The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1895-07-18
A TRIP TO THE BLACK HILLS.
Impressions of Prairie Man Among
South Dakota's Mountains 81
and Gold Mines.
SYLVAN LAKE.

SYLVAN LANE.
Perhaps the most picturesque spot
OF these wonderful Hills is the sylvan
bower encircled by giant rocks about
six miles from Custer known as Syl-
van Lake. 1t is reached by a fiowery
forest road over hill and dale, and
consists of an artificial lake made in
a deep canyon, along which the pro-
prietor, Mr.. T. Reder, has built fine
hotel, fitted with all the modern con-
veniences. Everywhere in this local.
ty the ground is strewn with mica in
fragments of rock and in small sheets.
Here the summer tourist may find
| the widest and most weird scenery
amongst an upheavel of gigantic
rock and pine covered peaks, shady
| dells, and the boulder strewn gulches
over and through which the noun
tain streams swiftly flow. A magnifi-
cent view of the lake, canyon, the
Needle Points and the celebrated
Harvey Peak, is obtained from the
veranda of the Sylvan Lake hotel.
Here the whole party had their "pic-
tul' took" by a Hot Springs photog-
rapher who accompanied us on the
entire trip through the Hills, taking
views at many Of the most interest
ing points. Congressman Pickler's
tall form showed up at the Lake, in
company with his private secretary
l.. H. Bailey and the school marin
party of excursiOnists under Geo
Schlosser of Aberdeen. Bailey insist
ed that he and the Major met the
school marms in the usual way-by
| chance. But to return to the story
If you ever go to the Hills don't
miss seeing Sylvan Lake--its "out Of
sight
| pEADwOOD.
The historic gold town of the Hills,
one of the few permanent mining
camps" of the world, DeadwoOd, is
nestled in a gulch where gold was
banned out of the swiftly flowing
stream, or rather at the junction OF
two gulches. Here are still to be
| found many of the old-timers, like
Porter Warner, the white haired vet
eran of the Daily Times, but Dead
wood today is considerably changed
from the halcyon days Of placer min
ing. Originally it must have APP
peared inaccessible to anything ex-
cept an eagle, but the glitter of gold
will cause man to go any place, and
the rich deposits found here has
banded together one of the truly cos
mopOlitan communities of this hem
isphere. All natiOnalities nearly are
here represented in a city that con,
tains the capitalists palace and the
Chinaman's hoyel. One of the prom
inent things in which Deadwood is
lacking, and which its citizens often
regret. is decent hotel accomoda-
tions. The party was well entertain
ed at Deadwood with excursions
over the narrow guage railroads
which run in all directions about the
Hills, receptions and examination OF
their great chlorination and smelter
works, where the precious metals are
obtained by the different processes.
| Two former Millerites and their
families now reside in Deadwood,
they are o. ID. Hart and Geo. Wilson,
| and both are working at their trade
of carpentering. l.. {. Gass is on a
ranch about 40 miles out, and J. II.
Hunter is quarrying stone near
there.
! LEAD.
An uphill run over a narrow guage
road carried up to Lead the Tin
bucket town where is situated the
great Homestake works, perhaps the
biggest mining plant in the world
employing over 1000 men. Lead is
over 600 feet higher than Deadwood
and the cities are only three miles
apart, which of course causes the usu,
al rivalry and strife in all things
Deadwood claims to be the social and
commercial metropolis of the Hills
and Lead says Deadwood wouldn't
be in it if her army of laborers didn't