The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-08-25
L OF BoNnsrHHL.
A Union Correspondent Writes OF
'Fhe Horn Of Plenty"

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A Union Correspondent Writes OF
'The Horn Of Plenty"
A couple Of weeks ago I visited
Bonesteel and the Rosebud country.
While there I remembered that it
was exactly q year since I visited
the place before. How different the
placed On the other occasion the
town numbered not less than five
thousand persons, with q many
more passing in and out each day.
All we're there for one of two pur.
poses-to graft or to be grated, al
though not all Of them quite realized
this until it was impressed upon
them by . more or less bitter OK
perience. Most OF them came to
take q chance (and q long one) in the
drawing for tho valuable lands Of the
resel walton. They would have been
highly insulted il one had accused
them Of gambling, yet the chance
was far greater than the average
nan takes at roulette. This gamble
was not the n which did the great.
est damage, however. The real es-
tate grafters were bad enough, but
tame indeed as compared with the
gambling sharks who accosted 9
person on every side, inveigling him
into their clutches by all the hellish
devices known to man or deyil. Now
all this is changed. Bonesteel is a
quiet little town Of six or eight hun
dred souls, all content to live peace
ably and (more or less) honestly.
A few interruptions real estate men
remain to drive out those poor men
who were unfortunate enough to get
q good piece of land and who r not
able to pay for it OF to stand the
expense OF q contest II one be started
against him.
I also drove forty miles into the
interior to the new towns which
have sprung up since the opening
OF the Observation-Disclosures, Burke,
St. Elmo and Gregory, the last nam
ed the most important Just now. Out
here the transformation Is even
greater than at Bonesteel. A year
ago the country presented a view OF
unbrokenIprairie, married by no cabin
nor house, nor fence, rehabilitation,
nor other evidence of civilization,
while now there is scarce q quarter
section that has not q dwelling
place of some sort. some Of them
very good. A large portion Of the
land lie fenced, and from ten 10
eighty acres Of each claim Is broken.
Or . small portion Of it Q good crop
Of fax or corn will be raised this
year. but for the most part no at
tempt at farming has been made
Most of the ground was broken by q
traction engine operating Q gang
plow-eleven gangs, breaking IRON
twenty-five to thirty. five acres .
day.
Gregory Is yet distinctly q "new"
town. It has no government Of any
kind, and the last evidence Of the
blood-thirsty gamblers are sill
there. You know there Is no more
resemblance between the typica'
western gambler and the thieves
who operate q little farther east
than there is between q big stool
ranch and . modern farm. In the
west the gamblers observe a certain
code Of "honor, and are content II
take the percentage regularly al
lowed them by the odds Of the game
but here they give you absolutely nj
chance. They take everything il
sight, whether you play it or not
II once you show your coin It is a
good as gone.
The night was in Gregory q pub
lie dance vas given which I attend
ed. The hall (and . very creditabl
one it was) was crowded, and sue.
. mixturel People of every des
cription, and from every part of tn
country: poor men, men well-to do
ignorant, uncultured women, womel
of education and rehnement, marie
and single, old and young-a goo
illustration of the motley crowd thu
rushed to take . chance for a valu
able piece of land at small cos
From general appearance and sue
information as was obtsinable
seems that grass widows predomil
ats-or possibly it is only that the
appear in public more freely the
others.
The orchestra" reminded n
very much Of the Missouri aggreg
ton which I mentioned to you son
<i~ao~o II, oonaiotoH ri Hddl