New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-30


different distribution OF soils. sometimes there were
OF sunhowers which seemed TO have special Tx
ing for the mari DISTRICTS then large pastures OF buao
grass wild OATS perhaps succeeded by sage brush FARMS
Of beautiful variety OF euphorbia, which APP
pears frequently In the valley in great abundance
Now and then the soil seemed entirely unfrendly 10
vegetation and only 81 few ascetc plants very econom
ica in their habits could thrive the impoverished
plain Occasionally large beds Of clay not unlike that
found the dry beds OF streams extended over the
valley. The fierce had dried and baked IL until 1t
cracked into thin fakes five six inches square, and
cm led up like q shrveed leaf In the beds OF "dry
creeks" where the clay was thicker found now and
then natural brick-yard The bottom had cracked up
into heavy irregular concave slabs two inchesithck
and foot square, On ono occasion Gsn. Stanley
found these slabs quite convenient. He came with the
train TO q gully several feet deep with steep banks
which stopped teams at once Instead OF waiting to
cut wood and build bridge, cutting down the banks
a great deal OF work shovel and pick, with true
genius for opportunity he set the men to work gath
ering tho natural "dobes" and pilng them up in the
gully, until in few minutes 'good solid brick bridge
was made over which wagons crossed without diff
Guilty. The heat affects the mari in different
manner Instead OF peeng OF and curling up, they
crack up into OF deep yawning seams and gaps,
half inch to two inches In diameter IA II series
OF young earthquakes had rent the valley carpet, and
nature had forgotten TO sew up the seams
THE NEED OF IRRIGATION
der River to Pompey's Pillar, distance OF over 200
miles, would be readily amenable TO agricultural pur-
suits IT, instead OF depending the precarOus rainfall,
plentiful Irrigation were induced from the river The
valley is a succession OF bottoms OF varying and
varying fertility determined in length aud breadth by
the approach TO and recession from the river OF the
high bluffs which follow its On the left bank,
about twenty miles from the mouth Of Powder River,
the bluffs, for distance OF ten miles, wall the river
closely excluding all bottom land, driving It across
the stream, which has good prairie margin on the
other side Then the bluff take kindly sweep to the
north again, leaving long, broad nteryeEtOns OF fertile
PLAN. have nowhere seen finer than Is produced
on some OF these valley sections One OF them about
ten miles long and five WIDE called by the engineers
"staney's Prairie" out Of compliment to the
commander, was prcemnent for its luxuri-
ant grass In sections near the Big Horn,
the grass was tall nearly TO reach saddo-p0ek
The soil is generally light and friable and would
DO easily worked "Wator water" Is the main cry Of
the thirsty land. For the valley land the river fur
nishes good guarantee whenever irrigation shall be
undertaken Even the sagebrnsh tracts would yield to
this kind OF treatment. Any one who has visited salt
Lake City can see what has been done with sagebrush
soil The Mormons say they get good crops wherever
the sage brush will grow. All that Is needed Is plenty
Of water and sufficient There is very little land
along tho river bottom except he arid clay tracts which
cannot be subdued by cultivation. There is no lack OF
timber. The uumerou, Islands which the river contains
abound In cottonwood and willow. Before reaching the
Little Porcupme. small tributary Of the Yellowstone,
sixty or seventy miles above Powder River. the blus
generally become less precptous and when they boldly
reappcar between this and tho Big Horn have Of
the aspect and character OF mountain than the
physognomy OF the Bad Lands rolling, undulatng
prairie sweeps great along the direction OF the
valley The soil is sandy. Sporadic growths OF
pine appear about 80 miles from Powder River They
increase in density "a 90 up the river and the
ri hank
siderable abundance.
ARTEsIAS WELLS POSSIBLE SOURCE OF WATER.
The width Of the valley varies considerably some
times being threo four miles width, again reduced
"a mile. then contracted side TO few rods by
ho interference Of The bluffs. The whole valley OF the
Yellowstone constitutes but ribbon OF arabic
Land, compared with tho wide extent Of irredeemable
beyond the narrow limits Of the valley Covered with
the inevitable cactus and meaeer patches OF grass, 10
supports only pretrne OF vegetation, and seems to
offer not the slightest iutmtiOp OF hna Htthty when
this country gets to be as crowded as China and tle
doctrine OF Nautilus has win Heated Itself, II 10
ever does, the struggle for existence NAV
drive poyerty-stricken humanity out here
now Of the country included the district between
Yellowstone and the Missouri and retired from the val
leys OF these streams No private enterprise could
bring the waters from the rivers 10 supply this thirsty
An Increase OF ten inches IN the annual amount
OF rainfall, which is in districts 100 miles west of
tins than six inches. would materially change the
face country and brighten ts prospects Butwith
the present scarcity OF timber west OF the 1O0 meridian
and the increasing defamation OF its forests, encouraging
The only FOR this vast reeCss district to
be in artesian wells. Ii these he sunk With
and plains flooded with water, new day may dawn
for region Ia the OF years perhaps through
State national aid series of wells aud bitches may
low which fails to come from above. Forests may then
spring up the plains. and grains andyegetabes may
be raised where only cactus and other persistent
and absemOus plants can now exist III
sahara is be redeemed there Is no reason
But the valley strip above Powder Ryer-t have not
yet the river from Powder River 10 ITS mouth
fNa nulX IL
which offer any encouragement TO the farmer Ana
tnis without the aid of collateral commercial mechan
ica or mining pursuits 10 furnish t local markets and
rennps ~ the Northern Pacific Railroad are wise in-
stead OF striking Straight across Montana from Gondive
Creek Powder River, they VIII dup down and take IN
the valley section with railroad along this beautiful
river aud the Sioux bound 10 Keep the peace, the
results Of agricultural experiment IN the valley would
soon be known prerequisite is the establishment OF
a military post somewhere along tnc valley Gen. stan
lev report will recommend the vicinity OF Tongue
RIVER the best site Tue valley Is broad and fertile
here There abundance Of grass for STOCK and the
post could be well protected
no MISERALs OF VALUE FOUND.
Our exploration succeeded u developing no minerals
Of any value. Possibly II we could have crossed near
the Big Horn and made a thorough exploration Of its
valley and the adjacent country greater results in this
department might have been recorded. But the Big
Horn flows into the Yellowstone from the SOUTH and,
compelled 10 keep the north side OF the river we could
only ger view OF the mouth OF the Big Horn and the
adjacent topography For gold silver diamonds lead,
and precious stones our men searched continually, less
fron scientific than purse-strng motives. But their
diligence rewarded only by few pretty quarzltes
and agutes. The only article OF commercial value
we discovered Ignite This occurs in beds OF five
or six feet In thickness. and extends large
the Powder River Bad Lands The same exposure |
noticed along the river bank wne going up In the Key
West The specimens gathered were very fine, and
the quality OF Indiana coal The extent
of coabeds mad not the means OF determining,
but from the exposures observed along the river and
aerwarI repeated along the beds Of creeks indicating
apparently the deposits h would not be extrava-
CANT 10 that they 80 or 40 miles square Cow
erred in most places by beds OF loose sand aud clay but
little consolidated, these beds could be peady worked
auHur af1 no puH = "a ngn1 fn1