The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1888-01-27

Having just returned from the tin
metropolis Of Custer county reportorial
instinct again prompts me to WELD
the pen for the readers ct the STAR.
1t is said that a thing of beauty is a
joy forever, and poets have written
miles and miles Of poetry to convince
and prove to us that snow is beautiful
yet the man that could honestly say
that it was joy to forever travel
through snow from twelve to fifteen
inches deep would be considered a
raving maniac. AS it was my first
advent into the tin city and as I had
no acquaintance to speak Of nor nay
letters of introduction to its chief
nabobs l shall have to content myself
with writing up from observation.
saw Custer in her mantle of white
and just after the holidays had passed
and of course / did not sec her to ad-
vantage. Isaw that tho town was
beautifully located and that her
business houses We're we'll stocked that
her streets We're wide and that her
mining millionaires were thicker than
the leaves in autumn. saw that
there was scarcity Of sleighs and
bob-sleds and a surfeit Of brass band.
l think that Hermosa man was wrong
when be said they could not call hogs,
the hogs that would not come from q
thousand hills to see what such noise
was all about are not Che kind Of hogs
we want in the Black Hills. Oh! un-
happy poor unhappy Custer! Your
Affections are indeed greater than you
seem able to bear. The residents Of
Custer seem kindly disposed toward
strangers and have that good old ,go-as-
you-please way about then, that
charactelizes the old mining camps Of
California and Nevada. 1did not visit
the Chronicle man although should
have done so. The coal fields at Lack
awanna are still attracting some at
tention. Messrs. Green: Craven and
Eskins are driving their cattle to
OclYichs 10 feed the rest Of the winter.
The assignment of the Union Cattle Co.
will soon be followed by other large
companies, ] fear, and then good bye
to raising cattleon large scale around
the Black Hills. I think it Will be
better for the country when it is SO.
A diversified industry is the best for
all of us. 1 have seen considerable
i'll the papers about the unsurveyed
land in Fall River county. OF course
these meetings that your correspondent
from Smitiwicks speaks of is a good
way for the settlers to give expression
either for or against q survey. There
is no one up here that have talked to
but what wants their land surveyed in
order that they may set themselves
right with the government, with their
neighbors and with themselves. The
only trouble in having meeting on
Bradley Flat is lack Of energy. We
arc willing to receive a benelitif there
is no eSertion on our part required to
obtain it. have been at work on
this survey business since last spring
and here with send you the last letter
that have vereived from the Surveyor
General Of Dakota which explains
itself:
In regard to the matter of surveys in
Fall River county | have to say that
for the past two sessions congress made
no appropriations of consequence for
public surveys. and therefore the
service has been practically at stand
still in this as in other districts. It is
hoped and expected that an appropri-
alton will be made for the purpose
at the present session in which
event due attention will be given to the
necessities of the settlers of Fall River
county. and that at as early day as
possible. Very Respectfully,
MAR1s TAYLOR,
Surveyor Gen.
ACORN.