Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1897-02-05
a RAGGED TOP BOOMER.
Tells of the Location, Growth and Devel-
opment of that Promising Camp.

OpiMent of that Promising Camp.
Presuming that some of the readers
of your paper might desire to know
more about Ragged Top than they do
now, willundertake to give some sort
of description of this wond ,rful camp,
second only to Cripple Creek. The
name Ragged Top has no we'll defined
boundaries but is supposed to embrace
certain locality lying west of Dead
wood and east of Spearfish, and takes
its name from n cluster of hills thrown
together without any apparent design
orcomliness; when you speak of Ragged
Top, you speak more particularly of a
tract of country than of some we'll de-
fined locality.
came to this camp ON January LIST,
1897, having thepleasure of riding fro IN
Deadwood with Fred Evans, jr., and
was landed here in heevening without
any idea of where should lay my head,
or fill my stomach. The day was cold
and disagreeable and after taking in
the surroundings, I'm free to confess
that could have returned to Dead.
wood that nightI should certainly have
done SO. secured Il bed in the loft of
the only hotel in the camp and. by
watching my chances, was able to slide
into ii fellows place that had finished
his supper and obtained Il bite to eat.
At bedtime was escorted to the loft
and assigned Il bed; crawled in be-
tween six WOODEN blankets, when washed,
how washed, or ever washed l shall
never know. Did sleep? 1 don't know.
There was snoring to the right of me,
cursingto the left of me, dancing under
me and the rafters above me. spent
the night in deep meditation and about
four o'clock came to the conclusion
that would just Danish all thoughts
of going back to Deadwood but would
stick to the camp and chance it; so in
the morning purchased lot facing
the depot grounds of the F. e. Il NJ. V.
II. II. company, 5OX15O feet, and my son
George and myself converted ourselves
into building and in about
three weeks erected building 24X4S
feet and filled it with beds; and are
now able to keep the whole STAR force
and as many more as desire to come
and see us.
There are three town sites plated:
Ragged Top to the south, then Bal
moral and finally Preston; all near to-
gether. Balmornl has about so houses,
mostly business; Preston about %. also
business; and Ragged Top has one
house and that is owned by Frank
Fawcette of your city. but we expect
that within year the three towns will
be all united in one city. Balmoral is
building up rapidly and the sound of
the hammer is heard from early MORN
ing until late at night. All trades are
represented and competition is getting
SO sharp that you can buy quite as
cheaply as in Deadwood We have
several saloons and one dance hall in
which you can revel in all the vices of
the larger camps. nevertheless we have
good order and but few drunkards are
seen. Some of the people are ON our
streets all the time and some are en-
gagged in business Frank Allen is
building restaurant; Uncle Billy Mar
tin is running chop house; Mrs. Jno.
kenneffck is now erecting a restaurant
adjoining my lodging house and will be
open for business next week: Mcgowan
Bros. have one of the best business
houses in the camp and are doing good
business. Harry Sparks. Hummel and
Duke are doing what is later done:
there has been considerable work clean
ing up the lots. for these camps are To-
Gated in the midst of nnderbrush and
small pine trees: but now there is little
to do and would not advise any one
to come here before spring that intends
to seek for labor. The snow is about
three feet deep in the timber and con-
sequently prospecting is impossible.
Many people are coming and going all
the time. We have three lumber yards
and the lumber is taken away as fast
as it can be shipped in here. We have
a weekly paper at Balmoral aud one
also at Preston. The populist candi-
date for states attorney of Fall River
county is here running saloon and
doing good business Elder Brown
has been here and secured building
site for Congregational church; so
has Miss Sherman from Deadwood and
a Methodist preacher holds services
here every two weeks.
We have had fine weather this month
with the exception of the past week.
We look for thousands here in the
spring and expect to outrival Cripple
Creek. AS to the mines, can only say
that the Dacy & Fitzpatrick mine EN-.
ploys about fifty men and reports say
that the ore is better the further they
60 down. J.H.B.