Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1913-06-21
The BLACK HILLS.
As Editor Day of the Argus-Leader Sees
Them.-Should be Changed to
"Black Mountains"

The editor of the Argus-Leader has
just returned from a three weeks vaca-
ton in the Black Hills country, and be-
fore he settles down to another year of
newspaper grind, he wants to express
his wonder that so many of the people
Of the eastern part of the state plan their
vacations for other sections of the coun-
try when there is in the western part of
the state the most unique and appeal
ing vacation spot to he found anywhere
in the country. What is the reason
that the Black Hills are not filled each
year with tourists, resting from their
labors, enjoying the GOODNESS and crisp
ness of the mountain air, drinking in
the scenery of SURPRISING grandeur and
beauty, and casting their hooks into the
finest trout streams to be found any,
where? 1t is not because of failure to
appreciate what is there; it is because
the people do not know tits there. Lack
of publicity, in other words, is today the
biggest handicap to the finest vacation
ground to be found between the Allie
ghanies and the western coast.
| The man who found the name "Black
| Hills" for that section dealt it the hard
est blow it has ever received. The
name suggests barren hills rich in vari-
GUS ores but unattractive as resorts.
The fact is that the "hills" are noun
tains, rising in peaks to 5000 and l0, 900
feet, covered with stately pines which
take on blackish tinge at a distance,
and honeycombed with great canyons
and rushing mountain streams, with
here and there beautiful valleys, cover.
ed with the greenest of green grass or
growing the finest of small grain crops.
If the "Black Hills" had been named
the "Black Mountains" forty years ago,
the section would today be the summer
playspot for thousands of people. The
Black Hills people are beginning to real.
ize this and few have even suggested
formal change of the name though
this would be resisted by those proud OF
the traditions of the Black Hills, and
glorying in the record which has been
made there. 1t does seem wrong to des-
ignate as "hills" what are really impress
sive mountains.
But even with the handicap of mis-
nomer, and suffering daily from the neg
lect of the railroads to advertise the
section or to give living local rate, the
Black Hills are growing commercially as
we'll as in the good grace of the people
who are fortunate enough to select it for
vacation point. Copious rains have
made fine crop for this season secure.
Good auto roads are being built every
where. One of these is $4,000 road
from Deadwood to Spearfisb. A few
days ago fine new auto road was start
ed from Custer to Sylvan Lake where a
new $3.50, 900 hotel is in prospect. With
in a stones throw of the site of this new
hotel, we found nestled in canyon on
the third day of June small mountain
of ice Is feet thick which will not dis
appear before the Fourth of July. 1t is
always cool at this lake-no matter how
hot it is elsewhere. At Custer is located
government plant for extracting the
seed from the pine cones for the pur-
poses of reforestization. Last year co.
600 pounds of seed were extracted which
was sufficient to replant $4,000 acres.
At the fish hatchery at Spearfish, plans
are completed to stock the Belle Fourche
irrigation lake with lake trout which
means fine sport with big fish later on.
Within few miles Of Spearish is un-
improved irrigated land which has sold
for as high as $500 an acre. This is in
the "apple country" but before these
lands can be made to pay return on
such an investment cheaper freight
rates must be had or the auto roads
must be carried out to such extent that
the product can be marketed in the
auto truck at Lead, Deadwood and other
| cities.
1t is thus that the good road is Just
now the big word in the Black Hills. 1t
will make the various sections acces-
sible, it will force reduced freight rates,
and will shortly attract the auto traveller
who will not miss tour through the
Hills when he finds what delights are in
store for him. From Rapid City to the
Wyoming coast and from Hot Springs
to Deadwood and Lead and the northern
Hills, there is material for interest, and
study and the delights of outdoor life
which only await two great agencies for
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and pub
licity. The raw materials are all there,
and they are everywhere backed with
local enterprise and hospitality which
is everywhere and all the time in con-
slant evidence.