The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-05-13
AN INTERESTING TRIP TO THE
BLACK HILLS-PLAcES AND
PERSoNAGEs.

/ OGNSN lGL0--T GANGo HING
PERSONAGES.
st. Paul paid it's final tribute of re.
spect to Bishop Lawler and of regret
at his departure when, on the morning
of May 2, twenty-five automobiles, fill
ed with prominent citizens, met at his
residence to accompany him to the
depot to see him off for Lead. Mayor
| Powers and former Governor Eberhart
led the procession and in the last 1u
tomohile with Bishop Lawler were
Archbishop Keane of Dubuque, Bishop
Bowling of Des Moines, and Bishop
Busch of st. Cloud. The following
priests accompanied the Bishop to his
new home in the West: Revs. ]. H.
Gaughan and T. E. Cullen of Minneapo
lis, j. NJ. Reardon and w. w. Finley OF
st. Paul, J. P. Power of Pennington
w. Blum of Robbinsdale, and J. A
| Heinz of Buffalo. Two priests of the
Diocese of Lead arrived in ST. Paul in
time to make the return trip as mem
bers of the party They were, Very
Rev. r. f. DUDE of Deadwood, Admin
istrator of the Diocese and former
Vicar General, and the Rev. Column
ban BregenZer, o. S. b., of Sturgis
| Though they were strangers to all but
their new Bishop and Bishop Busch
they soon became general favorites
and we learned to appreciate more and
more their sterling qualities of mind
and heart.
The journey was mevcntful until we
entered the confines of the Diocese Of
Lead. We crossed the Missouri River
at night and had no opportunity to
view it or to catch a glimpse of Pierre,
| the capital city of South Dakota, on
the eastern bank, or Of Fort Pierre on
the opposite side.
We had heard much of the Black
Hills and were on the lookout for the
| first sight of them. They flashed into
view on the distant horizon as we
drew near Rapid City in the early
morning of May 3, and for three days
we lived among them, gazing on their
wooded slopes and myriad peaks sill
houetted against the azure sky. They
are called BLACK" because of the
dense growth of spruce which clothes
| them, giving them q somber appear
ance from afar but which, on nearer
approach, is relieved by grassy slopes
and fertile Wales with homesteads
nesting in sheltered hooks and cattle
grazing in the distance. The Black
| Hills are said to contain the largest
body of gold ore in the world The
| supply is almost ineXhaustible. 1t is
said that in the city of Lead alone
enough ore is "in sight" to keep the
miners busy for over fifty years.
AS VIC dreaw near Rapid City, Faith
er Fitzgerald, the stalwart, energetic,
and enterprising pastor of a growing
| flock, accompanied by delegation of
his parishioners, boarded the train
and extended royal welcome to the
new Bishop and his friends, rendering
them the hospitality of the city during
| the two-hOur stop which it was neces-
sary to make. Everybody of any
prominence in the city was on the
| platform when the train came to
standstill, and the local band empha
sized the greeting of this thriving city
which nestles at the foot of the Black
Hills and guards, as it were, the en-
| trance to their treasure house Prot
estants We'd with Catholics in show
| ing courtesies to us. Indeed, the non
| Catholics insisted that they alone be
allowed to furnish and drive the auto
mobiles placed at the disposal Of the
visitors during their brief stay. The
"City of Rapid City, as it styles itself,
is the thriving center of a farming dis
trict which in days to come will rival
in fertility the eastern section of the
| State. 1t is railroad center for west
/ ern South Dakota and through it all
/ the traffic of the Black Hills passes.
| The Catholics have fine stone church
dedicated to the Immaculate Concep-
ton; and under the supervision of
Father Fitzgerald a commodious, we'll
equipped and thoroughly modern brick
parochial residence has just been com.
| pleted at a cost of $4,000. 1t is, with.
out doubt, the finest priests house
in the Diocese of Lead. Rapid City is
Every anxious to take from Lead the
honor of being the Episcopal See of
the Diocese.
The little town of Sturgis next
claimed our attention. The train
stopped for ten minutes to allow the
Benedictine Sisters and the pupils of
st. Martins Academy, the Holy Name
Society, and the citizens generally, to
catch glimpse of their new Bishop.
| Miss Ruth Brown was spokesman for
the Academy pupils and expressed
their joyful greetings in the following
words:
/ Right Reverend and Dear Bishop
Lawler: 1t is with joyous hearts that
we, the pupils of st. Martins Academy,
come to offer this tribute of welcome
to you on this day of your arrival in
our diocese. A happy day it is for us,
when our holy Mother Church remem.
bers her poor orphans of the west, and
sends them another shepherd to keep
them safe within the fold. We are
praying and hoping, too, that this may
be a very happy day for you. Our
Lady of May has brought you here to
our Sunshine State" All is bright
l Ia L.. ,o.a1