Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1903-05-20
THE BLACK HILLS.
By R. F. Cable.


of the planning mill, the lumber yard,
the marble workers, and the cattle
raisers and the farmer. | saw wheat in
the vicinity of Custer equal in quality
to anything raised in any other section
of South Dakota or ia the famous Red
River Valley.
| found comfortable farm houses,
plenty of water, good timber, especially
in pine, vast deposits of natural marble
and gypsum, and climate as delight
full as anyone would care to enjoy in
the temperate zone. The elevations
of the most prominent portion of the
Hills offer snperb shelter in the valleys,
the passes and the long plateaus. There
is neither an extreme of heat or cold,
nor such conditions of weather that
fields cannot be freely worked during
the open seasons. and flocks and herds
be carefully guarded during the colder
periods.
The popu alton is decidedly American
both racially and in habits. Values OF
properties, either in land, mines or
establishments, have not been inflated
| by boom. Law and order is percept-
| ible everywhere. Deadwood is one of
the best governed western cities l was
ever in and the same may be said of
the Hot Springs, Custer. Lead and the
other conspicuous settlements of the
Hills. The electric light is about as
prevalent as you will find it on the
best avenue of Chicago. The macadam
street prevails. Substantial brick and
stone buildings are in sight every where.
Schools, churches and libraries are as
much in evidence today as the painted
Indian warrior was in 1875.
The change in the Black Hills from
barbara state to one of well develop
ed civilization is one of the most rapid
and remarkable ever witnessed in this
country-all the more remarkable, too,
because the newspapers have scarcely
noticed it.
There are undoubtedly many good
people of the East who to this day be-
lieve that ST ting Bull is still fighting
his battles in the Hills and that you
must reach them still by stage-coach.
They think that the bold highwayman
of Seth Bullock's best days as heroic
sheriff yet thrives and that the way
farer moves with his purse in one hand
and shortbarrelled shotgun in the other.
This impression is due more to press
ignorance or press silence III regard to
the Hills than anything else. When
say that the Hills contain to day an
undeveloped. virgin soil, as rich as
any to be found 10 Iowa or Illinois and
that it is purchasable at moderate
prices I tell the truth When say
that the Hills now contain excellent
locations for hundred more cities
than those already established, that
wealth of cattle undreamed of quart
er of century ago may be grazed
there. and more wheat, oats barley and
vegetables be produced at profit and
close to markets than most of the far
western states hope to produce in the
next fifty years, tell he truth. lam
also telling the truth when state that
there is an undeveloped mineral wealth
I'm the Hills besides which the already
extraordinary earnings of the Home
stake will pass into insignficance.
It seems to me, although | know the
truth of my own statements, that these
facts are worthy of investigation by
the Middle West mHn and the easter.
ner who have lately been taken off
their centers by the so-called Canad-
Ian boom. 1t appears to me that as
Americans we are more vitality inter-
ested in opening our own yet untouched
soil and mineral wealth than in push
ing into foreign country. Not that
have any feeling toward the Canadian
Northwest. My Judgment in regard
to it is sincerely this-it is too far away
when we consider that at our own doors
regions like the Black Hills open them
selves to the thrifty home maker at
far less expense than BODYBUILDING in
he Canadian north.
The Hills contain Autograph stone,
copper, iron, lead and many other
valuable mineral deposits They have
a health resort at Hot Springs as at
tractive in its way as anything in the
Middle West or for that matter in
many parts Of California. So far as
statistics GO the gold output of the Hills