Year: 1877

Thinking that you would like to
hear from the Black Hills / will try
to write you something suitable fol
publication.


Times are quite lively at this place
as much go as many people. of every
shade and grade of morality can make
il. There is but one street in the
town, aud that is alive with men from
morning until midnight. A large
number Of them may at any time be
seen on the street swearing and ours
ing as they go staggering along from
the effects of bad whisky-spending
the little money brought here with
them.


The placer mines are not being
worked here yet, but active operations
will soon commence. Quartz is being
worked with good success. Some
mines are changing hands, while
some are held too high to make sale.


This is the time for representing
claims, and there is a general move
from one creek to another-where MI
ners have different claims in differen
districts-to at attend the miners
courts. This will last for two weeks
and perhaps longer.


AS you would probably like to
know how representing is done. on
the day the gulch is thrown open, /
will try to describe 1t. In the first
place, all the numbers of the claims
are set down, commencing with num-
beT one aud running up, with claim
ants name attached to the number ;
and if the man is present at the meet
ing he signs his name opposite the
number of his claim. Those claims
not represented are considered open
for relocation and liahle to be jun ped.
There were five such here to-day.


The next thing in order was set
Ting disputed claims. The first one
settled was White of Nevada against
Murphey, of BrownvilIe. Nebraska
1t appears that the case was tried al
the time the gulch was laid over last
fall, and decided in Murphey's favor
But White not being then present. he
got hearing to-day and beat Murph
ey out Of his claim, unjustly.


There was quite number of dis
putes settled, but owing to drunken
men who wanted to do all the talk
ing, and was doing all of it, the meet
ing was adjourned to 10 O'Clock to
morrow a. No., and will continue from
day to day until all disputes are set
! tied.


| Battle Creek is a very good camp, as
there is only two claims opened al
yet, and there is but little known a,
to the extent of the mines, but on
man cleaned up $50 to one days WORK
-one man shoveling in and one bail
ing water. There is dry gulch comes
in OH the left hand side of the gulch
that pays wages. On Sundays the
men go down to Haywood, get on ,
drunk, spend their money. and ther
go back to "rustle" for more.


Custer City israther dead at the pres
ent time, and is only kept up by the
emigration.


Prospecting on French Creek has
been a failure, and no ed-rook found
It beats" all who tackle" it; bu
there is no doubt that there Is gold al
the bottom If it could be got at.
Spring Creek is being prOspected
with good indications of success, al
there are two drain bitches being run
TO bedrock on the creek, and one o
them is we'll along at the present and
will probably be. finished In three
weeks or less time.


Cast'eto has about forty houses
two stores-one of them kept by JOE
Heady, of BrownviIle. Murphey has
a part of his saw mill i'm town, bu
where he he is going TO set it die
not learn. There is a,pOst office here
and a postmaster appointed, but NJ
contract let for carrying the mail.


J. Fl.