The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1895-07-20

Not that it is uninteresting, but the
cave is much Of sameness all the way
| through and becomes rather monoto-
nous. The travelling, however is good.
There is no dampness whatever, the
paths and passages have been thoroughly
cleared of lose rocks and the steep tles-
cents and ascents made easy by short
flights of steps. 1t is said that $4,000
have been expended in opening UP this
wonder to tOurists-and the proprietors
are trying to get it back as soon as pos
sible. A small building under lock and
key hides the entrance OF the cave and
of course guides are OH hand to pilot
parties through. small hotel and
stable makes up tho remainder Of the
buildings. Each person is provided
with a candle and holder and with a
wcrd Of precautiOn about dropping
grease on one another, the procession,
headed by . guide, begins to descend
some nintey or one hundred steps before
level passage is reached. 1t generally
takes about two hours to see what is to
be seen. The temperature Of the cave is
about 45 degrees. Chambers which will
accommodate several hundred people are
common and bear fanciful names. The
rock formations are of the most wonder
ful and intricate kind and tons of the
most beautiful specimens abound in
abundance-which you must not touch
In what Is called the Garden of Eden"
the 0verhanging rocks are heavily coated
with what is known as frost formations
pure white crystals as fine as frost and
almost as delicate. The slightest touch
will break them off and visitors are not
only warned but watched that this
beautiful handiwOrk of nature is not
damaged. mile and half from the
entrance and $50 feet under ground, in
a large cavern called "Odd Fellows Hall"
a photographer awaits and takes the
photographs OF exploring parties by
flash light.
The Onyx Cave is another natural
wonder near Hot Springs, and farther
away stretch the Bad lands, where the
most remarkable fossils in the world are
found.
The drive home is made in an hour
and half-being down grade the
way the heavy four-h0rse coaches, with
twelve passengers each, rattle down the
stony slopes is caution to timid ones.
All the livery stables in the Black Hills
and throughout Wyoming, Montana
and the Yellowstone Park, for that mat
ter-contain several tally-ho, stage and
Concord coaches, drawn by four or six
horses and driven mostly by old stage
coach drivers or freighters who came in
to the country during the gold fever of
the early '70's and who can tell of many
a perll0us adventure and thrilling ex-
perience with the bloodthirsty Sioux
which finally eliminated in the massa-
ere Of brave custer and his men, June
u, 1876. liz those days it cost 30 cents
to get letter from Crawford to Dead
wood and flour was worth $40 sack in
the Hills. Freighters had to let the wag-
ons down the trails by ropes and dare not
show their heads by daylight. These old
time frelghters and drivers are exceed
ingly modest in demeanOr, little given
to talking, but when drawn out have a
vast and interesting fund of early expe-
riences to draw upon. A trip through
the Hills or adjacent mountains is hard
ly complete without ride beside one of
them Oh one Of the big, numbering four
or six-horse coaches along some roman
tic and picturesque drive. The ease
with which they handle four-holse
team and heavy coach filled with a
dozen Oh fifteen passengers is a revela-
ton. At first one thinks that was a
pretty steep and stony hill to go down
on a smart trOt, but as the miles stretch
out confidence ia the powerful brake
grows stronger and admiration for the
skilled and careful driver increases
amazingly.
Tuesday evening the association
elected new officers and wound up the
the business Of the session, and later ON
a hop, reception and some speech max
ing, interpersed with light refreshments,
took place at the Evans. Capt. Lucas
acted as toast master, in which capacity
he was of course right at home. He paid
a glowing tribute to the Press, stating
that for % years he was one of the gang,
and closed by saying that the South
Dakota Weekly Press was the most bril-
liant in the United States. President
Patten very neatly excused himself from
the response, but found a most able sub
stitute in W. 7. La Toilette, who made
happy little speech, with many timely
hints. C. R. Tinan was called upon to
respond TO the toast, "The Press OF South
Dakota and being totally unprepared
| it reminded us afteyward of the land
ladys grub in the hotel out west, OF
which departing guest said was good
enough what there was Of it and plenty
OF it such as it was. South Dakota,
It's Past, Present and Future was res
ponded to by Gov. Sheldon in one of his
eloquent speeches, and the press and
Bar" was we'll taken care Of by Senator
| Wilson. Judge Gardner, whose toast
was the Black Hills, paid glowing
tribute to this wonderland, good nights"
were said and all sought rest for the
northern journey on the morrow.
| Concluded next week.