The Indiana State Sentinel

GOLD IN THE BLACK HILLS.

A Description of the Country and Who Are There.

Some Gold, but More Men—What They Do When They Go There.

[Special Correspondence of the Sentinel.]

DEADWOOD, D. T., June 14.—Since writing my last to you we have had quite an addition to our city from Indiana, more particularly from Indianapolis: namely, J. W. Coons, ex-city treasurer; O. Frink, Dr. Cook, B. Hammell, Tom Kirby, John Gallivan, and on yesterday Moran and Dillon. Most all of the Indiana boys are satisfied to stay and "prospect" a little while longer, believing that in due time they will strike ("oil") gold. It is settled beyond dispute that gold abounds in all the hills and gulches in and around Deadwood, but as I said before, it takes an immense amount of labor, patience and gold to get it out.

Thousands of men arrive and depart from this neighborhood every day. Those who come and stay a day or two, or just long enough to eat the last morsel of grub they may have, and who, instead of taking pick and shovel and going to the hills and gulches and prospecting, or even making an attempt to discover gold or seek work, these men, and such as these, leave the country disgusted, and to every one they meet on the road to Deadwood they say: "Don't go any further; turn back. There is no gold at Deadwood and there never was." Yet these men did nothing while they were here except visit the saloons and gambling houses, of which this town, God knows, has got her share.

Gold abounds here in every hill and gulch, but whether in paying quantities to warrant a big outlay in mills and machinery, it is too early for any man to say with truthfulness.

THE DIFFERENT MINES.

The mines at Lead City, Golden Gate, Gay City, Hidden Treasure, Galena and one or two other cities (the names I can't just now call) are working to their full capacity. The quartz mines are yielding from $2,000 to $13,000 every clean up, which is about a six days' run. That they are making that much is true, and how much more you can't tell, as men here, who are making the money, are rather reticent about their "private business."

The quartz gold here runs every way—not, I am told, like California. Some of the mines have heavy tunneling; others drifting, and just as frequent surface or very shallow drifting. Stamp mills and machinery are arriving by every ox or mule train, and I dare say that inside of 90 days not less than 100 mills will be in operation. Now, parties not knowing would think, why surely this is the place for the laborer to go. Ah! my Indianapolis friends, if the labor were to come only from our city, then you all could come; but, don't forget it, that we have people from every nook and corner of the globe, and thousands are on our streets and at our mines seeking work.

WHO SUCCEED.

Old experienced gold and silver miners succeed in getting work, at say from $5 to $8 per day. Some of our poor Indianapolis laborers would say, "Gosh! If I could only get the half of that I'd be satisfied." But stop; let us see what it costs to get that—always look before you leap. It will cost, first class passage, including board, about $57 to get here; then three or four days after you are here to look around, and now comes the "grub."

PRICE OF PROVISIONS.

To-day provisions are lower than at any time since I've been at the Hills, and still flour is $18 per cwt.; bacon 23c. per lb.; coffee 60c. per lb.; tea $1.75 to $3.10 per lb.; sugar 28c. per lb.; molasses $2.25 per gallon, and whisky (said to be very poor) 25c. per drink.

Now let some of my old army friends multiply the prices of those articles by the "ration" and see out of their wages how much they will have left. And here is another very costly article, "your health;" for what man can lie on the ground night after night nearly frozen? The nights here in June are as cold as they are at home in December. Yesterday we had three inches of snow, and on Sunday last the hail was so large that it knocked down horses. All these woes and ills of life a man must bear in a mining country. As for merchandising, there is no article of merchandise you can not get here, but at a considerable advance over Indianapolis prices. In short, every department is over done.

GAMBLING HOUSES AND SALOONS predominate. Gambling goes on all day and night. I've seen men sell their blankets on the street on the representation that they wanted bread, yet in five minutes you would see these same fellows "bucking the tiger." Nearly everybody seems to have a mania for gambling. We have two

VARIETY THEATERS here, and the old attaches of the "Met" are well represented. Miss Fanny Bean and her father, Miss Le Roy (who got married so the papers say yesterday), Miss Frankie Lee and two others whose names I can't just now call.

Last week we had what they call a stampede from here to the "Big Horn" country and the Powder river country. Gold is said to have been discovered there in "chunks" as large as the bumps of benevolence in some of our rich Indianapolis friends' heads. Old California miners shake their heads at those who go, and say "they will go to the Big Horn, but will come out at the Little Horn.

DON'T COME.

In conclusion let me say through your columns in answer to the many letters that I am constantly receiving in reference to this country, don't come now; wait another year, and then the mines will have been developed, and if there is gold in sufficient quantities to pay for opening and mining, there will be plenty left for you to open. If you have plenty of cash, and are willing to try your luck in this grand lottery, come, and come via I., B. and W., C., B. and Q., U. P. R. R. to Sidney, Nebraska, then stage it over. I may pay Indianapolis a visit this winter, and at that time will be pleased to give a more full history; but for the present I'll remain here, as I am here, and think I can't do better at Indianapolis. All Indianapolis boys, without any exception, are bodily (but I can't say mentally) well.

Yours, etc.,

H. S. B.