The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1890-06-06
From Saratoga sprinrs,

toAEAIOGA ioHtlNG5, ~. l., May AI.-
ITO the editor OF The UNION. 1.-The gen.
eral impression prevails that the General
Assembly will adjourn quite early in this
number OF commissioners from Synods,
about twelve hours ride by rail, obtain
ed leave OF absence on Saturday and
many will bid farewell to Saratoga this
morning. You have no doubt learned
through the press the disposition OF the
revision question. This assembly has
put itself on record as one OF particular
ly harmonious action. When, after
lengthy discussion consuming one to
three ours out of each day, with a
number OF rc-conmltt;lls OF the report
or recommendations OF review commit
tee OF 1889 and resolutions to amend
offered by other members on the assem-
bly,, on Friday last motion carried to
refer the resolutions relative to the ap-
pointment OF a committee on revision to
a new committee OF seven members to be
appointed by the moderator. Upon
submission on the morning of May 9th,
their report was adopted with but one
dissenting vOlce--a very remarka Bile
coincidence in such large ASSEMBLY
composed OF men holding 50 many dill
ierent views in regard to this question.
A large number OF the commissioners
and visitors to the assembly, probably
two hundred i'll all, made an excursion
to Mount McGregor, some ten miles
| northeast OF here, by the Mt. McGregor
railroad, a narrow gauge which runs to
| the very top OF this mountain (Which is
eleven bundled feet above Saratoga
with Il grade Ill some places as high as
/ two hundred and forty feet to the mile
| Among the company were the writer anC
Mrs. II. $. Hall OF Rapid City. Rev
| ii. +. Wilbur having an invitation tC
supply a pulpit in Albany the next day
could not join us. This watering place
you no doubt are aware, has become 4
iavorite resort, particularly on account
OF TIE TACT that it is tie place wllerc
IGeneral Grant spent his last days. DreX
el Cottage, in which he died, is open tC
the public and makes the visit of historic
interest. This cottage has been decided
to the G.. A. r. fra ternltv OF which Grant
was Il amember, and is guarded by a sol.
| der who lives in the upper portion o.
| the cottage and is ever ready to welcome
| all visitors and escort them through the
different apartments, giving history o.
each object OF interest. One cannot but
| have d feeling OF solemnity on entering
this cottage, and to a hystanderits seems
| funeral procession as you see II com
pany OF visitors enter and quietly, al
| most silently, pass in and view the cot
upon which the general brea thed his last
which, with the exception Of one spread
| remains as it was when his spirit tooE
it's flight on that memorable day OF } uly
We next view some pieces OF immortelies
presented by friends OF the old soldier
| among which are two crosses, a sword
l RI c t,f
| other has two pendants, an anchor tC
the lett and a heart to the right. An
other is an arched gateway with the
gates ajar and the inscription "U. S
Grant" on the face OF the arch. Passing
into the next room, we find two easy
chairs facing each other in the center o.
the room beside a small square center
table said to be in the very position ir
which they stood when Grant was car
ried from them during the last moments
OF his life, A small wardrobe in one enc
OF this room contains his wardrobe. Two
| postal cards with messages to Mr.. Drex
el are hanging in d frame on the wall Te
these he had not placed his signature
| Among other OBJ iects OF interest are the
| pictures that adorn the room, amons
which, in gilt frames, are Lucretia por
traits OF Lincoln and Grant. A larg.
brick chimney with old-fashioned fire
place containing two large andirons oc
cupies Il prominent place in the from
room. On the mantle stands a bras.
clock which is said to stand still at th,
time or hour CT Grants death. Takin;
leave OF the cottage we ascend to th
Balmoral Hotel. situated on the highes
peak of this mount. After registering
j our names we climb into the obseryator,
some sixty feet high, and here I'VE will sa.
that the View that meets the eye j
simply understandable. To the north th
Adicondacks in plain view remind on
somewhat OF the Black Hills To tn
northeast we obtain a magnificent vie,
!. OF the Hudson river valley, dotted wit
farm residences and a number of littl
villas. To the east are the Green Mouf
, taits OF Vermont and in the intervenin
plain which, from this high elevation
/ looks as level as a western prairie, bu
, which is not. We can distinctly Sc
], Saratoga Lake and Schylerville with tn
) Schuyler Monument, it's shaft toweril
heavenward one hundred feet. Th
, monument was erected in memory
the battle OF Saratoga. Looking towar
the south we see the Catskill Mountain
7 After gathering a few mementos, OF
: pleasant company returned to Saratoe
t feeling that we had been fully repaid ft
Y the time spent. The cars rang wit
t music as we decended the slope, all joi
! ing in singing Nearer My God to Thee
s and other appropriate songs. If yc
Y should meet the writer on his retul
Ii sporting a hickory shelala, let the wor.
S MountAlcGregor satisfy your curiosit
e A. j. MCCAIN.
5 Goods damaged by fire and waite
r not enough to hurt, at twenty-ti