The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1872-08-17
r.. El.thead Lake AID the SarresneSsl
CSuntry.


NUMBER FIVE.
Greatly disappointed with tho characte
NJ this stream We struck across the valley
away from the river. for St. Clsire's ranch
determining on the morrow to divide ou'
party. one 70 explore the Still Water higbe
M on tho west side. and the Others to sur
yey ground for mill site above the lowe
ford. We reached
rr. cLArRE's on ASHLEY CREEK.
-, O'Clock o. M, and found Mr.. J0hl
Campbell, Red River man. and baPsiste,'
r,encbman, 81. Claire was absent ant
C.mptell. 4 relative of his, was In charge
The latter gave Us courteous welcome and
shsred his newly built cabin with Us during
our stay. Fortunate for US that We had
cabin on the night of the 26th TO shelter 10
A fearful storm came on In the night &C
compsnied by thunder and lightning. and
the rain fell in torrents for several hours.
Saturday, June 20. Having brcakfasted
according to previous arrangement, II. C.
and W, H. N. went to survey for mill site
and Campbell and myself, mounted on ou'
trusty s,ccds, with shot gun and one re-
volver started out to explore
THE UPPER STILL WATER
on the west side. Campbell was skeptical
from the start about the nature of the riveI
in question, though quite - anxious ~ We,
70 have its prac,icability for irrigation
demonstrated. lie had seen It away above,
toward Tobacco Plains and testified that II
was a still and quiet there - In the valley
below. and what was more, there were two
lakes above on It's course. Not wishing to
lose time by following the course Of the
stream we took . st,aight course for the
timber intending 10 strike the river 8 or 4
miles above the point reached the day before
and follow it down. The open country on
the west side has the same hiIly and uuduls'
ting character. with deep lake'like dcpress.
ions where water Is to be found part of
the wear. Some Of the elevations on this
side arc grsvelly and pieces Of disintegrs.
ting rock orc found, but the soil IL Of similar
character with that VIC have found hereto.
fore and the grass equally luxuriant. Strik.
Inc into the timber towards the supposed
course Of the river, VIC came upon level
lands, with slternsti0ns Of timber and
prairie. Then We came upon little tribu.
tsry stream, where were signs Of large
Indian camp This stream Was sluggish
like the river, the adjacent lands were wet
sudswsmpy, with IN immense underground,
and the mosquitoes were the largest and
6ercest that We had yet encountered. We
vcnturcd ~ cross this stream, with some
difficulty, but had not proceeded far until
We we,c glad to retreat to the other side,
~ We seemed " I've getting into an immense
marsh, with no reasonable prospect of being
able 70 cross 1t lower down. We then
struck for thcrver thorough the forest and in
half On hour VIC stood on the banks. Silent,
blue amt deep 1t flowed along between its
steep banks, under the outrageous canopy
Of the lofty trees which everywhere reared
their proud crcsts. We followed II down
10 the openings where the hilly land begins
and finding splendid spring coming out
Of hill and running in Iimpid stream
over gravelly bottom, we stopped 10 lunch
and water and feed our horses. BY this
time our minds were made up about the
Still Water aud We turned our faces home.
wards, ready To report no improvement on
yesterdays q uest. W. met with no game
except phessants and grouse, although We
saw plenty Of bear sign in the timber near
the river. On our way home In the evening
We succeeded In taking some curlcw' which
arc quite abundant 10 the valley Ut this
season Of the yeaS. We arrived At st. Claire's
between 8 and . O'Clock aud found our
comrades engaged in preparing fnc mess
Of trout and white fish which they had
caught 1t the fords of the Still Water. All
were disappointed and gloomy over the
FAILURE ON THE IRRIGATION QUESTION.
and one Of the party declared that, bcauti.
ful - the valley vss, and abundant % ito
resources seemed, 1t could
NEVER MAKE COUNTRY WITHOUT IRRIoA.
TON.
adopted the same view, until had seen
the l0Uer valley along The river and the
lake where most of the claims 1t present
arc, no or 10 In all,) and where wheat, oats,
barley. corn and potatoes arc SUCCESSFULLY
raised without any irrigation whatever. We |
camped again At st. Clsirs's on Saturday |
evening: and before taking leave Of this |
ranch and our courteous and obliging host
Campbell. will speak . word about it.
There are two 100 acre claims here belong.
ing.to st. Clairand Campbell and about 50 or
90 acres under fsncs. Tho land 10 low and
rich and 10 irrigated from . small spring
stream, but the wheat looked poorly. The
coll, imagine like al the land near the foot
bills Is Too cold and the liability to frost
greater than on the river or In the open
valley. The psssurage, u everywhere, 10
ane, and st. Claire has some cattle and 4
nice band of horses.
ON Sun DAT,
morning, (June 3eth) We babe sdieu 70 our
friend Nj. Campbell, and passed down the
'alley 10 Sullivan & Scribner's store. or
rading post, on the Flathead, where We
'pent the day resting ourselves and horses,
according to the divine precept and com.
nand, regretting that circumstances pre.
rented mo from holding > public religious
ervicc.
III. Sullivan, who treated ~ with marked
ourte'y and kindness, IL a old employe or
he Hudson Bay Company, speaks several
4 the Indian dialects, and 10 On expcriencsd
indian man. This trading post, beautifully
J! on the open grassy hank Of tss
''atnesd river, 10 the rendezvous for the
indians, chiefly Kootenais, Who come and
0 "r hunt In the valley. Goods, such
blankets, dry goods, groceries and
rov'''on'' ~ we'll astraps, powder and bali,
y exchanged for fun and psltriea The
ors also supplies tho few white set,lers
no nave claims, ten or twelve In III. and
possomce u established here called
scRIsxER,
Ter Col scsibner, late of Nissouls. . mart.