The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1908-11-20
From "a Visitors Standpoint.
Rapid City, S. D., Nov. 10, 100

udlueu.
From "a Visitors Standpoint.
Rapid City, s. D., Nov. 10, 1908.
| We left Sidney, Nebraska, Nov. |
is, 1908, at 1890 a. m. We went
aboard the Burlington train for
Deadwood and the Black Hills. At
daylight we were among the small
sand hills. At Edgemont we fell in
with two gentlemen, Mr.. Frank
Ames, of Whitewood, South Dakota,
and Mr.. j. f. Donovan, of Mitchell,
South Dakota. They were also go
ing to Deadwood, and as they were
we'll acquainted there and at Lead
they volunteered to look after me,
and see that l did not get lost, and
to them am indebted for much of
the pleasures of the day.
AS to the scenery from Edgenlo4.
to Deadwood, it is simply beyond the
art of man to put in words. To me,
every mile was a wonder and sur
prise. In most places beautiful hills
covered with pine trees; then in
some places large, fiat plains COW
cred with cattle or sheep, but grad
ually the hills grew larger and also
the pine timber was larger and
closer together. Every few miles a
little town would appear, also little
mountain stream of water. AS the
timber got larger saw mills appear
ed. Some places turning out good
pine lumber-at one place fire had
destroyed hundreds Of acres of this
timber and in other places for miles
the hills were covered with down
timber; at one place cyclone had
: destroyed the timber for one mile.
All this time the train had been
climbing UP hill through deep cuts,
through short tunnels until the hills
became mountains covered with
; large rocks and larger pine timber,
until it became most beautiful pine
forest. l had never dreamed that
there were such hills in Dakota or
: such timber. Now and then we
would pass log houses where there
would be from one-half acre to three
or four acres of tillable land. They
T appeared lost among those great
mountains, the sides of which were
covered with rocks and trees and in
e many places the crest was white with
: track was cut along the side of a
y mountain. We passed through four
short tunnels and one large one In
some places the hills would be within
a few feet of the train and from So
: to 700 feet straight up. At one
8 place there was quite large saw
: mill and lumber yards and railroad
i switch, also trains loading lumber.
> AS we neared the mines there were
: long bitches along the mountain
sides to take the water to where it
! could be used. The great rocks is
wonder in some places; the hill
l. appears like turtle covered with
II shells of rock; other places the large
II rocks stand on their sides and ap-
II pear to have been blown out by
y some great volcano. In fact those
o hills and mountains and rocks are
only the work of great volcano.
e After we had passed the summit
II we had down grade for few
II miles until we arrived at Deadwood
u which is nice little city hid be-
$. tween those great mountains. From
y here we got an electric car for Lead
II the great gold mines, said to be
largest gold mine in the world
e They keep $500 men at work; thei1
If great mills run day and night
v Those stamp mills are wonder both
n in their extent and power. At Leat
n, there are four mills, three have 2O(
i trip hammers run by engines of 500
le horsepower each, but the larger one
n $50 trip hammers, l have no ides
e of their weight, this last mill has al
,e engine of 500 horsepower; this en-
CINE is a beauty. 1t has two driy'
lie wheels 16 feet across and each ha
,r belt three feet wide and runs 81
If quietly as to hardly be heard. Will
N the aid of my new friend, Mr. Ames
re and the engineer, / got views o
,e those wonders that l appreciates
0, very much. The ore is brought GU
Is of those mountains in small train
ID of cars. They 60 into those mill
m to the stamps where it is crushed
le and water is continually running OF
,e it to wash the fine powdered ston'
ID away. l cannot describe in detail
for l do not know. l was told tina
r. at least $1,00O,000 in gold was turn
in ed out each year. l was also toll,
N that there are shafts on level on
at mile long, which had small trains
Of one engine and three cars that hell
ID the ore that contained the gold
e. Then the entire hills are full of dec
shafts or mines from 1000 to 49,
ID feet deep and some much deeper
le While we were there, there was ;
t. continual roar in those mines tina
l. would jar the entire hill. Lead, al
l. this mining town is called, is quit.
s a city; some very costly hotels; one
Ie of the best buildings belongs to thu
Is Miners union. One of the wonder.
n here is a2high bridge, several hun
Il dred feet high across the ravine
e where the mills are at. AS a good
r bye look our guide led us to spot
Il almost to the top of one of those
J. great mountains where we got q
IS birdseye view OF this wonderful city
n By this time 1t was 5 p. m. Tired
q and hungry we went to q restaurant