The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1875-06-04
d JUNE (, 1875.
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IRON ne.,m.. q ahs National rarl


by A. ". RICHARDS.
Having omitted some points that
may be Of interest TO some of your
readers, we will double the trail as
far back as. Bozeman, and hastily re-
view some of the most prominent
features of the country.
About six miles east Of the town is
the eastern rim Of the Gallatin Val
ley. The exit in this direction from
the valley j., through a deep rocky
gorge, known as Rocky Canyon or
Bozeman Pass, which has been cut
through this rim by the waters of
Spring Creek, one Of the tributaries
of the Gallatin River. The noun
tains 10 the north Of this canyon are
known as the Bridger range, and
those to the south the Gallatin range.
Midway between the town and this
canyon stands Fort Ellis, TO guard
this natural gateway between the
peaceful civilized Gallatin Valley on
the west, and the hostile wilderness
Of the Yellowstone, Big Horn and
Black Hills, the natural home Of the
barbarous tribes, on the cast. II was
through this gateway that the N. p.
r. r. expected to gain an entrance to
the GalIatin Valley; but AZ unex-
pected freak of the tickle goddess
eHectually cooked this project, and it
Hrnnw a matter of uncertainty whe-
ther the magnificent depths of Rocky
Canyon win ever be disturbed by the
shrieks of the iron horse of the n. p.
Projects are already on foot in the
enterprising Territory of Montana,
10 build a road or roads to connect
with the U. P, and thus create a
market for the products. Of this pro-
life region, which at present Is al
most AS far from land as an island in
the centre of the Pacific. Following
up Spring Creek to its source, we find
ourselves on the divide between the
Yellowstone and the Gallatin. From
the summit of the rim through which
W have just passed, a magnificent
view is obtained. 1t is questionable
whether Europe, with all her varied
scenery, made famous the world over,
both on canvas and in song, can pro-
duce o landscape of more thorough
mountain beauty than is herenun
folded to the eye of the beholder.
To the west lies the beautiful placid
valley of the GallpUn, with its
naturnl breastworks OF, snOw-eapped
mountains, some of witch are bathed
in golden sunbeams, Others half hid
dei1 by a passing storm, and set
others lighted up with the varied
hues of the bow of promise, an
earnest Of the compact between God
and man, The grassy slopes of the
valley are dotted here and there with
the homes of sturdy pioneers, en-
compassed by their fields of waving
grain, n numerous herds of cattle
ars4euietly grazing along the shady
banks of the ripping water courses,
where, but a few short moons ago,
the wild Indian hunted the buffalo,
aud chanted his war songs, undls-
turbed and unmolested. Presto,
change. Purn your eyes eastward,
and another world appears. The
valley of the Yellowstone, in all its
primitive and natural wildness, un-
despoiled by the hand of man, here
forms the picture, the background,
one of the most perfect an1 symme-
tricaI ranges of mountains to be found
on this continent-perhaps in the
world-thirty or forty miles of pyra-
midal shaped peaks, standing up like
saw teeth, their almost vertical sides
almost destitute of vegetation, and
their rocky SUBMITS covered with
everlasting SHOWS; their sides, e
thered, worn, and gashed in every
conceivable shape by the warning
elements, and forming those wonder-
fpl canyons and gulches, explored
only by the daring hunter in pursuit
of his fleeing game, or the hardy
miner, enticed and impelled by the
Unsuitable love OF gold. The valley
Itself the bed of an ancient lake or
inland sea-flled with the debris and
ruins of ages of volcanic agitation.
Hills that5 anywhere else would be
respectable mountains, with all the
strata, standing up, edgewise like the
leaves of a book, and from which, in
faat -tha ~oeoIOviSk- readSuthp fDrehiS-