, 1871-12-25

/ lowstone Division" composed Of about
twenty persons under the leadership of
Major Ed. D. Muhlenburg. began its
operations at the .head-waters OF the
Missouri River, assembled the Gallatin
Valley, proceeded thence through the
Bozeman Pass over the Belt range Of
the Rocky Mountains tnear Fort Ellis),
and down the Yellowstone Valley. Our
party has an escort of two companies
of cavalry, or about one hundred and
ten men all told.
At was at my own request that I was
connected with Major Muhlenberg's
party. The marvellous tales told of the
Yellowstone excited my curiosity to see
its wonders for myself, and I concluded
that trip through the valley would
compensate for all the risks incurred
from Sioux and other hostile tribes Of
Indians. Nor have been disappointed.
Here, within the space of fifty miles or
so. there are certainly some of the great
est wonders on the entire aontinent.
We saw tremendous waterfalls and can
ons, hot springs, geysers throwing col
umns of hot water forty-seven inches in
diameter one hundred and ninety feet
into the air, and jets from the column
two hundred feet higher, mud volcanoes,
&c. We found immense deposits of
iron ore, gold quartz, copper and coal;
precious stones, such as cornelian, chal-
cedony and rubies; many buffaloes, an
telopes, deer and other animals.
Having left Helena in the latter part
Of July, going south and passing
through the small villages of Prickly
Pear, Springville and the like, we cross
ed the Jefferson and Madison and enter
ed the Gallatin Valley, proceeding
thence to the head-waters of the Mis-
souri,. AT this point, where the Jeffer-
son and Madison and Gallatin unite to
form the Missouri, we commenced our
survey, with the initial point on the
west side of the Jefferson. 1t is known
as the "Three Forks" and presents a
most grand and impressive view. Seat
ed upon a rock which commands the
course of the three streams, contem-
plated for some time the landscape
| which 17Dfo11ad ifca1f boforo mo T,,tbo
distance were the mountains, rising like
a gigantic amphitheatre till their sum-
mits were lost in the blue sky. Nearer
were tho three rivers meandering
through the valleys. The Gallatin flow
ed on my left, a river two hundred feet
wide, as clear as crystal, rolling its
voluminous waters towards the Mis-
souri,, which at this point runs in an al
most due northerly direction. There
are about a dozen ranches " or farms
scattered over the Gallatin Valley, all OF
which are in prosperous condition.
A postoffice has been established, and
the people have decided to call this
permanent possibility" of village
Gallatin City," The country around
is very beautiful, rich IN minerals, and
adapted to all kinds of agricultural pur-
poses. Mountains and valleys are alike
covered with abundant wild grass, upon
which cattle grow fat in very short
time. The inhabitants who have lived
long in that neighborhood assured me
that even in winter the grass preserves
its natural sweetness, and cattle which
were carried there in bad condition
were, at the end of the rongh season,
taken to market and sold for beef. The
cattle are never housed in winter.
In the early part of September oul
party entered the Yellowstone Valley
having run their line through Bozeman
Fort Ellis, Rocky Cannon, Roberts Pas
called after our distinguished chief
Mr.. W. Minor Roberts, of Pennsylva
nia-and down Trail Creek to the first
cannon of the Yellowstone River.
The great difficulty in the survey o.
this division was to find the most prac
ticable pass through the Rocky Noun
tains for railroad line. From a yer,
careful personal examination of the Flat
Head, Bridger, Trail Creek and Boze
man passes, Major Muhlenberg, in op
position to previous engineers, selected
the latter, and in my opinion his decis
ion has been correct. for an excellent
line, both as to gradients and curva.
lures, can be located through it, and the
route from Fort Ellis to Shields Rive,
can be adopted with certainty of ligh,
grades as compared with the Pennsyl.
vania Central and Baltimore and Ohio
railroads. Nothing so difficult but
search and pluck will overcome it, The
problem is now solved so far as the Yel-
lowstene division of the Northern Pa.