The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1892-01-22
Last Saturdays Meeting in Rapid
a Rousing suoces.- Melbourne
Will Be Asked to
Wet Us.
Precinct Committees Urged to So
lioit Subscriptions at Once and
Report to the County Commit
tee Before January 2eth.
paoxpr ACTION ,xpraArIvElY ys,rssAaY.

sentative gathering ofBlack Hills farm
Iers, ever seen at one place. convened o,
Saturday last in the court house, tocon
slider the advisabil1ty OF securing til
services OF Melbourne the rain maker. q
q means OF irrigation for next season.
crop. The main oomof the courthous
was crowded, standing room being at 4,
premium. Intense interest was manifes
ted IN the entire proceedings, showin
that the farmer is alive to the necessit,
OF securing artificial moisture.
Lawrence county delegated A, Il
Cannon to act for 1T: Custer had tx
Stenser and several others; Fall Rive
county had Preston Sharpe Of Oelrich
and w. B. Tice OF Buffalo Gap; Mead
was keenly looked after by G. V. Gard
ner and Others, while Pennington had :
whole host, among them, Captain For
sha, A. e. Cannon, r. b. Hughes, Vim
Gramberg, Zach Holmes, Ike Humphrey
Tom DAILY, A. j. Mccain, Lee Gould
Frank Sucker, John Ingersol, Lew Nc
Gee, Henry Behrens, Otto Anderson, A
G. Patrick, Ryan, Ashton, well, Stohl
man, d. Williams, Meyers, Livingston
+. G, Davis, al Frease, Chas White
Fred Swanson and eighty four others.
Il. b. Reed OF the UNION was elected
chairman and James p Black secretary
Mr.. Holmes, who has been active in
bringing this question to a focus was in
vited to address tic meeting. lie stated
the substance ola letter that had been re-
ceiyed from Melbourne and recommended
the adoption OF the plan OF organization
that Custer county had endorsed, which
reads as follows:
Resolved, That committee OF three
be elected from each county to form a
county executive board. That the chair
man OF said committee act with the chair
man from other counties as an executive
board to contract with Professor Mel
bourne and perform all nescessarv bus-
ness with his county,
Ihat this committee also appoint two
persons from each precinct to solicit sub
scriptlons in dollars and cents and re-
port to the county board
The precinct appointees to act us a
standing committee to report theil. acts
their work.
That the subscription paper to be sir
culated be wOrded as follws:
We the undersigned agree to pay to the
Goodland Artificial Rain company
through the executive board OF the Black
Hills counties the amount set opposite
our names. providing the said company
or their agents produce sufficient artifi-
cial rain to insure the growing OF good
crops, for the season OF 1892. and we
further agree to give sufficient security to
the said executive board Tor such
amounts at such times as they MAY
demand.
On motion OF Henry Behrens seconded
by Zach Holmes, the organization o1
Custer county, us read WAS accepted
separately by ench county through theil
delegates and by the meeting on behalf o.
Pennington, as thut OF the Black Hills
counties, During the discussion arising
from this motion Captain G. V. Gardner
| desired to ascertain the probable cost o
Melbourne's services, If secured, which
without reliable data, could not be given
| A. J. Mccain wanted to be converted
to the belief that Melbourne was a sue
cess, when A. C. Ashton handed in ;
clipping from an OHIO paper, in whicl
the rain maker, over his own signature
sta ted his readiness to enter into con
tracts to cause rain at any time and a
any point.
Mr. Carpenter OF Sturgls, was here in
troduced by William Gramberg and SAT-
that back in Ohio where Melbourne live
his rain making efforts had been signall
successful winding up with the assuranc
that Melbourne could certainly do wha
he claimed. Mr.. Mccain desired t
know If the committee had power to sa
when the rain was artificial aud whe
natural. Captain Forsha wanted til
same information and in addition su:
} gested that rain be contracted for in til
} fall months, to enable farmers to d
late plowing. Otto Anderson, facetious
} ~ remarked that he would like the COZ
} tract made for the rain to fall eyer
Saturday night.
:; ties were then invited to retireto the &C
5 iourning rooms and perfect their organ
zation by the election OF three commi
j men from each, while Pennington di
: the same in the main room; with Fran
IStucker and A. j. Nc Cain as teller
The result was as follows.
Pennington county-Levi Nc Gee, FAC
E Holmes. Rapid City: A. j. Nc Cain, l.;
/; verne postoiflce.
S Fall River county--Preston Sharp
! w. W. Smithson, Oelrichs; w. B. Tic
. Buffalo Gap.
D Meade county IN session, with G..
t Gardner as chairman and G. u. PHILLIP
!. aud r. Boyd tellels, reported-C.
t Gardner, Piedmont, AL House, Ber
!. postoftice, Frank Rood, Sturgis, electe
j Custer county, II. j. Churchill, A. /.
t Sprague, Ed Stenger, Hcrmosa.
!. A motion prevailed to have the cha
:, appoint committee OF three to &C
It respond Immediately with Melbo,r
+ and ascertain definitely on what teri
i; he would agree to cause rain to the Bla
i; Hills country. The char named Le
4; Nc Gee, Zack Holmes and A, J. Nc Cal
u; The several committees then retir
9; and after comforting together resolved
D.; meet again at Piedmont, Saturday Js
g; uary 30. at ten O'Clock a. M. Lawrer
r; and Butte counties were respectful
E; urged to perfect their organizations a
x; be represented at the meeting OF co
NJ; lnittee at Piedmont.
4; During the progress OF the meeting t
o; telsgrams we're received guarantee
e; land in different sections OF the Hills.
The following persons have b.