Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-12
Where Coolidge Will Holiday
BY FREDERIC j. HASKIN.

President Coolidge has won wide
reputation for making cautious and
tentative statements. This is typi.
cal New England trait. In conse-
quence, after he had told some $50
different callers that he had about
settled on the Black Hills of South
Dakota for his Summer home, it was
regarded by many as a foregone con-
clusion that in the Black Hills ii
would be. The Presidents callers told
others that the Presidents decision
was tentative, but little doubt re.
mains in the minds of those at all
familiar with Mr.. Coolidge's manner
of utterance. So South Dakota eX-
poets him.
The certainty Of the selection is in.
creased by the consideration that the
accommodation offered him there is
being proffered by the State itself. BY
accepting this hospitality he will not
be picking out any particular individ.
ual to favor, although many have Of
fered Summer White Houses. The
State of South Dakota has a big pub
lie reservation in the Black Hills and
has built there lodge of 40 rooms.
It has been used as a tourists hotel,
needs of the presidential suite, which
cret service men and the newspaper
correspondents and photographers
and movie men.
The Black Hills may be thought to
have forbidding name for a vacation
land until it is known that their name
is derived from the fact that a third
of the 5000 square miles in the reser.
walton are covered with forests of
pine so luxuriantly deep in color that,
from distance, they appear to be
black.
The Black Hills lie in the south
western corner of South Dakota and
extend over into the adjoining north
eastern corner of Wyoming.
Several times this Spring, while dis.
cussing Summer plans, the President
has stated that he desires to go West
and to find a suitable altitude. The
alka1 plains, from which the Black
Hills rise, form pedestal for them
some 5000 feet above sea level.
Thence the hills themselves rise to
submits varying from 5000 to 1915
feet, the latter being the altitude of
Mount Harvey, the highest peak of
the group. Mount Custer and Mount
Dodge are the next highest peaks.
The group covers an area about 100
miles long and 40 miles wide and is
separated from the Rockies.
Hills That Are of Granite.
The Black Hills themselves resem.
BILE somewhat the mesas of the South.
western States, having rather steep
sides but fiat tops. These plateaus are
covered with rich grass and forests
of pine and other trees. The pines
predominant. Geologically the Black
Hills are Of granite. Originally thew
had a coating Of carboniferous min.
eral, but centuries of erosion have
worn these less.res!stant portions
away, leaving canyons and deep ra.
vines.
Many travellers regard the Black
Hills as perhaps the most picturesque
In the country. Because Of their for.
nation Of enduring granite and softer
mineral matter, erosion has produced
astounding freaks. There are crags
that would defy the agility of the
Swiss chamois, vast abysses and tortu-
Gus canyons, and here and there the
explorer bursts with suddenness upon
open parks carpeted by rich grass and
set with pine groves.
A fossil forest, the famous Spear
fish Canyon, the Crystal Cave, the
Hot Springs and many other curious
natural features, almost drunkenly
wild in aspect, make the shortest hike
in the Black Hills an adventure.
The air IS clear and dry and there
are streams and small lakes. Through
the Black Hills runs the Belle Fourche
River, in effect the North Fork Of the
Cheyenne which joins the South Fork
or the Cheyenne. Where they join. q
fur-trading station was established
about century ago.
The grassy mountain plains ator
the hills used to be grazed by bic
game--bison and elk and also the
nimble antelope-but they are gone
Some mountain sheep remain, how
ever, and il the hunter really wants
to try his mettle he can hunt the
timber wolf. Coyotes, of course, are
there, and all the small game natural
to the Middle Western States. The
streams and lakes contain fish.
The Black Hills have a brief but
Cured before the white man came
no one knows. Lewis and Clark
were in the Black Hills making ex
plorations in 1904 and 1906. Their
wonder tales caused several important
explorations in the early 30s. Gen
John c. Fremont explored them and
the Prince Macmillan Of Neuwied
George Catlin, famous in his genera
| ton as a painter and ethnologist, ven
tured into this wild. as did also Johr
] J. Audubon. A few venturous trap
.pers went into the hills at times anc