The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1869-10-08
4 TRIP 10 BIG HOLE PRAIRIE.
NOTES BY THE WAY.-TuE START.

SOS NS d Ann wA4.-AuD % ANIL
Feeling the need of little (morc) rest,
and short respite from the cares of = city
life, on tho eighth Of September l packed .
cayusc with creature comforts, such rs blan-
kets, grub and snake medicine ito boil thcr.
mometer), and in company with friend
started southwark In search of hot springs,
high mountains, game, and, incidentally.
diggings. We reached Lost Greek the first
evening and cncamped. Now before start.
ing, We took certain comprehensive aud ex-
haustive lessons in that packing mystery
known As the " diamond hitch, and thought
We had it down to . scratch; but VIXEN
We came to unpack we discovered that there
was slight mistake somewhere. We got
It of at last, however, and found there were
twcnty-scvcn hard knots in the rope, and
that it would stand alone and looked like
the willow frame work of an Indian sweat
house. I think Oliver got the wrong hitch
on his side. for I kaow mine was all right
Tried fishing, but Lost Greek was SO muddy
(fr"m the mines on Prairie Gulcl) that the
trout couldn't see it, and all guiltlcss Of
their blood, VIC went to bed.
THE ,:rpEE HOT STRINGS OF DEER LODGE.
Arising, not with the lark but with Good.
nights bu!l-tcam, that made more noise
than two dozen larks. VIC dispatched q
breakfast that would have laid out dys.
pcptic right there in his tracks; cause why.
when We camped last evening, upon search.
Ing sor the yeast powders found none and
bottle Of - medicine" in their place. Now
I am decidedly heavy on the bread bake
but must acknowledge that in this instance
that the bread was very heavy, too. When
looked for sugar, it, too, was missing. and
in its place was very suspicious. looking
jug. marked Chain Lightning for Elcctri.
cal Experiments" Upon asking Oliver how
it came that We had no sugar or yeast pow:
dcrs, he replied that he thought I was very
hard 10 please, rs he had brought plenty Of
what he knew VIC liked best. This afIu.
ment bcing unanswcraale, subsided.
Packing up, and getting . dead thing "
on that diamond hitch, We passed by the
:" Deer Lodge" from which . thin film of
steam was rising and dissolving in the cool
morning air, and found an ''angel unaware"
in the shape Of D,coto who has q grocery
store at the crossing Of Warm Spring creek.
Buying from him the articles missing from
our eomnsissarial. we pursued the even tenor
Of our way up the valley, past smiling ran.
chcros and Ecris OF sleek cattle, for which
tI.:~ -.o:-.. :. r~..~.-- .s-~uoh . -a0;n,, ~.
bunch. grass Of which is marvellous to be-
hold, Iamenting by tho way the money VIC
were losing by not having cattle to eat It up.
At Connor's saw mill, situate on the Deer
Lodge where it comes out of the canyon bc-
low German Gulch into the valley, are mines
Of unknown extent and richness in the creek
bed and hars. In rayinc coming in from
the right, just below the mill and up about
half a mile from the river. are the upper hot
springs They break forth in the low, grassy.
granite ridges At the foot of the mountain.
There are seven or eight Of different sizes
within space Of thirty yards. The tempen.
turc ranges from 49, to 165 Fahr: The
water 10 limpid and apparently tastclcss,
although it deposits very small quantities Of
something resembling borax Oh the rocks
that lie partly in the water, and taste like
mixture of soda and borax. In the springs
is also considerable quantities Of black
sand which looks exactly like iron filings
The small pieces of quartz and granite in
tho springs ore covered with glazing like
pottery. These springs do not deposit any
tufa like the deer Lodge" A family liv-
ing here have constructed . platform Of logs
over the stream where the springs unite and
where the Temperature Of the water (sl,out
75inches) is 157 . on which they have placed
. couple of feet deep Of earth, in which to.
patocs and cucumbers were growing luxu-
r,antly and had almost reached maturity,
being the first ! had ever seen in tho valley,
which 10 too frosty for them under ordinary
conditions. .z.~ ,f.-,st-,H $50
The parties who ore mining near tho mill
have taken this hot water out In . ditch and
conveyed to their sluices. thus enabling them
to mine when the river water freezes What
4 splendid place to start laundry it there
was only . soap mine convenient, and there
may be one. too, for hot water and soap gen
orally 20 together. 80, -, 80.
4 Across The heart Of the valley We found
the creeks nearly dry ON account Of the IN
usual droutl,. bat the bunch grass growing
strong and thrifty on Its favosite soil, . gran.
its sand, which g - compact that the rad