Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1903-05-01
HOT SPRINGS. SOUTH DAKOTA. FRIDAY, MAY I, 1903.
SAW THE PRESIDENT

SAW THE PRESIDENT
The Black Hills People Visit Edgemont
EnMasse and Enjoyed Hearing
Roosevelt-Three Trains
Last Saturday was bright, beauti-
full day and when the special train
steamed to the union depot at IL
o'clock to convey Hot Springs people
to Edgemont four hundred passengers
got aboard. 1t was happy crowd of
people, the weather and the occasion
both conspiring to enthuse the excur-
sionists. Edgemont Was reached about
1890, two trains having already reached
there from Deadwood and Lead. The
Hot Springs band accompanied the
crowd from this place, and the two
Lead bands we're also there-one &C.
companying the Deadwood excursion
lists.
The people of Edgemont had gayly
bedecked the town with patriotic colors
and everything was in readiness for
receiving the chief executive of the
nation-the first time the Black Hills
has ever had that great privilege and
honor. Their reception committee
was on hand and welcomed everybody
most cordially.
Promptly on time, at 1:15 p. NJ,
the presidents train rolled into town
and the arrival was announced by the
booming of cannon. The crowd
cheered as President Roosevelt
emerged from the train.
Accompanied by Congressman Mar
tin, Capt. Seth Bullock, and James
Conzette, president of the Black Hills
Pioneers Association, the Presidents
carriage was quickly driven to the
pavilion couple of blocks away,
where he addressed the large crowd
that had assembled.
Congressman Martin first spoke for
a few moments eloquently referring to
the Black Hills pioneers and introduce
ing the president of the association,
James Conzette, who in turn intro
duced President Roosevelt. The pres
ident spoke for nearly half hour, say
ing in part:
II am indeed glad to greet you and
have chance to say a few words to
you. stand in the southwest corner
of South Dakota, the third greatest
gold producing state of the union. ]
today was greeted and escorted by pio-
neers and old soldiers, some of the
latter from the Home at Hot Springs.
They are the same type of men who
did pioneer work.
"Honor to all good citizens, but
honor most Of all to the men who took
the lead in tanning the shaggy wilder
ness, to the trail blazers, to the men
who first marked out the earliest of
highways, the spotted line, the blazed
trail; the men who first on horseback
steered across the great, lonely plains
and drove their cattle upon the ranges
from which the buffalo had not vet
vanished.
ITO you from the Black Hills, who
came in here in 1876, or at the time
Immediately around that date, who
have developed the wonderful mines
of that region, have built up in what
| was then an Indian haunt and wilder.
ness cities like Deadwood and Lead. it
has fallen to your lot to see one of the
great epochs of the century. You are
among the body of men who conquered
continent for race and people;
who did your full share in making the
nineteenth century the most wonder
full upon which the sun has ever shone.
The pioneer days have gone, but the
need of the old pioneer virtues must
shine as ever. [Applause. You won
and you could only win because you
had in you the stuff out of which
strong men are made."
The COW punchers got enthused at
this juncture, and as there were over q
hundred of them they made some
noise. "That,s the real thing over
there" said the president as: his voice
reached the squeaky falsetto for which
it has become famous when he feels a
touch of humor. "This air breeds
good voices" said he, and then he re-
ferred to his COW boy experiences over
on the Little Missouri. It was in the
spring of 81 after hard winter, which
he said his friend Pierre Wibaux, of
the w brand, who was in the audi
ence just below the speaker, would
distinctly remember. President Roose-
velt said himself and others we're
riding way to the south of their range
as naturally the cattle had drifted
southwark, but said he, as his voice
again struck the high notes, 1--WE dis
covered that very large number of
our cattle had gone clean off the range
way over the Great Divide" This
was happy hit among the cattlemen