Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1903-10-29

Falls Down = DecIivity and Is Saved
by the Merest Chance.

Dy LnG mSIG&t kNdfiSSs
Gov. Herreid Of South Dakota has
returned with a party of friends from
a tour of the world-famous bad
lands on White river, in the eastern
part Of the state. where he had a
thrilling experience and narrowly es-
capped death or serious injury.
After visiting various points on the
Cheyenne River Indian reservation the
governor and his party started across
country for the bad lands" They
travelled over the historic Spotted
Tail" trail, over which in early days
wal parties of the Sioux were accus-
toned to travel when sallying forth
to raid their foes, the Pawnees, Grows
and other tribes Of Northern Indians.
Indian policemen and carriers, with
a baggage wagon, accompanied the
governor and mis- party. After two
days of hard travel they reached Cra-
ven's ranch. near interior ~postofice.
at the mouth of Eagle Nest creek. At
this point fresh horses for the bag
gage wagon were secured. From
Craven's ranch the party proceeded up
the creek twelve miles into the heart
of the wild region. There they camped
for a period of two days. and spent
the time in exploring, hunting and
viewing the vast extent of bad
lands"
At a point on Bear-in-the-Lodge
creek Gov. Herreid and three compan-
ions made a daring trip owe what is
known as the bad land wall" which
is q perpendicular clay and volcanic
formation along Bear-in-the-Lodge and
Eagle Nest creeks. 1t was while on
this little side trip that Gov. Herreid
had q perilous adventure. In speaking
Of this experience a member of the
party states that the governor may be
best realized when it is stated that
another member of the party slid and
fell a distance of $50 feet, but was
saved in a miraculous manner.
Fortunately his involuntary flight
down the wall" was arrested by his
grasping a cedar bough which grew
out of the side of the ~declivity. From
this point he had no means Of again
scaling the cliff to again reach his
companions, and so decided upon the
desperate expedient of sliding to the
bottom, over 100 feet farther, which
by a miracle he reached without hay
ing sustained serious injuries.
After accomplishing this feat he
found himself $50 feet below his COM
p~anions. They had reached the
plateau above the wall" and, look
ing down, saw him walking toward a
little hut which stood near by. They
supposed it was inhabited and went
on, thinking their unfortunate COM
panion would reach them later. How
ever, it was not until after 10 o'clock
the following morning that he found
his way back TO camp. Finding the
little hut ~uninhabited, he wandered
around in the silent. desolate cactus
patches, trying to relocate his CON-
panions.
But they had gone. All he had to
eat was a few crackers. He wandered
around the greater part of the night.
When the thick, black shadows of the
night filed the basin into which he
had fallen he lit a huge bonfire in the
hope that by it's flare his companions
would be able to find Aim. When he
finally reached camp the morning
after his fall down the wall" his
hands were bleeding, his clothing was
torn and he was almost exhausted.
Gov. Herreid, who also slipped and
fell down the declivity, would have
suffered similar privations had not his
companions. by superhuman efforts,
rescued him from his perilous position
on a shelf Of the wall" where by the
merest chance he was able to arrest mis-
rapid descent by securing an uncer'
tain foothold.
Here he remained for some little
time before his companions were able
to rescue him and prevent his falling
to the bottom of the wall"