Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1903-09-12
IRRIGATION
IN THE HILLS
NJ. L. Fox Writes Of the PIans
of the Government to Water
Semi Arid Lands
CAPTAIN SETH BULLOCK
He Administered a Rebuke in Latin
to a Correspondent Who Had
Written Wooliy Stories
About Him.

Deadwood, S. D., Sept. 7-Government
engineers are IN Butte and Meade counties
east of here making surveys preliminary
to experiments In irrigation under the act
passed by the last congress-. The present
program includes the sinking OF artesian
wells, the erection Of dams Tor the stor-
age OF surface water and a system OF
ditohes by which 1t Is hoped mat ABOUT
100000 acres or and may be added to the
sure crop area. The value Of irrigation In
this region has been demonstrated by
farmers who have damned the small
streams and gulches, thus storing the wa
ter from the SHOWS and spring rains anu
conveying II by means OF small dltches 10
the low lands on their farms. This MODEST
method has increased. to an astonishing
extent, the annual production OF wheat,
oats, alfalfa and potatoes, and the land
has been quadrupled in value. The plans OF
the government include the irrigauon OF
additional large areas OF land lying pc-
tween Belle Fourche and EVarts on the
Missouri river. 1t Is quite probable that the
increased value of this land ana the GER
tainty that IT will be taken up by perma-
nent settlers has materially hastened the
plans Of the G. NJ. q. st. Il. Railroad COM
pany which has determined TO extend us
line from Evarts either to Belle Fourcne
or Sturgis. one Of the most prominent
cattlemen of the Black Hills returned
from New York a few weeks ago and Is
known TO nave stated that he mad assur-
ances tina such a line will be built during
the next two years. The territory through
which such a line would pass has a large
area OF good farming lands regardless OF
irrigation prospects,, and the people OF the
Black Hills feel sure that they are TO
have a railroad before a great while which
will connect them with the eastern part
of the state.
The Errors Of fasteners.
Each day brings to the Hills a numbe
of tourists from points west OF chicago,
and the surprise they express at seeing
such evidences OF civilization Is amusing.
Most of them expect to see "AlkaU Ike
buckskin suit, broad trimmed hat, re-
volvers and s~calping knlve, long hair and
a Winchester rifle, lounging at the sta
ton, looking for a man to kill. All OF them
expected to gee Spotted Tall and MS
braves In gaudy blankets and war bon
nets. Queer that they should forget that
only n few years ago nearly all the peo-
pie OF the Black Hills were residents OF
old settled states, and, ii may be said In
passing, that there are probably more men
I'm Deadwood with diplomas from the big
universities of the east than may be found
In any other city Of similar size In the
United States. To be sure there are
frontiersmen here; some OF them were
49ers in California; but most OF ma class
left a few years ago for Nome, valdez
Circle CITY or South Africa. They will be
found always seeking the outposts Of civil
i~zation, iocking to each new gold nelo--
miners gamblers, adventures of ali
classes who find organized society irk-
some.
Seth Bullock.
Seth Bullock has been a familiar char
acter I'm the Hills since Deadwood was or
ganized. He has figured as a business man,
- -. t.-Ies I'D nnntnIY IF TnnUh
riders. but he was discovered by the
METROPOLITAN newspapers In 1900 when
Colonel Roosevelt made his cam
paign tour as candidate iol
vico president. Bullock Is a per
sonal friend of the president; and as
such, has become the subject or much
newspaper gossip, all OF which has beeh
without authorization on MS part an"
much OF which has been false. The story
that there was a plan on FOOT, by demo-
Gratis or populists, to break up the Roose-
Welt meeting in 1900 and that Bullock sent
word TO the ringleaders that he would BE-
on the platform with his guns, was q
falsehood, without any shred or founda-
tion except that Roosevelt was there and
that Bullock was there. The story sent
out a few years ago that there had been
shouts intended to be offensive while Mr..
Bryan was speaking was equally raise.
The people Of the Hills are free from
rowdvism OF that sort: they Ike to have
distinguished men visit them, listen with
interest and respect to public speakers
and then vote about as they please.
Bullock Rebukes in Latin.
A good story is told OF how Bullock adj
n rebuke in a unique way to
the Chicago correspondent who was re-
sponsible for the lie. In Colonel Roose-
yelt's party were a number of friends and
men. Captain Bullock decided
to send to each OF them n ring made OF
Black Hills gold as a souvenir Of the oc-
casion, About the time the rings were
ready for delivery an article appeared
over the signature, III. !. c." In the Chi
cago Record, giving the story OF Bullock's
alleged intimidation Of the rowdies who
would have interrupted Roosevelt and de-
failing many blood and thunder stories In
Which Bullock was portrayed as a kind Of
Red Ralph, the Terror of Cory Gulch."
was angry, and the correspondent
was too far away to be kicked. He had
one OF the rings inscribed III. I. G.
facet" Mr.. Bullock does not pretend to
know mucn of the Latin language, but
had heard the familiar phrase so often
used In memorial day orations, HE
Jacet," Here he lies), and with wine
BILE logic he reasoned that facet" must
mean "he Iies," and the correspondents
initials spelled "hic." A Harvard profess
sor would not have done it that way, but
Cicero, with his passion for puns, would
How II. /. c. facet" regarded 1t has
never been told In South Dakota, at least.
NJ. L.. o.