From The Black Hills

CtraTAE (Jitt, Daxota, Feb. 18, 1876. Dear Sistkb- I dropped you a few lines on tny arrival at Fort Laramie, nine days ago, and to-day haring another good chanca to 8end you a few lines I will do so. I reached this metropoli of the Black Hills on Friday about noon, and am now Tery well located, having found a (riend who was willing to share his cabin with us until we were ia shape to biiild one for ourselves, we having been camping in a tent on the outsule of the town until now. Our mili and goods are about 75 miles back. Four of us started on ahead, and made the trip in a httle over ten days, so we are now looking around for a good location, expecting to go over to Hill City in a day or two and see the place, I hare bought a lot in a Tery pretty location and eipect, if the place amounti to anythifig, to put up a Ilttle house. I hare been trying all day to buy a business lot, but tiud prices worthy of a place like Chicago. I wish you could take a look a Custar City. !t is now less than two months old and contains sume 200 houses, all lots, and as many more in the course of erection. It lies in a jretty Talley of about 500 acres, a small creek running through it, and surrounded on all ides by mountains. We expect soon now to ïaTe plenty of lumber for building a better class of houaes, and unless the miners make a rush for some other part of the hills we exect to sell considerable lumber, none bat A No. 1. I estímate, and I think I am about right, hat there are no w about 2,500 people in the lilis, and some parties ar taking out consider" able dust. I cannot keep my senses together this evening to be able to write anything of a letter and shall not be able probably. until I get tet!ed, there are now five or six settling around, alking mines, &c. So far I have had a very pleasant time V had no trouble at all with Indians, though, as I said before, there were but four f us in our party. Yet we were more fortunte than some of our friends that were one ay behind us and lost all their horses and most of. their goods by the same red skins. I will write no more this time. Hoping to hear rom voii Rnon. T remftin. as ovaiv