacksmith, still wearing
his leather apron and carrying his
s'adRa Ghoutadi