Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1903-08-15
THE LOST WOMAN,
Who Slept all Night Among the Rocks OF
the Harney Range.

On Sunday evening, the 9th of August
word came from the Sylvan lake that Q
lady guest of the hotel, who had started
out alone in the morning, with the
avowed purpose of going to the top OF
Harney's Peak, had not returned and
was presumably lost. The people of
Custer, although they may divide
amongst themselves on many things,
have the reputation Of coming together
in response to an appeal of distress, and
this was enough to arouse them to ac-
ton, The first to get away was party
made up. Of, SIX Of our young men. fouf
of whom belonged to the national guard,
some Of whom had done duty in the
swamps and lagoons of the PHILIPPINES,
and whose names are as follows: Will
Der Todd, Louis Wells, Denis Henault,
Henry Albien, Herbert Putnam and
Gene Courtney. They did not ay off
the handle, with, excitement. but got to-
gether and held a, council Of war and
prepared themselves for a three days
jaunt. night and day if necessary. They
each provided themselves with their
six shooters to protect themselves from
mountain lions and bear, vho are known
to infest that region, together with a
goodly supply of provision and (very
thoughtfully) three bugles. They were
off at 10 o'clock in the evening and ira
versed the range until 2:30 o'clock next
morning blowing their bugle calls and
receiving no response, they went into
camp on the top of Harney, and rested
until daylight.
There was another party in the field,
consisting of Mr.. Joseph Peltz, Earnest
Smith, Mr.. ]. II. Traver and Judd Fen
ner, a guest at the lake. They rode
as far as the foot Of Harney Peak where
they tied their horses and kept up the
hunt all night, coming out In the morn
ing at the Grizzly Bear mine, where
they took breakfast, and then resumed
the search, working toward the lake.
On the same. evening Mr.. c. G. Crary,
who has charge Of the transportation of
passengers from Custer to the lake, an
nounced that all those who wanted to
60 in search of the lost woman could
have sll the teams they needed from his
barn. There were q great many res
ponded to this invitation, and all during
the night and the next morning there
was constant stream Of hunters bound
for the Harvey range, most of whom
hunted until IL o'clock at night and
then returned to the hotel to rest until
morning. On :ae morning OF the 10th
almost every man in Custer was prepar.
ing to join those who had gone before,
determined to search every nook and
corner of those ragged peaks in quest of
the lost woman. The landlord and land
lady of the hotel at Sylvan lake, be it
said very much to their credit, welcomed
all the hunters and provided bed and
board TO the full extent Of their facili.
ties.
We will now 60 back to the Todd
party whom we left in camp on the top
OF Harney Peak. They arose early, and
soon as it was daylight they resumed
their search by dividing up two togeth-
er, each party of two having bugle and
an understanding that they should not
get SO far apart that they could not hear
each others bugle call.
1t was further understood that in case
either party found the lady they were
to signify it by three shots from their
pistols, at intervals, until they were
answered by three responding shots,
when all would come together on the
main trail which leads to the lake. Pro-
ceeding in this systematic way it was not
long before they came upon the lady
they were seeking, and the first intima.
tion they received was when they were
close to her, when they heard her call,
in not very loud voice, II can hear you
but can't see you"
She was all right, except that her
clothes were somewhat torn by climbing
through the brush, and her first remark
after they reached her was, II think
those bugles of yours make the sweetest
music I ever heard" Still she was un-
ruffled and said she had not been fright
ened at any time. "When found was
lost I stopped and looked around for
sheltering rock, and then / laid down
and went to sleep, and got up this
feeling nicely" 1t was just 6
o'clock in the morning when they found
her. They remained there until some
of the boys went back and posted notices
at the peak to notify others that the lady
was found. They then proceeded on
foot to the hotel where they all arrived
by 10 o'clock in the forenoon. OF course
there was great rejoicing and few of
the searching party chose ladies and
they had fine dance in the pavilion on
the shore Of the lake. By 2 o'clock in
the afternoon most all except the regu-
lar guests Of the hotel had returned to
Custer, and the lady came down in the
tally-ho coach in the evening in time to
take the train for her home in Dead
wood.
We have thus described in our poor
way how the woman "was lost and is
found, was dead and is alive again." As
for description of the lady and her
appearance that may be briefly
stated in the old and trite quotation, fat.
fair and forty with an expression of calm
determination to do what she undertook
I'd do, if it took all summer, and her
name is Mrs. Roda Prindle of Dead wood.