THE COURIER. SOSlAfo GOSSIP. A Lincoln young man with u certain power of observation and a poetic ten dency returned from the Black Hills region tbiB week and be gives The Coukikr the following notes of a coun try that is always interestirg. "If Chiinmic Fadden were to be set down in the midst of the Black Hills at this particular Eeason of the year be would certainly express himself as feel ing 'up ter de limit.' The Hills offer a magnificent retreat for us people of the dusty plain. There is something novel and invigorating in hugging up to a hot stove early in the morning, with the tent flaps tightly drawn, and thiuking how you'vo got the laugh on the rest of the Lincoln people sweltering under 100 degrees iu the shade. "The Hills are funny things anyway. In a balloon view they look jutt like a little cluster of pin-pricks in the center of a t-heet of paper. It is as if some Titiau bad shaken them up in his dice box and poured them forth in wild dis order upou those northern plains with out any attempt at arrangement. But ho did a good job. The harmony is per fect; the detail is superb; and the wild raspberries : rs simply fascinating. "J went to Deadwood first of all. It is quite certain that Deadwood has not changed for a great many years. It is the queen city of the wicked. There are many very nice peoplo there, but a great many more who are not nice. I got away from thcro as soon as the next train would take me and went out into the woods, up into the Bald Mountain district, up into Ruby Basin where I knew there was a camp of engineers aud graders; where Miko Elmore's famous cook made life worth living at three dis tinct periods each day; with babbling brooks on one side aud Speariish Canon on the other, and wild red raspberries "mixed in my path like mad." Murphy, the conductor of the Spearfish Express dropped me off half may up Terry's Peak and I climbed down iuto White tail Gulch where the graders were at work on a spur to a gold mine. I could smell supper over in the next gulch, so I didn't tarry with the graders longer than to shake hands with one or two of my old hobo friends. From the crest of the divide 1 could see the whole picture just as I have seen it before when I was a part of it. There were the grub-shack and the stable yard, the commissary and the bunk-house, and perched up among the pines on a little rise the engineer's tent with the transit tripod and pickets standing outside. I stood still and breathed the fresh, cool air, laden with the fragrance of the pines, and was all ready to lapse into poetry when a whiff of Big Harry'a supper struck me full in the face, and I hurried down the hill. Supper wasn't quite ready. At the en gineer's tent were two alumni of the University of Nebraska who were old friends, aud the two other gentlemen I had known for some time, :o they asked me to stop and break bread with them. One of the alumni is from Beatrice and he had the blues because Miko Elmore had stopped using Beatrice canned goods on the camp table. A delegation from the tent waited upon Mike and seenred his promise to buy nothing but Beatrice goods hereafter. I was quite touched by the loyalty of the young man and bo far away from home too. Beatrice must be a very nice place. The otheraluiunus was just'adorning himself with white linen and shoe blacking. He goes into Deadwood from three to eight times a week and calls upon the land lady's daughter where they used to board when they did work there. But I would prefer not to talk about Dead wood. I only mention the fact to show that where one has perseverance and clean linen and doesn't mind a ten mile walk, one may combine the charms of civilization with the pleasures of the wilderness. "Supper that night was a dream. If you have never eaten a square meal at one of Miko Elmore's camps when you were half starved you have something to live for. You sit on a wooden bench at a plain deal board and help yourself to what you see and ask for what you want and say nothing to unybody in the way of polite conversation. It is bad etiquette to offer to pass anything or to ask for what jou know they haven't got or to comment on what is before you, but outside of these restrictions you are at full liberty to enjoy yourself. I may be enlarging on a rather unimportant topic here, but to me this eating ques tion has always seemed a vital one. Aud I venture it is worthy of mention when you find a place like a grading camp and it is the only place I know of where you can eat indefinitely and not feel theworso for iu If any of thete Epicurean millenium-hunters come to me for pointers 1 shall send them straight to Mike's camp in the Black Hills, they furnishing transportation. "That night I slept beneath six pairs of blankets and the blue vault of heaven and just managed to keep warm. The next morning we cracked the ice out of the water-pail and did Delsarte with our hands to take the numbness out of them and finally b::ilt a lire in the tent to take the chill off. In Deadwood each man takes the chill off for himself, internally, but in Ruby Basin and among engineers and alumni things are different. After a royal and unlim ited breakfast the party went out to work and I went for a walk down Spearfish Canon. That Canon is the greatest placi; I know of. You can lie down at most any point of its twenty winding miles and with one hand pick a pint or so of luecious red raspberries and with the other dip your hat into the creek for a drink of tho coldest, purest water in the world. If you want to, meanwhile, you can rest your head against the thick soft moss on a massive boulder, dangle your feet among tall ferns and harebells, and with your eyes take in as