Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1903-08-21

holes of great depth. Things must
certainly have been lively hereaboute,
in the formative period of Old Mother
Earth, when her bowel trouble caused
these hill-wrinkles to appear on her
skin. and her vomitings tore her insides
all to pieces in the manner shown at
Wind Cave. 1t gives man a small
opinion of himself and his helplessness
to survey these great rocky canyons
and caves, and to think how very brief
a span his own life occupies here, after
all, when it took millions of years to
build natures beauties as they are
here today.
The government has taken posses
sion of Wind Cave and the land above
it, and will run it to give the tourist the
most pleasure for the least money,
which is just vice versa from the way
caves are usually run. The title to the
Cave and the adjacent land was de-
fective, so Uncle Sam did not have to
buy the land. He simply took what
had never been rightfully secured from
him. Congress will appropriate money
to further beautify the surroundings
of the Cave, and run it in business
like way, SO that some day this region
may boast of vast national park. The
natural beauties here certainly Justify
the government in taking pains to pre-
serve them, for where mans personal
greed is allowed to run loose, no beau
ties of nature or anything else are re-
spected or revered.
1t costs only fifty cents to see the
Cave, and the guides expect no tips.
At Mammoth Cave it cost us five dol
lars each to see not so much as VIC saw
here. and we had to give the guide a
> good tip even then, in order to get
p good treatment.
, Besides taking hold of the Cave, the
government is doing another great
thing for Hot Springs. 1t has set apart
). a plateau Oil the eastern edge of the
4 town, and the whole of Battle Mount
, ain, where the Sioux destroyed the
Cheyenne nation in their last battle)
- and few other hills behind it, as a
# park on which to locate national
soldiers sanitarium. There are only
!. nine of these institutions in the whole
y country, and as this one will cost be
% tween three tnd four millions of dol
q lars, its size and Importance can be
| imagined. Work has not yet begun ON
g the buildings but this fall will see it
n started The Hot Springs people see a
l. great future for the town, after the
n government does for them what it is
4 preparing to do.
s Battle Mountain is the highest "hill"
Il in this vicinity, it reaching upward
: 5000 feet The town of Hot Springs is
O 34O0 feet above the sea level, so the
q peak affords an excellent view of the
s surrounding country. Harney's Peak,
a which is the highest in the Hills, and
n is 5000 feet high, can easily be seen
h from here. 1t is fifty miles away.
Il [ cannot imagine more enjoyable
j. rest for month during the hot sum
/" mer than to come to this little noun
n tain city and spend the time in bathing
It and climbing hills and lying around in
t. the shady dells and keeping cool on
IS spring water fresh from the hill side
v The scenery is so restful, and nobody
# here is in hurry, because they are all
t here to rest, so msn quickly becomes
just like the scenery, or even more so
" This town contains about 1900 nat
H. ural population, and is built in little
~ valley and on the hills on both sides
+ 1t is a typical mountain town, and to
q add to its romantic phase, Indians fire.
o quently camp on the outskirts, and
# wild coyotes come to the edge of the
70 town at night and howl their wild howl
a just like you read about in the tales OF
o the woolly west Cowboys are abund
r. ant here, as this is great cattle coun.
10 try, but they are not so numerous, OF
n course, as they are further into the
,. grass country. The summers are dry
y here and irrigation is needed for grain
p fields and gardens. The cattle grow
"a fat on the curly little buffalo grass.
a l have never enjoyed trip more
N than this one, and 1 could not wish
# anything more pleasant for my readers
"a either invalids or those perfect in
$ health, than few days or weeks of the
W hot summer spent in the delightful
If little mountain resort of Hot Springs
~ S. M. GREENE.
Gu Card of Thanks.
o. desire to return my sincere thanks
's to Col. and Mrs. T. M. Goddard, DR.
wv and Mrs. Sommerville, who treated m.
us husband SO kindly during his last sick
IN ness, and to all the comrades who as
es sisted at the funeral