Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1881-08-27
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENT CE.


last week spent two days in Rapid.
the Gate City Of the Hills AS Judge
Mcguire calls ii. And it is the gate OF
! the eastern foothills, will admit but
the Black Hills, like the woman suffrage
question, and most other things, has
more SIDES than one, and | told the
Judge that if hc would come to Custer
he would see very big "Gate" here,
too-a gate that latches and hinges in
the richest and most colossal gold mines
! in the world and swings over as lovely
sward as ever carpcted earth with
fiower-spangled greenland he promised
me he would soon come
But must do the Judges Gate Ci!l'
Justice. il is a beautiful town, rich and
interesting in its surroundings. Stretch
ing off to the eastward down the valley
of the Rapid. in the direction of the
Cheyenne river, there is Il chain of well
improved farms from twelve to fifteen
miles long, while there are many more
to the nOrthward, in the valleys of the
Box Elder and Elk creek. Rapid Cir,
is destined 10 become an aeri,ullural
centre of very great Importance. 10 the
westward lies the bulk of the mineral
wealth Of the Black Hills. How mur!,
of this iI:lncn@c prospective mining
trade will in the future pc controlled br
Rapid City depends upon the enterprise
and liberAlity OF the merchants. the
publir-spirt manifested in constructing
and keeping in good condition roa,S
leading to interior points, aud the vim
and step Of the rival trade centres
Rockeryile, Pacto!a, Sheridan and Hi
City.
| found the railroad excitement in
full blast on my arrival; and il really
looks as if it was having the desired
effect. The reports of the various nl~et-
ings held have found their way. in some
form or other, into the metropolitan
press of the country, and the result ha.
been 10 awaken the main trunk lines
from the letharsy into which they have
fallen in regard to BLACK Hills railroad
communication. The Northwestern, the
Milwaukee, the Cniun Pacific and the
Sioux City & Pacific are now all promis-
ing immediate extension TO the Black
Hills; and then | am assured there is
an independent organization of capital
lists in New York, controlling an abund.
ancc of money and commenting un-
limited credit, who have conditionally
promised to at once close the gap be-
tween Fort Niobrara and Rapid City
with standard-gauge track, and to
ultimately build grand trunk line bv
extending the road on through To BoZe-
man, in Montana. That capital would
be profitably invc>!el ia grand trunk
line from Bozcman to the east by way
Of the Black Hills have never doubted:
| think such route is destined, sooner
or later, to cut off the Northern Pacific's
control of the Montana trade but | am
OF opinion that when the engineers get
into the field there will be very ci.ill-
ing wet blanket thrown over the hopes
of Judge Magui,e and his Rapid CITY
friends in regard TO the Gate City" be-
coming the great railroad centre of the
BLACK Hills. 1t is easy enough to get
into Rapid City with railroad; bat is
it as easy to get out that is the Cncs-
ton. am told BY those familiar with
the country that the natural route for !,
railroad through the Hills is by way Of
Buffalo Gap, Battle creek, and through
Custer, that by this route it would be
very easy, without expensive grading or
tunneling to get through to the western
foothills, and thus on through to tkc
great coal and iron mines on the head
Of Powder rivcr-and this course leads
directly towards Bozeman and the
Yellowstone valley, in Montana 1t is
quite probable that Rapid City will have
a branch Of this proposed grand trunk
line, extending from the Cheyenne river
up the Rapid valley and the branch
might be constructed, to accommodate
local trade, before the main line; but
this is the most, think, Rapid City can
hope for in the way Of railroad commu-
nication.
Mr.. Hughes, the able and versatile
editor, and the Gossage brothers, the
cleyer proprietors, Of the Journal treat
cd me to carriage ride to the famous
Cleghorn Springs, about four miles above
Rapid City. 1t was a delightful drive
ssa u.e had a lnas". Ael~htfuJ rest upon
reaching our destination. The water OF
the springs is as cold as ice and clear as
crystal. yelling up from the midst OF
beautiful grove Of oaks and elms are
a group Of springs which perpetually
flow enough water to turn the most ex.
tensive machinery--a thousand miners
inches should say. They are the pro-
perty of window Cleghorn.
Upon the whole my trip there was
made up of pleasant incidents and
interesting observations. Rapid City