Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1876-08-24
large yield per acre when unmolested by

SItiOOlii LII LII IuCl, Ill tIiC ldIiilS III IL I'LL
creek arc of rich soil and remarkable for be
ing level and easily irrigated. Mr.. Thomas
has a timothy meadow OF thirty acres, and
the 'hoppers seem to be worse on this than
on grain {; consequently, his hay crop will
be short. He takes pride in his business,
and has a fine Kentucky stallion, purchased
Of Messrs. Pemberton & Co., of Deer Lodge.
several years since for ST. 800. This horse
has a good reputation wherever his colts
are known.
Proceeding UP Flint, we came to Hender-
son gulch. Here we met Mr.. McAndreWs,
for years a miner, who, having made a stake,
has purchased a farm on Flint creek, where
he will soon reside. ~
Mr.. Henry Neirling has a stock ranch
near Henderson, and runs a butcher-shop il
the grlch.
Crossing the bench lands to the west, five
miles brought us to Willow creek, a tribu-
tary of Flint creek. Harry Pearson has q
good home and a valuable hay ranch on
this creek. Not far from Mr.. Pearson's we
came to Michael Dooley's. Mr.. D. is one of
Montana's wool-growers. He has a flock Of
l,4o0 good sheep, manages them well, is
very successful, and has no disease in his
flock.
From Mr.. Dooley's we turned and crossed
the hills to the mouth of Bear gulch, and
turned down the canyon for M%issoula. The
great Hell Gate Canyon (or Hell Gate Gap,
as it was called in Olney's old geography
is not so stupendous as we had pictured it in
our schoolboy days, yet it is an immense de-
file. 1t is forty-fiye miles long, and varies
from a few hundred yards to two miles in
width. The mountains on either side do
not rise to the altitude Of eternal snow, as
our childish fancy painted them, but they
pile up to a great height, rise suddenly from
the river bottom, are steep, rugged, full of
gorges and canyons, and black with timber.
The bottom along the river for fully two
thirds ofthe distance is one grand forest of
pines, which coupled with the alb
sence of frequent settlers, conspired to make
heroad a lonesome one, and our Journey
over it rather melancholy. We found the
road, with the exception Of d few mud
holes, in good condition.
Medicine Tree Hill, once Il terror to the
teamste1, is avoided now by crossing Nc
bridge. Beaver Tail Hill is much
improved, and the Three-Mile grade, once
so narrow and dangerous, has been widened
and put in good condition. Butthe old pine
log that laid by the roadside on this grade,
and did us good service in saving two
loaded with freight, when we
were chief engineer and brakeman of a
train several years ago, is still lying in the
spot. The roadside abounds in ser
vice berries and they are just as plentiful as
when we We're this way ten years ago.
Mr.. A. Whitesides, near the D end of
the canyon, has good accommodations for
travellers, and spares no pains to make his
guests comfortable. Mr.. W. has a large and
excellent timothy meadow, but this year the
hoppers moved it for him. lie has a beau
1fll lot of poultry, among which are some
Srahma chicks and ducks of several yaIie-
les. The brook that runs through the
meadow is everything for the fowls.
Down the canyon. tWenty-six miles far
is MI. J. G.. Bakers place. Mr.. B. is
polite and obliging, and feeds a hungry man
veil. lie, too, has a timothy meadow. !.
There is nothing like good hay for a horse.
Two miles beyond the Big Blackfoot. the
dall Bros. have a small farm and a flock of
100 head of sheep. :
Three miles further on, we pass out from
he great, dismal canyon and into the green.
country town of Missoula. r. N. s.
Missoula, August Is, 1876. ;