Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1867-01-12

and Territories.
Beyond, the road winds along the
clear Snake River, the old Lewis
Fork of the Columbia. The Indian
name, Shoshone, or Winding River,
| is far more fitting and musical than
ours. This dim, crooked artery OF
I the great deserts heart, fifteen hun
drcd miles in length, rises from
springs within half n mile of those
forming the headwaters OF the Mis-
souri, 1t is the river Of dcsolatlon.
Unreleved by forests or green banks
for nearly the entire length, it is n
natural ditch sunk in the sand
filled with clear water, and family
fringed with scattering willows and
cottonwoods.
Many smaller streams suddenly
sink into the earth, like the rivers
of Damascus, and, running under
ground for many miles, abruptly
rc.appear in their parched beds
The road crosses miles of sand,
which the slow stage-mules and
wheels plow foot deep. On the
eastern horizon, the Three Tetons
(woman's breasts)-a unique spur
of the Rocky Mountains-riso side
by side, tall, slender, and spire-like,
suggesting the name, the Finger
Mountains, which belongs to group
of Arizona peaks. The Indians call
them the Three Pinnacles. Pleas
ant Valley Station is in little gras.
sy basin-a natural bowl, amongthe
dark hills. Just beyond, climbing
over the divide of the Rocky Noun
tains, one leaves the Pacific slope
behind passinginto Montana, among
the tributaries of the Missouri.
The first important settlement is
the city Of Bannack, named from q
tribe of Indians. 1t was the pioneer
town of Montana, begun deep down
in the gulch of Grasshoppcr Greek,
enclosed by bare lofty mountains
The diggings yielded very richly,
sometimes paying fifty dollars per
day to the man but, like most
gulch mines, were soon exhausted.
In flush times, the city had two
thousand people; now, it has but a
few hundred, and is dreary sue
cession of struggling, empty low
houses, overlooked by q huge gal
lows which has outlived many ten
ants. But rich quartz -lodes, now
9bening hard by, will give it new
lease Of life. In mining regions, as
elsewhere, history repeats ITSELF
Bannack was the first town of Mon
tana; but, when its gulch gave out,
other sections were developed, and
the people foclSed to Virginia City,
seventy miles beyond. That contin-
ues to flourish but new settlements
are springing up, among the rich
mines of Helena and the Blackfoot
region, which bid fair to eclipse it.
Virginia was settled in July, 1S-
62, and has five thousand people,
including Nevada City and juno
ton. Environed by mountain crests
dotted with few lonely cedars, it
lies like huge serpent-the head,
Virginia-the tail, its two suburbs
"a crooked, irregular strip of low
log houses, winding for nine miles
Alder Creek. Many of those cabins
are deserted. The American miner
is migratory animal, who will al
ways leave five dollars per day for
the possibility eff twenty, especially
when the new diggings are very re-
mote and inaccessible. Alder Gulch
has yielded many millions of dol
lars, and, for its length--thirtcen
miles-was probably the richest gold
deposit ever found. Now, tits com
pletely cut to pices, honey-combed
with shafts, ridged with bitches, and
disemboweled with tunnels. A few
miners are still washing the gold
from the brown earth.
The heart of the town is within
a hundred yards Of the diggings.
In flush times, it was crowd Of
people, and whirl of business.
Streets were throngcd, stores chok-
cd with stream of commerce, side
walks monopolized by irrepressible
hoarsely crying horses,
oxen, mules, wagons, and house
hold goods, Drinking Saloons,
whose name was legion, were dense
ly crowded. Theaters, which al
ways spring up in mining regions,
were closely packed. AT the hotels,
beds were hardly attalnablc, for
love or money. Gambling halls
were musical with clinking coin and
with yellow gold. Hurdy-
gurdy houses, with dancing girls,
music and long bars, where whisky
was sold at fifty cents drink and
champagne at s12 per bottle, were
filed with visitors, ranging from
Judges to blacklegs, in every cos
tune. from brcadcloth to buck-skin.
And all this, in a town less than one
year old, in the heart of the Rocky
thousand miles from
everywhere For Montana is the
most remote Territory of the Uni
ted States, the furthest both from
New York and San Francisco-the
great cities of the future, which will
yet contend for the mastery of the
world.
Virginia, though less lively than
Of yore, still boasts heavy trade and
bustling streets. The buildings are
Of logs, lumber, and granite, with
wooden signs overhanging the plank
Many citizens habitual-
" wear revolvers at their belts.
Daily mail coaches ply north TO
Helena, one hundred and twenty
Eve miles, over mountain roads
which were never worked, but have
the best staging in the
United States. In sumner, coach
Is often run the whole distance
equal to one hundred and sixty