The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1869-07-09
Rig Horn YnlIeY.

Fort DsA. Russell, concernine the wonders
Of that portion Of the great West known as
Big Horn valley:t
THE Big Horn River dows from the
mountains 20 the Yellowstone, through n
beautiful rich valley about hundred miles
long and from Ave 20 twenty miles I'm
width. II is bordored by the magnificent
Big Horn MountaiuB, and by high rolling
plateaus, covered with rich buffalo grass,
stretching back for miles toward the south
and east. The Panther Mountains, and
Pompey's Pillar, on the Yellowstone, are
always in sight; and, with the snow peaks
of the Rocky Mountains, make a
grandeur of scenery seldom equallod else
where. The sides of the mountains. the
plateaus, and the valleys are covered with
fne buffalo and bunch grasses. and Che
valley has plenty of excellent hay ground,
such as is only found on good farming soil.
The valley is well watered with clear noun.
tain streams, and tolerably timbered. For
a grazing country, for either cattle or
sheep, the Big Horn Valley and Mountains
cannot BIO excelled in the world The rich
grasses, which on account Of tic dryness
OF the atmosphere, cure ON the ground
without losing their nutritious qualities,
would furnish ample pasturage all the year
| IONuuf anu NAt lAtHAtnN thIlOlh 0UO small
valleys would afford shelter in oil the
storms. All the sheep aocks in the world
could Craze, winter and summer, on the
slopes and benches Of those mountains:
and one-day, they will be as famous for
its sheep walks and shepherds w the
mountains Of Scotland, or The high lands
of Australia.
The climate of this region Is something
marvellous. IL the Fountain of Youth.
which old Ponce de Leon. searched for, and
didn't find, Is not in this valley, there is nc
use looking further for II. In the southern
part Of the valley, latitude As $50, we have
about the climate of Tennessee, with an
atmosphere so clear and pure that IL Is the
real elixir Of life TO breathe it. Health is
the natural condition of life here, not only
to the man Of good digestion and strong
muscle, but TO the consumptiye and dys.
peptic. Out Of n force of five or six hun.
dred men, we never had q death from dis.
case in two years, and about as little sick.
ness as COMFORTS with existence. The
prevailing winds are southerly and westerly,
bringing TO these inland hills and valleys
tho mild airs Of the Pacific, and temperinp
the winters TO that delightful degree that
makes outdoor life so pleasant md health.
full The atmosphere is remarkably pure
I NAAAA NANNAN Ah' AtAAn hfNNA hNfAlNN W NOl
here than in the Eastern country, and YOU
sec distances that would astonish a dwelloI
in the heavier atmosphere of the States
Sam Weller's assertion that "Havin' nothin'
but eyes, his wishion was limited" dom
apply here. We have counted men with
the naked eye n distance Of FIVE miles, and
with our field glasses near forty miles.
All tho elements Of prosperity and wealth
are TO be found in the Big Horn country,
where our people need Il for settlement and
culture. Soil and climate are all that
could be desired; the rivers are strong.
nayigable streams, able to bear TO market
great crops and stores of minerals. The
mountains furnish plenty of good pine foi
lumber, and tho very finest qualities oil
sand and freestonej limestone and CLAW arc
abundant, and good quality OF burning
coal crops out in many places. Iron ore i,
found in the mountains, and we believe
that gold will be found there as soon Ms
IL is safe 10 prospect this mountain range
and the streams leading from it. Color OF
gold Is found in very many places, and
some fine specimens of quartz and uuRget
gold have been picked up by scouting and
hunting parties, enough TO insure reward
TO the patient labor and enterprise which
are sure to como after the Indian has full
ulleu ul1 ullhhlOut WHICH seems TO be 10
clear of the game and die.
The big horn sheep, from which tho
country takes its name, is one of the curl.
osities Of tho animal kingdom. He has
the head and horns Of thosheCp, body and
hair OF the deer. The flesh has no ilayo,
Of mutton. but is essentially venison il
taste and fibre. They are a strong, apil,
animal, standing about MS high as the com
mon red deer, and weighinga hundred and
fifty or two hundred pounds. The horns
put 10 shame anything worn by the patri
archs of domestic hocks; they are eiphI
or ten inches through at the base. yer,
long and spiral, giving the head a massive
and dignihed appearance. IL is said b,
old mountaineers that they use their horns
as bumpers, and throw themselves from
crags and lodges Of rock, taking the shocl
Of the fall on their horns. Whether thi,
is 10 or not, they are certainly great lean
ers, aud as bold aud skillfl oragsmen a,
the chamois of the Alps. These animal,
are never seen in the low country, unles,
driven there; they inhabit the mountain
ranges and the rocky canyons and like
best the rough grounds little ~frequented
by the hunter.
The greatest natural curiosity of the up,
per country is the Big Horn Canyon, by
which the river flows through the noun
tains. II il sixty miles long, and from hal
to t~hree-quarters of n mile in depth, il
sides beautifully fringed with trees ant
trailing vines, and the rocky surface takine
every form that art could give to stone
Here are natural bridges; ruined abbeys
oyergrown with ivy; %turrets, spires anC
caves; among which the big horn sheep
the grizzly and black bear, the wolf an(
| tho fnw n,ola thar bop,ag n,a - IL
days the tourist will visit this spot, and th,
invalid will make pilgrimages here in searcl
Of health and pleasure, and the travele
will talk of the Big Horn Mountains ant
Canyon as he now does the Alps.
The country watered by the Big Horn il
the home of the Crows, n tribe who hav,
been faithful in their friendship TO th,
whites through all the troubles OF the north
ern frontier, and who can show the bes
specimens of the Indian TO be seen at tn
present day. 1t is also the favorite hunting
ground of the Sioux, Gros-Ventres, Black
feet and Nes-Percos.
These tribes number about %, 200 souls
but they are fast lessening in numbers
under the blight which civilization cast
on all the families Of the red man. In
few years they will become extinct, or &,
nearly so that they win no longer be takei
into account in deciding the ownership O
the land. When the buffalo begins +
grow scarce, rs he soon must, under tn
Indians improvident habit of killing an,
eating only the COWS, the Indian must fol
low his herds TO the hunting grounds q
the other world, or abandon his wild habit
and become a civilized or ~self-supportin
man. The latter we all know Is much th
least likely result to follow the loss of hi
supplies.
Il. Two YEARS 400 we called attention TO til
excellent qualities OF G.. A. Prince a. Co.
Organs and Melodeons, manufactured /
their extensive establishment In Buffalo, \
Y. Since that time the resources of those en-
terprising manufacturers have been vigoi