airy and as delicate as the paintings of the real Frost King upon the windows at winter time, evanishing at the slightest touch. There are many routes which require hours in their exploring, but the one most commonly taken leads to the "Garden of Eden," which surpasses in the delicacy of its adorning any similar chamber in the world. In extent it is about three hundred feet square, and so weird and strangely beautiful are its sides and arches hung with the filmy frostwork, twisted and modeled into wondrous shapes, that the tourist leaves it with much of the same regret which our progenitors left that other Garden of Eden when the " morning and evening stars sang together."

Hot Springs is the seat of the Soldiers' Home of South Dakota, which stands as a proud monument to the patriotism of the people of this young State, and an honor to the noble army of soldiers whose fast-thinning lines tell a sad story of the "tooth of time." Standing upon a delightful elevation overlooking the city, surrounded by natural groves of evergreen, rugged rocks, ravines and pyramids of gypsum mounds, the building, 85x132 feet, three stories in height, warmed by steam, and supplied with water from the Jennings Springs, bids a hospitable welcome to the worn and weary veteran to come and spend his declining years in comfort, surrounded by all the charm which nature offers here in an endless succession of beauty pictures. Here is also situated the Black Hills College in charge of the Methodist Church.

The curative properties of the Hot Springs are enhanced by the building-up process induced by the rarity and purity of the atmosphere. The following is the altitude of prominent places in the Black Hills:

Taken all in all there are few more delightful places to visit, whether you are in search of health or pleasure and both the Burlington and Northwestern Railway line will take you there. Their services are unexcelled and every care is taken for the comfort of the passengers.

Other places and post offices of more or less importance in Fall River County are: Arkmore, Cascade Springs, Cheyenne Falls, Eckard, Edgemont, Evans Quarry, Maitland, Oral, Smithwik and Oelrichs. This last place was for a time the great shipping point for cattle and killed beef to the Eastern market.

CHAPTER XI.

BUTTE COUNTY.

This county, which is bounded on the north by the fortyfifth parallel, on the south by Lawrence County, on the east by the one hundred and third degree of longitude, and on the west by the State line of Wyoming, was organized by act of the legislature in the winter of 1883, and ratified by a vote of the residents within the boundaries above described. It is watered by the Belle Fourche and Redwater rivers, and Owl, Horse, Indian, Crow and Hay creeks, all of which contain vast volumes of pure running water of the most excellent quality. The valleys of these streams are among the richest of the agricultural sections of the Black Hills, and every variety of small grain and vegetables have been raised successfully every season since 1877, and the harvests have been unusually bountiful, in fact the vegtable market of the entire Black Hills depends mainly on the gardens in these valleys for its supply. Corn also, both the dent and flint varieties, matures and yields abundantly, and there are still thousands of acres of as good land as can be found open to settlers.

The county is heavily timbered with pine, ash, oak and

cottonwood, both on the streams mentioned and on the divides, which are rolling prairies abounding in deep gulches and ravines, which afford excellent pasturage and shelter to the thousands of heads of cattle and horses now being raised in the confines of the county. To give some idea of the wealth derived from the stock interests, we have only to mention that there are fifty stockbrands recorded at present on the county records and that the majority of these brands represent herds numbering over one thousand head each, while a few number over ten thousand head each. Clark & Plumb's, one of the largest interests, count about twenty-five thousand. These cattle range on the north of the Belle Fourche river, and some distance from the agricultural districts on the Redwater and valleys south of the Belle Fourche, consequently, the interests of the farmer and stock raiser do not conflict in any way. The county, although comparatively new, is to-day from a financial stand-point, the peer of any county in Dakota, and the taxes proportionately light, which renders it very attractive to all capitalists and emigrants. The county seat, Minnesela, is situated on the Redwater river, which affords the finest and most powerful water privilege in the West. The town site was laid out by Hon. A. A. Chouteau and D. T. Harrison in 1881, who at once proceeded to erect a flouring mill furnished with six sets of rollers and all other machinery of the latest and most approved styles, and to-day, as a result of the enterprise of these gentlemen, Minnesela is a flourishing village and the principal supply depot for the cattle camps located on the Little Missouri and Grand rivers.

Other places in Butte County and post offices are: Butte, Empire, Mary, Scoma, Vale and Belle Fourche. This last place is at present the terminus of the F. E. & Mo. V. R.Ry., and the greatest cattle shipping point in the Black Hills. It may be said that the place is only a shipping point, as the development of the country in other resources does not yet permit of a large population.

CLEAR, FAIR AND CLOUDY DAYS IN THE BLACK HILLS IN 1888.

Mar. April. May

June. July.

Aug. Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Fall River.

Lawrence...

Apr.

May.

Meade.

Pennington

Total.

Junc

July.

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

MEAN TEMPERATURE, 1888.

Butte.

Custer.

Fall River.

Lawrence

Meade.

Pennington.

Total..

Dcc.

Jan.

Feb.

Clear.

Fair. to | Cloudy.

Clear.

Fair.

PRECIPITATION, RAINFALL AND SNOW FROM 1878 TO 1888.

618 5 9 10 12 12 12 6 5 10 16 415|13|

14 811101020|

Cloudy.

Clear.

Fair.

Cloudy. Clear.

Fair. Cloudy.

Clear.

i Fair. Cloudy.

A Clear.

Fair. Cloudy Clear.

Fair.

∞ | Cloudy.

Clear.

Fair. Cloudy. Clear.

Fair. co❘ Cloudy.

Clear. Fair. Cloudy.

Clear. ∞ | Fair.

Cloudy.

Clear. Fair.

Cloudy.