The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1910-04-29

SOUTH DAKOTA GIRL WRITES
INTERESTINGLY OF 4 PlCf-
URESQUE SPOT IN
THE COUNTY III Nj ,N:AhHA
She Describes Il Certain Tragedy that
luUk race Ill the Enliy Days
Followed by IL Vendetta

Sioux Falls Argus-Leader: Miss
Jessie A. Beardsey, of Madison. but
formerly of Sioux Falls, has written
tor the Argus-Leader an interesting
description Of one of the most pic
turesQue spots in this section of the
state.
The tragic end of a who're family
OF new settlers that took place al
the gulch is a matter of local history
that is not very we'll known, espec-
tally to the younger generation and
to the newcomers, and it will not fail
to interest the readers of this paper.
The article follows in full:
There is most beautiful bit OF
scenery on Pipestone creek a few
miles from my birthplace in Sol,n
known as the Palisades. and is caus
ed by the creek cutting it's way
sive walls that have been silent wit
nesses to the ceaseless flow of the
waters for ages untold, rise to 4
heighth of from eighty to one hunG-
red feet while the stream is said TO
be seventy feet deep, making total
cut of one hundred and seventy feet.
\ \ to.
tensively quarried and sent to diff
ferent parts of the world for build
ing purposes.
/ Another outchoop of this stone Is
seen few miles up the creek from
small steram with the creek. This
is a remarkable ravine called "Dev-
( lis Gulch." The head of the gulch
is a natural basin extending from the
FUNSTON two hundred rods up the
small creek At first bare rocks,
worn smooth by the waters are seen
near the surface of the ground. Then
a channel is cut through the rocks
gradually growing deeper and deep
err as it progresses. Only the east
side of the channel is abrupt, the
west side having a gradual slope foI
some distance; but as the gulch prop
er is approached, the channel runs
through cut in the solid rock. Her,
both sides are almost perpendicular
and one hundred feet high for tev
rods; then the basin is reachc'
which is little more than a hundred
feet in diameter.
Near the point where the channe
enters the basin there is anotnc
channel through the rocks from ia
northwest to admit the waters o
Pipestone creek proper These chan
nes are narrow and very deep; bu
the basin can be reached on Zoo
through the latter channel at on
A place huge irregular boulder
D stranded between the walls of roe
Now to reach the pool one mu!
: either crawl over or under this rocl
4 The basin is small and beautifu
y but apparently bottomless. for no or
G has ever been able to find its dept
And there lives no fish of any kim
c Even the little birds in flying pa
a always take care not to touch II
water. A weird. picturesque. ar
wonderfully unique natural form
ton is Devils Cullen"
II A sad tragedy occurred within Il
walls of this wonderful ravine
o the early days of the Dakotas.
)f family had immigrated from Wisco
sin, and while in camp on the ban
i. of the Split Rock Creek, as the
e stream is called there, they were su
" prised by a band of Indians led
Y a white renegade, and were talk
: captives and murdered. 1t happen
d that friend Of the family in i
n PARKWAY Wisconsin home. had
dreadful dream warning him Of I
C tragedy and he saw clearly depict
~ the vicinity and scenes of the Occl
in renee The dream made so great
Al impression upon him that he imme
r lately started armed and equipDt
upon the route previously pursil
by his friends.
After two weeks Of hard rid
he arrived at a village and learn
that the family had left there
night before he had his dream. II
rying onward he came late in the
y ternoon in the country seen in
ue vision A mile ahead was the fam
Try wagon. But his friends were
'h' there. Desperate he followed
rs trail ten miles up the Split RI
o. creek and saw the narrow cany
ed now called Devils Gulch. He s
NJ the lights of fire on shelv
OF rock and creeping softly up S
ad some Indians and white m
~ y ai CT bis rifle and farafuIlv I