Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-06-25
CUSTER.
An Eloquent Tribute to Her Beauties, by
Former Resident.

/ Former Resident.
/ The June number of the Mineralo.
gists' Monthly, published at Jersey City
n. j., contains and article, under the
title "Reminiscences of Custer" from
The pen of Otto Hairy, who removed
from this city about year ago. 1t is q
gem of literary composition, and
Throughout the entire article runs that
vein Of admiration for Custer, and the
enthusiasm over our mineral resources,
which Mr.. Hairy was always so ready
TO express to friend or stranger. We
publish the article for the benefit of our
readers at home and abroad:
"REMINISCENCES OF CUSTER.
| How many, or rather, how few ofyour
I readers have bern favored with a sight
lof Custer, the beautiful little city, so
charmingly located between, and sur
rounded by the Harney Group OF hills,
the Ioftiest ranges in the Black Hills Of
South Dakota. Fewer still | imagine
have ever penetrated the secrets of it's
silent forests and rambled over and
through the hills and gulchcs, that are
there so plentiful, in search Of the beau
ties SO dear TO the lover and student of
the natural sciences. Strange indeed it
seems, that a locality like this--so rich
in variation of scenery. so sublime in
climate, a spot, which la radius Of fifty
miles or less, offers an unsurpassed op-
portunity for TIE mineralogist, large
field for the bOtanist and safe invest
ments for the capitalist--is not more
familiar to the public ut large. Perhaps
its location, which has until quite re-
Gently been out Of reach for the average
tourist, has kept the streams Of would
he visitors from gazing upon my Edo
RADIO. Any way there are miles upon
miles of forest. which have only been
Travelled over by few local hunters, an
army of prospectors of course. the In.
dian and myself There are also some
rich spots" away back, which ! have
always regarded as mine. Mine BY
right of discovery, mine by virtue of
impenetrable secrecy, exclusively mine.
| wonder too that they are mine, while
all the time they are Haunting their
shining breastworks Of beauties in the
face of the world. | shall not say that
no one has trespassed upon my secret
oHpa5 bub Stll, lbI llO upuDl the
brawny prospector who has trayersed
and retraversed every foot Of ground
must have been near there. But he in
his eager search for metallic ores, cares
naught for the pretty bits so dear To the
amateur. Yet will say that in all my
pilgrimages | never met another coll
lector, nor saw the print of foot but
mine, IN the vicinity. No hateful path
meanders along from ledge to ledge, no
telltale scraps of lunch are scattered
here and there, and no vandal hand
has ruthessly defaced the crystal-stud-
ded face of the rock. Alas | am many
miles away from there now and while |
write Dakota Blizzard is raging with.
out, with all the fury of one of these
famous phenomena, but / am at ease,
for in my mind's-eye 1 am once again
living through the balmy days Of spring
anu early q uy sgmmer ameIr S Shep With Jsy
( roamed amid the familiar scenes.
Once a week, in the twilight Of a certain
day. the early risers might have seen a
shadow gliding past their houses and
out into the woods beyond. A shadow
accompanied by rolicy noisy little
spaniel who from experience knew that
another day of sport and play in the
wilderness lay before him. They used
to tell me that it was wicked to go pros
pecting on that day, OH other days busi-
ness required my attention, and | could
not go, and on that day they said,
ought not go. Good Heavens When
should go? As if man could not wor
ship in the wilderness. Oh! it is in
the depth of the forest, in some bubbling
ripping mountain stream, that like TO
wash my hands of care and worldly
toll, for day now and then, leaving the
dusty, crowded town, and standing alone
in the deep solitude, under the leaves of
woods | ask for no sweeter music this
side of Paradise than the psalm of those
crystal waters, and the songs Of the
birds among the treetops. Why is 1t
that nature seems TO have winning
charms for but few of Gods human
children? What is there in the charm
of fresh mountain air, the murmur of
the forest, the music of the brooks and
the gentle thrilling pleasure of "rock-
breaking" that appeals to me and not to
some others, whose companionship
would be an added delight to these
woodland solitudes. All, who knows =?
And after all, perhaps it may be better
as il is, for if all men loved the woods
they would become as populous as the
cities. There would be no more quiet
soltudes, no refuge from the throng,
and worst of all no specimens.
Come! brother naturalist, in fancy
visit with me The spots so dear through
lucky finds, so indellibly impressed on
my memory. Our objective point to-day
La. a.t,tt, .F ratlaa nr
more, do not propose 10 say exactly
where. You had better be good pc
destrian if YOU travel with me. our road
is rough and hilly and you will be in-
clined to rest few moments now aud
then. We cross French Greek and di-
rectly begin the ascent of Pyrotechnic
Peak. from whose lofty summit we en-
Joy a view, which for sublimity and
grandeur is not excelled in any part of
the world. Before our admiring gaze is
| spread panorama which at once en-
chants, delights and awes the beholder.
From our dizzy height the little noun
tain stream appears like thread OF
silver, peacefully rolling in an easterly
direction. Llttle Is there now to rile its
crystal waters, but how different it must
have looked. when after the first dis
covery Of gold on its banks, over eight
tiioasand excited human beings made
"Rome howl" Only a Jagged log cabin
or two on the outskirts of the town bear
silent witness of the mighty prospect
camp which flourished here in early
days. Substantial business blocks and
comfortable dwelling houses nave taken
the place of the abandoned abodes oi
the settlers of 1876, who left with rush
all but score or less-for the nortn'
ern hills, when the discoveries of richer
diggings reached their ears. Two miles
off to our right we have picturesque
"Colamity Peak" which stretches IL,
rocky detiles in a northwester.y direc
ton; further on is castle Rock" with
its precipitous sides. and away off north
is "Harney's Range" with Harney's
Peak towering majestically above all ths
surrounding country. "The Needles
on its eastern slope, an imposing solitar,
group Of granite spires rising hundred
OF feet from their rocky foundation