Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 September 1874 — The New El Dorado. [ARTICLE]

The New El Dorado.

This was our last day in the Black Hills.. Occasionally as we reached the summit'of one of the border peaks we could see stretching away like an ocean, miles and miles beyond us to where the brown earth and the blue sky seemed to meet, the hot, dry plains that for days thereafter were to be our marching ground, and with much regret did we think of leaving the cool, shady valleys and fresh water for the hot and dusty prairies and alkali. The eastern and northern ranges ofthe hills are qulti as beautiful and fully as rich in every way as the other parts, and will be, perhaps, more available for settlers when they are permitted to enter it, as the valk leys are wider, the hills are generally lower and less abrupt, and the genenu face of the country more adaptable ta agriculture. Frequently the valleys widen out into broad, level parks'large enough for a vegetable farm and as fertile as a Rhode Island garden, which one could see in his mind’s eye laid out according to the rules and regulations of market men “ into all the luxuries of the season.” It cannot be long before these imaginary picturfis are realized; the future does not stretch far forward before it reaches the settlement and improvement of this oasis of the Dakota plains. The miners continued their prospecting as we passed northward from Harney’s Peak, and several times found the color of gold but never succeeded in getting the metal. They claim that it is there —that the belt stretches southeastward, and that their test was insufficient, as is no doubt the case, being hastily and hurriedly made. Frequent indications of iron were found, and large gypsum beds, like those that lie to the west of Inyan Kara. The deposits are pure and easily available, but unfortunately the demand for the substance is not sufficient to call for its mining. It is the gold, if anything, and the beautiful hills and valleys that will bring people to the Black Hills

Those who are familiar with the Indian reports of the country claim that we have not seen the richest portion that west of where we are now camped, in that district which lies between. Bear Butte and the southward bend of the Bello Fourche, which we have “straddled,” to use a vulgar phrase, lie the treasures of which the Indian is so jealous; that the theme of all the fabulous stories is located, and that all the gold nuggets that Dame Rumor ever heard of were picked up, where we hava not been. But Gen. Custer found the country impassable for his train, and led his tram through that portion of the billa which, although extremely difficult, was most easy to enter, and as his time was limited the explorations of this El Dorado must be left for another year. Already the expedition has done more than, was even hoped of it by the most sanguine ; more, even, than Gen. Custer himself, who has never learned the use of the word failure, expected, and its direct results will be of great value on many accounts. The topography pf Southwestern Dakota, Southeastern Montana and the northwestern comer of Wyoming has been secured by the engineer corps to a degree of accuracy that is unusual; the course of all the streams has been, determined, and all the progression of mineralogy, zoology and botany has been applied to the investigation of a part of the country that was hitherto totallyjunknown, with a result that will be valuable as long as the star of empire westward keeps its way. The fact that gold and other mineral deposits exist here has been verified, and, still further, the fertility of the soil and the healthful fragrance of the atmosphere has been found to equal any locality on Uncle Sam’s farm. And from all the indications we have seen it does not appear that the Indian need he jealous of this portion of his titled estate, nor will it be robbing him to deprive him of it. We have found no settlements in the Black Hills. All we have seen have been hunting parties from the Missouri agencies, who came up here for a little summer sport. There £are few traces to show that they make this their home any portion of the year, or ever did, and the only temptations to draw them are the herds of elk and deer, which a few years of active hunting would exterminate. They cannot mine the gold or iron ; the timber docs them no good, and they will never make any use of the rich soil that has been waiting centuries to be utilized. But lam meddling with a question it is not my province to discuss. I will state the fact and let other people formulate the theories. The great fact here is: One of the most valuable landscapes on the continent, fenced in from all civilization —one of the richest storehouses ever filled with the gifts of the Almighty locked and barred by human legislation from those for whom it was meant. — Cor. Lnter-Oeean. ■— ' i i —The Paris Cab Company has instituted a mode of advertising which it expects will yield a considerable income when its advantages are known to trade. On each hiring the cab-driver is bound to give a ticket bearing the number of the vehicle and the tariff of charges. Instead of tickets the company’ now distribute to its drivers little books of a few’ leaves, the outside of which contains the matter of the former tickets, the inside being left free for advertisements. The average daily number of hirings of the company’s, vehicles is 31,000, and from the class of the public who use cabs, and the probability that the advertisements will be read by the, passenger to while away his time on the journey, this mode of publicity will probably be appreciated by advertisers. • —The Protestaffi Episcopal Church Congress, to.be held in New York in October, promises to be an important religious gathering. The congress is the result of a meeting of New England clergymen held in New Haven some months ago. The sessions will be held in Cooper Institute. The meeting will be devoted to a frank and courteous discussion of different views, without the authority to settle or determine anything.