beautiful a view of hills and pines and hanging rocks and cliffs as can be had even in more famous Colo rado. Of course all this at once re quires considerable effort, so I devoted myself exclusively to the raspberries and the harebells at first and did the others later. The wild flowers are simply bewildering. Everything that grows seems to bloom and all at once. The very boulders and patches of brown earth seem to be bursting into fragrance and incomparable beauty. The pine boughs are so high up that the west wind sighing through them produces a very peculiar and charming effect of sweet, low music from invisible players. It seems as if the whole earth were bubbling over with melody and beauty, and I was glad I was alive. That Canon would he just the plae for one of those impressionisms Whistler himself might get inspiration there or for a poet, or for a philosopher but I just ate rasp berries till I was hungry and then went back for dinner.' Wednesday evening Miss Alice Slau ghter gave a jolly 6treet oar ride for Miss Ruth Weller, of Omaha, her guest. The party rode out to Cotner and thence to the lake where refreshments were perved, and then into the city and to the end of the South Seventeenth street line and return. Those present were Misses Daisy Cochran, Ada Heaton, Mae lerr rell of Paducah, Ky.; Maud Riser, Jessie Leland, Camp, Williamson, Agnes Sewell, Jones, Dora Harley, Messrs. John Farwell, Will Raymond, Cooley, Almost everyday for several weens past we have offered choice novelties in wool dress goods. At this time we have the most complete assortment of fall and winter fabrics ever shown in Nebraska at this season of the year. We claim to show a larger stock of dress goods than can be found in all other Lincoln stores combined. MirEER & PAINE - UNIVERSITY of NEBRASKA - SCHOOL of MUSIC 1 1 and P Streets. Offers superior instruction to all in artistic piano playing, and the correct use or the voice in song. AH principal branches of music taught by special instruction. Pupils of any grade of advancement received at any Fall Jerm opens September 2. DIRECTOR. . ."-fit Marion, Harry Evans, Sawyer, Marley, Hewitt, Cullen, Oliver Lansing. Miss Mae Terrell, of Paducah, Ky., who has been the guest of Mr. ar.d Mrs. R. E. Guthrie for several weeks, will leave for her home today. Last evening she entertained a number of friends at the residence of Mr. Guthrie. The Rarohi club gave a picnic and dance at Lincoln Park Tuesday. Those present were: Misses Garten, Winger, Kleutsch, Leland, Rector, Richards, Trc maine, Graham, Harley, Ashton, Scho tield, Raymond. Lotteridge, Messrs Grupe, Evans, Honeywell, Harvey, Cul len, Folsom, Farwell, Houghton, Ward, Bishop. Harvey, Yates, Waugh, Wright. Mrs. Harley and Mrs. Garroute chaper oned the party. Sam. E. Low, the republican nominee for clerk of the district court, left Tues day evening for Colorado. Mr. Low had given unremitting attention to his campaign for several months, and when the convention closed he was greatly in need of rest. He expectd to remain in Colorado Springs until about September 1, when he will return to Lincoln to take part in the campaign. The dancing fever that began lo be manifest in Lincoln a couple of years ago will, in all probability, sustain no abatement the coming season. There will be more dancing clubs and stronger clubs than ever before. Rev. H. A. Lemon and Miss Josie Young were united in marriage in Beth any Wednesday evening, Kev. II. J. Ken nedy officiating. Mr. Lemon is pastor of the Christian church at York. society The Courier's regular cor- IX respondent in Omaha sends OMAHA the following notes of Omaha society. MiBs Dickenson spent the early part of the week in Chicago. Miss Nash left on Monday for Excel sior Springs. Mo., where she will reman several weeks. Miss Smiley went to New York this afternoon. She will be away until Christmas. Mr. Netherton Hall returned from the west Wednesday. Judge and Mrs. Irvine are back from a months visit to Estes Park, Colo. Mr. Wilhelm, who has been visiting her father in Chicago, has returned home. Tho Misses Creighton are entertaining Miss Furey. Mrs. II. G. Wliitmore went to St. Louis this week. Before returning home she will visit St. Paul. Mr. Henry D. Estabrook has return from the East. Mr. Lomax and Dr. Rosewater were visitors in Denver this wecK. Miss Edna and Mr. Will Cowin entertained their friends, by a dance Tuesday evening. Mr. and Mrs. Myron Learned were at home Tuewlay to a few friends. Mr. Harry Carter returned from Excelsior Springs Wednescay. Dr. E. W. Lee got home from his trip East on Sunday. Mr. Charles Grinnell left for Okcbiji Saturday. Mr. Charles R. Sherman and Mr. H. M. Snow attended the druggists convention at Denver this week. Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Funke returned from Spirit Lake Saturday. Mr. and Mrs. Ponder, the Misses Ponder, Mis-s Skinner, Miss Lawrence are camped just outside tho Plaza Manawa. Last night quite a number of Omaha people went over to Manawa to witnes the water carnival of the Omaha and Coucil Bluffs rowing association. Miss Marie Hoover lias returned from Fairbault, Minn. Miss May Blanchard has gone to Colorado Springs. Dr. C. C. Lasby and family were in Manitou this week. Mr. and Mrs. George O. Risdon are visiting in St. Louis. Dr. Graham and Dr. Kerman have re turned from Wyoming. Col. J. H. Alford left this week for a trip through the Black Hills and Mon tana. Professor Owens is now doing Scot land. A recent letter from him was dated at Oban. Prof. F. W. Taylor, who has been in' Chicago in the interest of thj internat ional txposition in Mexico, ib in the city and will remain several weeks. Af ?n . -,-i ftm- Jjv-