PROSPECTING ON FRENCH CREEK. . 231 



what limited localities, from half a cent to as high as one and a half cents 

 were obtained from the gravel from off bed-rock. The gravel bars were 

 rich enough in gold to pay if extensively worked under more favorable 

 circumstances, but too poor to yield a remunerative return for the labor 

 employed, except in a few limited deposits of gravel near the extreme head 

 of the stream. 



The next day the following dispatch, embodying all the information in 

 regard to the gold-field that had been obtained to date, was sent by courier 

 to Fort Laramie and telegraphed to Washington : 



Camp on French Cheek, Near Harney Peak, 



June 17, 1875. 

 To Hon. E. P. Smith, 



Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Washington, D. G. : 

 I have discovered gold in small quantities on the north bend of Castle Creek, in 

 terraces or bars of quartz gravel. 



Arrived here yesterday. About fifteen miners have located claims on the creek 

 above here, and have commenced working. Gold is found from Castle Creek south- 

 wardly to French Creek at this point ; the deposits are almost wholly in Dakota. The 

 region has not been fully explored, but the yield of gold thus far has been quite small 

 and the reports from the richness of the gravel bars are greatly exaggerated. 



On French Creek the deposits of gravel are very unfavorably situated. The 

 water supply is small and failing, and the grade too little to admit of the tailings being 

 carried off by the stream. 



The prospect at present is not such as to warrant extended operations in mining. 



WALTER P. JENNEY, E. M., 

 Geologist Exploration of the Black Hills. 



The fact of the existence of gold caused considerable excitement among 

 the soldiers and teamsters of the escort, and quite a number were busily 

 engaged in prospecting along the creek, sinking holes to the bed-rock 

 wherever there was the slightest indication of a deposit of gravel, or clean- 

 ing out old prospecting shafts dug by the miners the preceding winter, and 

 panning the pay gravel, which had been reported to be so rich in gold. But 

 the results of their labor were so discouraging — generally only a few small 

 ''colors" would be obtained from a pan of gravel, and rarely more than 

 three-quarters of a cent to the pan in the richest layer of pay dirt from off 

 bed-rock — that after a few days they abandoned the search for the pre- 

 cious metal and did not resume it for more than two weeks, until the dis- 

 covery of a very encouraging prospect on a bar near the stockade caused 



