Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-07-25
DELIGHTED TOURISTS.

A member Of a party of tourists who
came in on special car from Lincoln a
few days ago, among whom were several
b. & NJ. Railroad officials, including
Chief Engineer Weeks, Train Master
Mutt, and Resident Engineer Tucker,
furnishes the Journal Of that city with
an extended account of their delightful
experiences during the seven days spent
here, from which We extract the follow
ing:
From Minnekahta we go northward.
The hills are higher, the rocks more
abundant, the curves sharper, and the
air cooler No sweltering now, when
we stop at Custer, We are glad to have
our car left in sunny SPOT, and at night
we close our windows to keep out the
cold air In this delightful climate at
an altitude of 5, 400 feet above the sea we
stop for week. We are surrounded by
pine covered mountains. On our right
Is South Mountain" on our left is
"Buckhorn," while directly ahead is the
long dark ridge of "rast Mountain"
win me Needles" on on / its easterly slope.
Through the valley runs French creek,
fed by numberless springs of pure water,
The botanist Immediately strikes out
for the slope ofSouth Mountain followed
by the young folks. Up the slope they
go, and the frequent exclamations tell of
good 'Gnds" either of botanical speci-
mems, or of luscious mountain strawber-
mes. The young folks go wild over the
latter, the young student stops his en-
thusiastic rushing after new things long
enough to gather in all the berries with
in reach, and even the sedate botanist
yields to the charms of the seductive
fruit.
Up the slope all go, finding all sorts of
berries bear berries, service berries,
raspberries, buffalo berries etc, all of
which are tasted after due consultation
with the botanist. At last the big rocks
at the summit of the mountain are
climbed the young folks sc-ambling up
the rough sides like squirrels. From
the top we look over the hills and
valleys, for miles in every direction.
Down into the valley at our feet lies the
pretty town of Custer spread out before
us like map. When we descend, we
carry heavy loads of ferns, rock. lichens,
! lilies and pentstemons, and prodigious
] appetites which Austin" finds difficult
! to satisfy.
In the meantime, the engineer has
been investigating the country and re
ports in favor of picnic projected by
the citizens Of Custer. The ladies too,
drive out in various directions and re.
tnrn as enthusiastic as the rest. We are
all in state of enthusiasm, we are de-
| lighted with the Black Hills. At night
we sleep under double blankets, in the
morning We prefer the sunny side of the
street. We are cool and comfortable,
| and we pity our friends at home who
| are tanning the hot air Of 90 degrees in
the shade.
Picnic day arrives, and we drive in
comfortable carriages up into the Har.
ney range to an altitude of $500 feet
| above the sea. The engineer properly
goes ahead. He is on the lookout for
attitudes, grades and curves. The botan-
| ist comes far in the rear, and often alb
| ruptly halts his driver to jump ont after
some rare plant. We pass over the site
Of Custer Lake." at present mountain
bog. shut in by rocky walls on all sides.
Through it runs a pretty stream which
finally escapes through a rift in the
rocks, and goes tumbling down a wild
and rocky gulch. Here. too, is Harney
Glen, carpeted with moss shut in by
lofty rocks on every side and filled with
the fragrance Of the pine, the spruce,
the birch and the hundreds Of wild
mountain flowers. Here are mountain
violets. mountain sedge, profusion of
ferns, and prettier than all, the blue
eyed "forget-me-not", so dear to the
ladies of the party. In this delightful
spot, tha most interesting one ever visit
ed by the writer, we sat down with
many Of the good people of Custer, and
lunched-feasted rather. Then up the
rocks and down the rocks all 60, and
even the most timid ladies became bold
rock climbers under the inspiration OF
the surroundings. We can't keep still,
the pure cool sir suggests and impels to
activity.
A dozen different kinds of ferns re-
ward the botanist and the young student
aud many rare bog plants are exaltingly
gathered into the collecting cases The
botanist finds gigantic polypore. and
mourns because he cannot get il into his
botany case", but an enthusiastic Gus
ter lady delights him by carrying il
home ten miles, in her hand. Science
ought to remember such enthusiasm, by
naming some new plant for this resident
of the Hills.
| One day is given to the ascent oi
Buckhorn mountain. The botanist, the
young student, and the boys OF the party
climb the rugged side of the mountain
and lunch in the cool air of the topmost
rock Of the summit. The view includes
nearly the whole of the Black Hills
AS far as the eye can reach, north, south
east, west, are the dark outlines of the
pine covered hills. 1t is view well
worth the hard climb by which 1t was
obtained.
Thus the days 90 by all too swiftly
every one bringing it's delights and
pleasures and at last we pack up all oul
belongings, take orr final look ut the
beautiful mountains, breathe deep
breaths of the cool exhilirating air, and
Eegin the rapid descent to the lower
lands. Down we run, and with every