Custer Park

President Coolidge let it be known last week that Custer Park, S. D., had been chosen for his summer vacation. At once observers began to drape his choice with political significances. They pointed out that the decision had followed visits from Senator Peter Norbeck of South Dakota, self styled "Roosevelt Republican" and no intimate of the Old Guard.

Politically speaking, indeed, President Coolidge will be traveling "Out Where the Blues Begin." Most South Dakotans are farmers, most farmers are disgruntled, most disgruntled among farmers are the farmers of South Dakota. From neighboring Nebraska comes In-surgent-Republican Senator George W. Norris. It also happens that South Dakota holds its presidential primaries earlier than any of its sister states.

Thus observers saw political significance in the President's vacation. They predicted that farmers and farm-paper editors would make pilgrimage to the State Lodge, re-turn better disposed toward a President whose hand they had shaken, whose trout they had consumed.

Some 30 hours train-ride west of Chicago, close to the South Dakota-Wyoming boundary line, stretches a mountain range known to the Indians as the Paha Sapa (Black Hills). Once they formed part of the Sioux Indian Reservation but when, in 1874, gold deposits were discovered, the red men were quickly served with notices to depart. Later the hills gave sanctuary to horse-thieves, cattle-rustlers and all manner of "wanted" men with blood on their hands and prices on their heads. Now the hills are subdued and subdivided, and populous with tourists. The gasoline station has supplanted the wigwam and the can-opener is more potent than the Colt.

In the Black Hills lies Custer Park, South Dakota's 125,000-acre forest reserve. Famed for its elk, buffalo, trout, natural caves, bottomless lake, needle-like rock-for-mation, Custer Park offered high altitudes and cool breezes to the presidential tourist.

The State Game Lodge (the park is owned by South Dakota) with more than 30 rooms was last week being prepared for the President's occupancy. Past its porch elk, sheep and deer are reputed to stroll. Almost at its door is a stream stocked with rainbow trout --a fish far more sportive than Adirondack pike. As to temperature, Senator Norbeck assured the President that he would "sleep under blankets." The business headquarters of the President will be at Rapid City, some 32 miles away. Here newspapermen will be located (not altogether to their liking as Rapid City is less cool than Custer Park and scenically less impressive) and here the President will hold his famed White House-now Summer White House-conferences.

President Coolidge planned to leave Washington on June 13, to remain in the West until about Sept. 15.