The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1866-10-20
orR TRAVELLING CORRESPONDENT.
DALLEs, Oregon, Sept, II, 1866.

EDITOR POST: Two weeks ago, iust
at dawn, the watchman at the Crystal
Palace reused me from sound slumbel
with the announcement that the coach
for Blackfoot was ready, and in ten min
utes more / babe farewell to Helena ant
my good natured hosts, Messrs. Cox &
Cohen, and started on q journey O
nearly ten thousand miles, to visit, after
a aprotracted absence, my home at the
East As the stage rolled out from
Montana's metropolis, down Ten-1nile
and commenced the ascent of the noun
tain beyond, the mornings sun peeped
over the Missouri range, flooding the
valley of the Priekly Pear; tinting its
landscape with gorgeous light, most
beautiful and fascinating to behold, and
almost causing the expression of a re,
greet that in a moment more it was to be
forever closed to my view But divers
boys don't stop to give one time for
much revery, but dashed on down the
descent with such abandon as to cause
one to feel some apprehension. The
reins We're in good hands, however. and
the drive TO Blackfoot was made without
accident or detention. Joining at this
place q couple of friends, who were also
homeward bound, we started out in the
early gray of the morning well equipped
for our ride of 500 miles to the land of
the Webfeet, famous for it's red apples
and pretty gir1s Taking the
MULLAN ROAD
We followed down the lovely valley of
the Hell Gate, making brief stay at
Reynolds City and Beartown, both of
which places were found almost deserted
and continuing our journey until the
beautiful farm of w. B. Higgins, ESQ.,.
situated near the mouth of Hell Gate
canyon, was reached, where a soiourn
was made for the purpose of ENJOYING a
walk through the fine garden of the
and partaking of some of the
products of the same. Mr.. HI. has truly
a magnificent place, which is fitted up
superior to anything of the kind it has
been my privilege to examine in Mon
tana, upon which were growing all kinds
OF cereals and vegetables in perfection,
even Including corn and tobacco. After
a sumptuous breakfast, we bade our
kind host and his amiable lady adieu.
and rode down through the celebrated
" He'll Gate Ronde," from which the can
y0n takes its name, from the following
Some years ago this
f00dG was great camping place for
and the Blackfeet Indians,
who were then very troublesome, used
to make frequent descents upon those
resting at the place, which, from it's De-
culiar shape, is a perfect trap; sweeping
everything before them, until those liv-
ing near would warn travellers that
they might as well camp in the gates of
hell as there, for they would certainly
be massacred." A mile beyond the
Ronde is
MlSSOULA MILLS,
4 thriving little place, where Messrs.
Worden & Co. have erected a grist and
saw mill, q fine large store, and sundry
'ther buildings, around which others
lave built, including Messrs. Bonner &
Nelch, u selfrising" firm, making a |
Tery neat appearing town. Here laying
n few necessary articles, we again |
mounted and, riding a short distance
below Frenchtown, poor apology for
,lace-and the last in Montana thro'
which we We're to pass camp was
struck for the night. Enjoying hearty
breakfast of grouse and trout, we were
Don again in the saddle. An hours |
ide brought us into the heavily tim
'ered region, extending from a short
distance below Frenchtown to the Spo-
.ane Plains, covering over $50 miles of
he route, and the principal bugbear to
wagon transportation over the Mullan
DAD. From Frenchtown to the Bitter
Root Ferry, a distance of sixty-fve miles.
he road follows along the He'll Gate
he valley here becoming narrow can
on OF the most wild and picturesque
escription, occasionally widening out
nto little basins or flats, through which
cool, delicious rivulet would 90 gush-
1g, bubbling over the rocks and through
he forest, joining its parent stream in
IS toaming, rushing journey to the sea.
he road ran along the sides of noun
aims the fronts of which We're almost
and where a misstep
'ould send one headlong into the river.
-hich had here become boiling, foam
lg, eddying torrent. Our party had
Ire sport shooting grouse and catching
,out, through this portion of cur route.
Wiley land Van" were crack shots.
nd it was rarely that fowl ever es-
aped losing its head after their pistols
ere once leveled upon it. Crossing the
litter Root ferry, ON the He'll Gate. the
scent of the great
CoEUR D'ALENE RANGE
Immediately begun, but SO gradually /
lat it is scarcely perceptible, and ere
he traveller is aware that he has reached
le top, the word summit" meets his !,
re, where it was burned into the trunk |
huge pine years ago, by Capt. Null
N, and IN close proximity stands, also, I
le tree upon which is marked "246," {
lllng the wayfarer that he must travel
le number of miles there denoted ere :
meets that which wears the sem I