Robinson and afforded much security to settlers and materially assisted in bringing about the surrender, in April, of Crazy Horse and his entire following.

CHAPTER IV.

DEADWOOD.

A prettier town in a mountainous country, a more industrious and energetic community than that of Deadwood, after two years of existence, could hardly be found. Every thing seemed to indicate that the growth and prosperity of the place was an assured fact. The first great disaster befell the young community between the 25th and 26th of September, 1879, when the city was entirely destroyed by fire. The fire originated in the Empire bakery on Sherman street- Mrs. Ellsner, proprietressthat portion of the city being then well built

up.

As in all new mining cities, many of the buildings were frame, and generally of inflammable yellow pine, among which the flames spread like wildfire on the prairie. Jensen & Bliss' hardware store, in the same block with the bakery, was speedily enveloped, and shortly thereafter occurred a terrific explosion of black powder, sending a perfect shower of sparks and burning timber over the city, igniting the Welch House, Lee street, and many other buildings, until in an incredible short space of time that entire portion of the city beginning at the court house, and extending north to Williams street and east to Chinatown, was one mass of flames. Explosion followed explosion, as stores of powder, oil and whisky were reached, terrorizing the populace, and expediting the work of destruction. Details are unnecessary.

The fire raged for three long hours, terminating only when food for the flames was exhausted. The people retreated to Forest Hill, where they sat and gazed upon the

destruction of their property, unable to do anything to arrest the progress of the flames, and thankful to escape with their lives. Ruin was complete. From Pine and Sherman streets to Forbes' fire-proof, Chinatown, an area nearly a half mile by a quarter mile, every building, brick or frame, with the exception of a few fire-proof store houses, was all consumed. Nearly 300 buildings of all kinds, and their contents were obliterated, and day-light dawned upon 2,000 houseless people perching, half-naked, upon the hill-sides, with heaps of ashes and cinders their sole possessions.

But they could not be crushed. Their dauntless will and energy could not be subdued, and before the ashes had cooled, the work of rebuilding began. Our business men lost not a moment of time brooding over losses, but hastened on horseback to the nearest telegraph office, and sent orders for new stocks by express, then hastened to the nearest saw mills and purchased lumber for new buildings. Within twenty-four hours after the dreadful holocaust there were a score of temporary buildings ready to occupy and at once business resumed. The foundations for fourstory brick blocks were cleared and laid within forty-eight hours after the burning, and within ninety days thereafter the monuments of pluck and energy were occupied.

Telegrams from the Eastern wholesale houses came at once to each business man offering aid to the supposed sufferers and an abundance of goods to their customers. The former was promptly declined but the latter accepted, and as fast as the long line of teams of every transportation line could bring in the goods, millions of pounds of the necessaries and luxuries of life poured in enough to satisfy all. A marked feature of this great calamity was the fact that the few merchants and business men who were fortunate enough to escape with their stocks, sold them at the prices formerly received, taking no undue advantage of the necessities of the people.

The neighboring cities of Lead and Central, also showed their magnanimity by throwing wide open their houses to the

Was

people until they could erect homes, and their wholesouled business men furnished them wares at usual rates. there ever a precedent in all history, where a city 200 miles from the nearest railroad, with a population of 4,000 people, nearly destroyed in a few hours, that did not suffer for bread and raiment? The work of rebuilding on the whole area swept by the flames continued until the new Deadwood was tenfold more beautiful in appearance, and contained buildings and improvements permanent in their character, and many of them of material that will resist the spread if not the action of the flames.

In 1880 the town was incorporated as a city by the territorial legislature and divided into four wards; each ward sending two members to the common council. By this act the different hamlets, camps and villages clustering around Deadwood were united into one city: Montana City, Fountain City, Elisabethtown, Chinatown, Ingleside, Forest Hill, City Creek, South Deadwood and Cleveland, with Deadwood proper, formed the new community. In 1881 the city was formed into one educational district, and provision made for a board of education. Everything went on again auspiciously till May, 1893, when a still greater calamity occurred.

The snow of the winter and spring had accumulated in the gulches and the mountains to a very unusual depth. On Sunday, May 11th, a heavy snowstorm commenced and soon turned into a warm rain, steadily falling through the week. On Thursday the situation became alarming, as the reports from the up-gulch camps indicated the volume of water coming down. About 6 p. m. the Lee street bridge became clogged and the city authorities gave orders for the destruction of the Homestake hose house and other buildings in the immediate track of the waters. All night through the brave firemen and citizens fought hard to relieve the gorged condition of the artificial channel that had been made through the city. Others were busy removing furniture and valuables from the doomed houses. When it was too late it was seen that much valuable property had

been placed in the track of high water. The price of land and the great demand for building lots had encroached upon the natural water-courses until there was no possible outlet without great destruction.

The flood on the Whitewood did but little damage above or in Lead City. At the toll-gate the house was suddenly swept away, drowning G. W. Chandler and wife and Gustave Holthausen, who was stopping with them at the time. Near the St. Edwards Academy the waters leaped over the confines and carried away a number of residences, and then

rushed in torrents down the streets. The bulkhead that had been placed in front of the public buildings was not sufficient for the emergency so that the water early cut a way around the head of it, and with full force first struck the high school building and then the Methodist church, carrying away every vestige of both and sweeping the ground to bed-rock.

On lower Sherman, Deadwood, and Lee streets, the scenes were wild and thrilling, and even Main street was in utter confusion. The raging Deadwood creek coming down through Anchor, Golden Gate, Central, Blacktail and Gayville, carried on its angry bosom the loot from many an

elegantly furnished home. The bridges were all gone, the telegraph and telephone lines were all down. Hundreds of helpless people lined the bluffs on either side unable to communicate with each other. Many buildings, chiefly of an inferior class, were swept away. The rear walls of many of the substantial blocks on Main street were undermined but not destroyed.

Friday was indeed a wild day, and for a moment despair settled upon many hearts as the cry of fire rang out above the roar of the flood, and it was found that the block opposite the court-house was all ablaze. The water mains had been washed out. The heroic firemen were scattered by the impassable waters and fatigued by herculean labors, yet in an incredibly short time enough were on the spot to save the county buildings and confine the fire to the block in which it originated. The flood reached its height on Friday night and soon after receded.

The disaster was a terrible blow to Deadwood; the people at first staggered under it, but with their accustomed determination they soon rallied and resolved to repair their ruined city, and make it better than before. Rebuilding began on a plan by which the streets were made wider and straighter. The public school building was put up on the finest site in the city, which the writer of this history then owned, and at its cost price turned over to the school board, the author preferring this rather than a higher price, which would willingly have been paid.

In September of the same year he established St. Edwards Academy on Cleveland avenue, in the building formerly used as an hospital. The Sisters of the Holy Cross, whose mother house is at St. Mary's, Notre Dame, Indiana, took charge of the new institution under supervision of Sister Mary of St. Sylvester, and have continued their good work ever since. Not only has the congregation of St. Ambrose at Deadwood benefited by the work of the Sisters, but the whole community has time and again testified to the great good their presence has done to Deadwood and the Black Hills.