, 1865-09-15
TcoNuuHIcATED.l !
Hellgate '320aae,and Bitter R006 Val

11tlEa-- -e-H-6 COMpI Tue area De-
tween the Big CaRoa Of the Missoula Biver
and the He,i4ate River, and jhe Bitter Root
Spur and the 'ai9ile" between the Nilsson
Ia and Blalhead Rivers 1t is twenty miles
in length and averages near ten miles IN
width Properly speaking = is part ol
the Bitter Root Valley, as there IS no canon
between tle two valiies, aud the MissOua
River, which ruus through it is only the
Bitter Root sweiled by the Eellgata River,
Helgate Bonde Is crossed by many small
creeks having rich allueial bottoms. On
one Of these the settlement known as
Frenchtown is heated distant twelve miles
below Hellgata The soil of the second
bottoms and ''benches' in Hellgate konde
inehnes to be gavely and about three
fourths of its entire surface is occupied by
lands of this nature, The remainder is
composed Of rich alluyium The streams
are frInged with growth OF cottonwood al
der and birch, and there is sufficient sup
ply of pine timber convenient to the farm
ing lands throughout the valley.
Crossing the Hellgate River, the lands
above it are known as the Bitter Root Val
ley--extending sixty miles, in nearly due
south direction. This valley has about the
same general features as Hellgate Ronde,
and about the same average width The
proportion of arabic lands is somewhat lar
ger than in helgate and the growth pine
heavier and more extensive Fourteen miles
up this stream, on the west side, Lo-lo-Fork
comes into the Bitter Root At the mouth
of this stream is spot rendered immortal
by being Lewis and Clarke's starting point
when they undertook the passage of the Bit
ter Root Spur of the Rocky Mountains
The sun never shone on a spot more embel-
fished by the generous hand Of nature, and
the reflective traveller will never pass this
spot without recalling the arduous journey
of the daring band Of Americans who first
penetrated overland to the Pacific Coast
Lewis and Clarke and party were the first
white men ever seen by the Flathead In
dians, by whom they were hailed as friends
Tradition anoog these poor people had
taught tham Go expect men with
white saiu to' coaie and make tlem a wise
and great people The story runs among
the noun neH that the Indians went
wild with joy al ha sight Of the whites, and
gave vent to their feelings by three days
and nights of continuous dancing and feast
ing Since that day the Flatheads have
been the firm friends of the whites No
white man ever lost the value of mill by
them and thousands have been befriended
by this small band Of savages The Bitter
Root has always been the safe refuge Of
white men beset by Blackfeet and Crow In
dians Here they recruited their stock, and
from hence they frequently marched with
the Flatheads to fight the hostile Indians.
Although continually mixed up with the
whites, there has been the most perfect ain-
ity between the two races and the Flat-
head boasts that no drop Of American blood
stains the hands of one Of their tribe The
boast is reciprocal, aud is literally true to
the letter, only that some horse-thieyes were
killed last year by mixed party Of whites
and Flatheads.
These people are undoubtedly the most
valiant of all the aborigines Of this conti-
nent, nd excel them all in waIlike skill. In
personal appearance, however, they are not
superior to the Nez Perces The Ameri-
cans owe tAcs Indians an eternal debt Of
gratitude for the countless favors they,have
done oar people, and any Arrangement with
them that does not carry the acknowledge
ment OF this fact is a base piece Of ingrati,
tude-a Burning disgrace to us as people
POPULATION OF TEE TWO vALLIEs-FABM
-r9 ~ ING PROSPECTS, ETO.
There are about one hundred places Of
residence in Ielgate RoDde, and three hua-
dred civilized human beings. Nearly one
hundred farms arc in various stages of in
provement, and there will be raised the
present year about II, 900 bushels of wheat
and 24,000 Of potatoes.
In Bitter Root Valley there arc seventy
FIVE places Of residence, about the same
number Of farms-tyo thousand acres of
land under fence. The wheat crop will
reach seven thousand bushels, and potatoes
about fifteen thousand. Double this amount
of the two principal agricultural products
would have been raised but for the grass
hopper plague. These insects ate up more
than half the wheat and potatoes, and almost
entirely destroyed the gardens all over the
country.
m MILLS AND MILLING INTERESTS.
Major John Owen has about completed
a grist mill at his place in the Bitter Root
Valley It has but one pair of burrs, but is
most thoroughly finished and complete es-
ablshment-capabeo Of turning out as good
flour as any of che Oregon mills.
Messrs Higgins & Worden are preparing
to erect grist-mil at Rattesnake Greek, in
Hellgate Ronde, which will be an extensive
establishment believe the machinery is
already on the ground, and a saw-mill in op
Grafton at the same point under the same
ownership. another saw-mill is located at
Frenehtown, and there is one at Major Ow-
ems place.
THE LANDS on JoCKo AND THE TRIBU-
TARIEs OF FLATHEAD RIVER.
know nothing by personal observation
of the lands commencing twenty miles north
of Hellgate Ronde commonly called the
"Jocko country" but 1 learn from compe
tent authority tba. they are rich and exten-
sive,. aRd have climate as favorable as the
places already spoken oG These lands are
covered by the resorvaton made by Cover
nor Stevens r Flathead ana Pen Il
Oreille indians Pen dOrei.les live
there, but the Flatheads, as before mention
ed, reside exclusively in Bitter Boot Valley.
Atthe Reservation there Is a school under
the rnanaoement of the Sisters of Charity.