1384 



(iLKAXlN(;s IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov. 1 



army of workmen are now at work on a na- 

 tional sanitai'ium for disabled soldiers. It 

 will be known as the Battle Mountain Sani- 

 tarium. Half a million dollars has already 

 been appropriated, and before it is finished 

 we are told it will cost about two millions. 

 This will include landscape gardening, etc. 

 The South Dakota home for disabled soldiers 

 is a very pretty and comfortable institution 

 situated on a hill overlooking the city. If I 

 am correct the greater part of the Black 

 Hills region is now under government super- 

 vision. Reasonable restrictions are imposed 

 so that no syndicate or trust can monopolize 

 the natural advantages of this region. 



THE WIND CAVE OF THE BLACK HILLS, S. D. 



I had heard a great deal of this wonderful 

 cave which, in some respects, is said to rival 

 the famous Mammoth Cave of Kentucky. 

 The entrance is twelve miles from the springs; 

 but there are so many visitors almost every 

 day in the year that the passengers are car- 

 I'ied in very comfortable vehicles for only a 

 dollar for tlie round trip. In order that this 

 cave may not get into the hands of a monop- 

 oly the government has purchased 23,000 

 acres around its entx'ance. The reason it is 

 called "Wind Cave" is because there is a 

 strong blast of wind constantly blowing in 

 or out of the mouth of the cave. It was tirst 

 discovered by a cowboy who rode past there on 

 horseback. The blast of wind was so strong 

 coming out of the fissure in the rocks that it 

 blew off his hat while he was still on his 

 horse. He recovered his hat, went back, and 

 had this thing repeated. Then he went and 

 told his story to some other boys, but they 

 ridiculed his statements, but afterward con- 

 sented to go with him and see this wonder- 

 ful blast of wind that came out of the ground. 

 They all approached the spot, the discoverer, 

 of course, being foremost. What was their 

 surprise or consternation to find that, al- 

 though no wind was coming otit, a strong 

 current was blowing into the crevice. So 

 strong, in fact, was it that this time the hat 

 Avent down into the hole and was lost. Of 

 coux'se, this made an excitement. After a lit- 

 tle chipping away of the roc^k around the en- 

 trance they found they could get down into 

 the cave. Since that time explorations have 

 been made more or less all the time, and now 

 there are no less than 100 miles of passages, 

 and over 3000 rooms have been explored. 



Just as soon as the conveyance stopped at 

 the hotel near the entrance I climbed down 

 the stairways to see that wonderful wind 

 blast. It was a hot day, but the air c^ame 

 out so strong and cold that I c-ould mA stand 

 it. It gave me the chills. Perhaps I had 

 better say right here that the number of those 

 apples I ate before breakfast the morning be- 

 fore might have had something to do with 

 said chills. I knew I was eating too many; 

 but the appli.'s wei-eso beautiful and luscious, 

 and I was so apple-hungry, that I almost de- 

 cided I would rather be sick than to lose such 

 a treat. Now, don't you forget, friends, that 

 there may be such athing as " too much of 

 a good thing," even if this good thing is nice, 

 mellow, luscious ripe apples. Well, this 



wind out of the cave I think would have 

 lilown off my fur cap if I had not held it on. 

 The guide said the blast of wind and the di- 

 rection it took were governed by the rising 

 and falling of the barometer. ' When the 

 pressure of the air increases outside it pushes 

 the air into these acres and acres under 

 ground. AVhen the air pressure is lighter, 

 say ji;st before a storm, the air pushes out. I 

 presume likely the varying temperature out- 

 side may have something to do with it, but I 

 am not enough of a scientist to decide. I 

 should suppose, however, that these air-cur- 

 rents ought to make a good barometer. 



I think there were abovit a dozen in oui' 

 party — perhaps half of thgm women. The 

 long route, which most of us took, was about 

 three miles. The shorter one was only about 

 half that far. This latter route was conduct- 

 ed by the wife of the guide. By the way. 1 

 very unu-h like the idea of a woman for a 

 guide through such a place. I wanted to 

 know a lot of things all along the whole 

 route; and the woman was more talkative 

 (naturally) than her good husband, who was 

 certainly in no respects remiss. Before stai't- 

 ing we all had to remove our head gear and 

 put on a white cotton cap. When I said I 

 should catch cold, especially in a tempera- 

 ture of 46°, the guide said my fur cap would 

 be all right if I pulled it down well. You 

 see the ordinary head gear of both men and 

 women would be more likely to knock off 

 the stalactites and other things on the roof 

 of the cave that they wished lo pi-eserve from 

 injury. Then we all had tallow candles on 

 the end of a stick. Of course, you can not 

 carry a candle down through that blast of 

 air; but after you get away from the entrance 

 there is hai'dly any breeze perceptible. Can- 

 dles were kept burning in small protected 

 niches in the rock so visitors could light 

 theirs after they had got down oi;t of the 

 blast. It took quite a lot of expensive mason 

 and carpenter work near the entrance to 

 make it safe for people to clamber down. 

 The United States government has placed 

 guide-ljoards and figures, not only to tell 

 how far you go, but to tell you how deep 

 you are below the mouth of the cavern. 

 There is probably no other opening to the 

 outside air. This seems evident from the 

 blast of air that is constantly going through, 

 out or in. 



SELLING SECKETS, ETC. 



The following from T. Greiner we copy 

 from the Fractical Farmer: 



NO SECRETS WANTED. 



It is a safe rule absolutely and emphaticully to 

 refuse paying koocI money for any thinfr offered as a 

 secret in agriculture. I have yet to find the first so- 

 called " secret " in agricultural methods or practices, 

 or secret recipes, etc., that is worth payint^r money 

 for. Any innovation of real value, any new method 

 or practice that has real merit, is sure to become 

 quickly the property of the public, while the things 

 advertised by unknown parties as "secrets" for a 

 money consideration, and under the pledge of keep- 

 ing them secret, are not worth the tiostage-stamp on 

 the letter containing the remittance. 



If any reader wishes to spend money for secrets, 

 let him buy standard agricultural w(>rks, or ihe peri- 

 odicals in his particular line or brand of agriculture. 



