Ranch and Way-Stations to the Black Hills
J. W. Dear of Red Cloud Agency, has established ranches along the route from Fort Laramie to the Black Hills, at convenient distances and will keep accommodations for miners. Mr. Dear is one of the most enterprising and honorable young men in this country, and whatever he puts his hand to, goes with a vim. He is thoroughly acquainted with the Indian character and knows just what to do and when to do it. He is not the man to establish a line of stations on the new route to the gold fields from Cheyenne and Fort Laramie, without knowing what he is about.
The first ranch out from Fort Laramie is on what is called the Government Farm, about fifteen miles. The next is on the head waters of Running Water, twenty miles. The next is on Old Woman's Fork of the Cheyenne river, the next on Horseshoe creek, and the last on the Cheyenne river, from which point Custer City can be reached in one day and a half. A line of stages will doubtless soon go on along the route, and these stations will then become stopping places for the passengers going and coming as well as for supplying the thousands of miners who will be passing over the route. We wish Mr. Dear abundant success in his enterprise.
Originally published in the Cheyenne Daily Leader