The Black Hills

Jixtract írom a pnvate letter from Deadwood city to a gentleman in Chicago : "I have at last arrived at my deetiuation, after a journey of twentyone days froïïi Cheyenne. I carne in by the new road (mud to your neck). I paid 6 cents per pound for my weight and baggage, with the understanding that I was to ride all the way ; but, alas ! I soon disoovered my mistake ; I had to ivalk all the waij - 360 miles, "Board is $15 per week, and hard to get at that ; day-board alone is $10 per week. The town is crowded with men out of work and out of money. The trüth of the matter is, too many are coming here for the Hills to support. Wages range from $4 to $7 per day for those that are able to get work. Tobacco, chewing is $1 per pound ; smoking, about $1.25 per pound ; cigars, common, 15 cents, ordinary, 25 cents a-piece. Flour, $28 per hundred, or $56 per barrel ; how is thnt for high ? Potatoes, 15 cents per pound. Everything is sold by the pound here. One man has got up a corner on flour, and has run it up from $18 to $28 per hundred in the last three days. Whisky is 25 cents a drink, and very poor stuff at that. Every other house is either a saloon, gamblinghouse, or house of prostitution. " This is one of the most lively towns that the country has ever had ; that is what the minera here all say. Hardly a night passes but what there are half-adozen fights right in the main street of the town. My advice to peopie in the Staten, who intend to come here to mine, is to stay where they are, for there are flve men for every position üere. They will have to put up with a great deal of hardship and privation in their overland trip from Cheyenne to Deadwood. I speak irom experience, and, therefore, ought to know. You can make the trip by stage from Cheyenne to Deadwood in about six days ; fare $50 ; meals on the way $18, making about $10 for the throxigh trip. I carne in a train of covered wagons for about .$30. Freight from Cheyenne here is 3 cents per pound, A dime or a nickel is never used ia this country ; almost everything is 25 cents. The money in circulation is gold-dust and silver coin. "There are two daily papers here - the Pioneer and the Times; in sizethey are about twice as large as an ordinary theater programme. There are seven breweries, two charcoal-pits, three brickf ards, and several milis, that I know af ; also, two theaters."