Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1911-03-18
THE BLACK HILLS PIONEERS.
A Narrative of the John Gordon Stock.
ade Party in 1874.

CONTRIBUTED TO THE CUSTER CHRONICLE
BY DAVID AIKEN, voNA, COLO.
CONTINUED from last week.
The night was passed without sound
or move save that some prowling coyote
came suddenly in view of camp and gave
vent to his surprise by his sharp unpleas-
ed bark. In the morning we filed our
water kegs afresh. Each mess took what
wood they could handily carry and the
first gentle slope that led to the table
land on the right was taken.
This table land was covered with o
short, thick grass generally. On points
or dry knolls 1t is mostly buffalo grass
while on the fats and lonHslopes it is q
stem grass that cures on, the ground and
is very nutritious. From this highland
the hills are in plain view about fifty
miles distant. The land gradually rises
from the Cheyenne river to the hills.
Of course there are some depressions but
every mile travelled toward the hills pro-
duces quite little elevation. Generally
speaking there is no stone and but little
gravel. The soil is of a light clay loan
and with proper moisture ought to be
very productive. There is no timber
save in the heads of deep ravines and
along the banks of creeks and here it is
a scrubby formation but little more than
brush. From the fine view had ofthis
country from the divide on the opposite
side of the Cheyenne. The streams on
this side were few and far between. l
believe it was Elk Creek that we had
followed up for about ten miles.
Each days travel brought us little
nearer and everything began to show up
more dearly. Beautiful parks could
now be seen all along the foothills, yell
low grass surrounded by the dark green
of the pines made rich contrast. The
hills generally are covered with pine
which at distance looks perfectly black.
This is probably the cause or origin of
the name Black Hills. As we neared
the hills our course was little more to
the northwest, as we wished to enter
the foothills little south of Bear Buttes
and intersect Custer's trail where he
had left the hills on his return to Fort
Pierre, according to his report.
Although our progress was steady it
was necessarily very slow, being uphill
all the time, with a rough surface part
of the way occasioned as supposed, by
fire burning holes in the sod and leaving
other parts standing. While the oxen
naturally had become very slow in their
long tedious tramp, with nothing to eat
but what they could pick while not on
the move. But the weather was all we
could wish for and every days travel
brought the Hills more clearly to view,
and revealed to our fervent gaze some
new objects of interest.
One morning when within about 20
miles from Bear Buttes, very singular
occurred. The conditions
of the atmosphere is such here that in
reality these Buttes did not look to be
more than one-third their actual distance
away. They were in plain view, as
much 30 at least as they would have
been at distance of and miles in
the atmosphere of Iowa. While moving
along, shortly after sun-up one morning,
the attention of the party was directed
to these Buttes by Tommy Quiner ex-
claiming in surprised tone: Look at
that on the Buttesp In looking we could
plainly see what appeared to be a small
cloud slowly rising from the very apex
of next to the largest of these Buttes.
1t arose some little distance in dense
body and would then spread out and
vanish. This was repeated several times
always starting the same and looking as
if the sharp top of the butte was raised
up at intervals about the same each
time, always reaching the same height
and disappearing in the same manner.
This remarkable and strange occurrence
could not be explained to the entire sat
isfaction of the party. Several conject-
ures were offered, the most plausible of
which was by Uncle Newt. In his opin-
ion it was Indian signals, and was being
made with smoke. .ps -s
The manner of making these smoke
signals is very simple. Canvass, or
skins or blankets, are used to- confine
the smoke; the size of the cover being
in accordance with the volume of smoke
desired, and the volume of smoke de-
sired is regulated by the distance the
signal is intended to reach.
Bear Buttes are high, sharp peaks,
standing out entirely separate from the
Hills, being several miles from them.
At distance of few miles from them
they seem to arise abruptly from a
smooth plain surrounding them and are
therefore very prominent landmarks.
They can be seen from great distance
from most all points OF the compass
Thus, being so remarkably conspicuous,
it would naturally be selected as the
point from which to signal the surround
ing country. This explanation seemed
the most probable of any offered ant
reasoning from this hypothesis, it wa.
quite natural for US to conclude that oui
movements were being watched anc
that concerted action was thus beini
planned.
Under existing conditions and circum
stances it was most natural to suppos'
that at some point in our journey and a
sometime best suited to the convenience
or caprice of the Indians, we would un
| donhtedlv ha attacked So far MA hat