Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1876-10-12

considerably and delayed their operations
very materially. SINCE reacliing5 bedrock
lat q depth Of about eight feet, they havt
stripped eff a pit oyer 200 feet long and 81
feet wide-the width Of the pay-streak. A,
to how rich these diggings are, Il was mo-
informed, but I saw one prospect in a singl,
pan which satisfied me that this S0-tool
streak is the biggest thing in the way of :
placer mine in this country, ana that it viii
not tall short of yielding $40 per day to ths
hand for the work done this season is a low
estimate of those who are posted OH nlinife
in this vicinity sas3 tf'a ,f2f2 - 3.tt'@
Mr.. 4. Bruckett is the proprietor Of tht
only boarding-house, store and saloon i'll the
gulch. He is also astOck-inan Of considera
bic note, his herds consisting Of horses an6
cattle, and SOME choice mitch cow which
supply the camp with milk and butter. &
Leaving Thompson, [ took the Carroll
| road and travelled downit a fewimiles'; thor
turned across to Birch creek, four miles
| from the mines. As / turned the hill in
sight OF this beautiful little valley / was
struck with the great change and improve
ment which had taken place since i had last
seen It, two years ago. Hank Crittenden's
| old log cabin, in which I had then taken
| shelter, had been converted into,nat hem
house, while q few yards down the slope
stood a commodious, and ytasteful!y finished
farmhouse. The tidy appearance Of the
yard and house, the houseplants upon the
porch and in the windows, seemed to tell q
a comfort within which seldom comes to the
husDandman, except he be assisted by the
hands of a life-partner such ash is the good
fortune of MIR. G. to possess.
Mr.. Crittenden and his partner, Mr.. A.
Smith, Surveyor General of Montana. arc
largely engaged in sheep raising and wool
growing. Their flock, numbering 1,50o
head, and Col. W. W. Delays flock Of SOC
head, We're grazing III the hills at their SUM
mer camp some distance away and [ did
not get to see them. Their flock of lambs,
numbering 900 head, We're grazing near the
%corrall and looked very pretty. They re
Gently sold, q lot Of these lambs to a Helena
butcher for the, good price of So per head.
The large ricss Of hay standing in the mea-
dow Indicate that the proprietors are awake
to theirinterests, and well prepared for win
ter. The location is one Of the best in the
country-the hills on the north and west
forming a complete bull wark against the
north and west winds. They have a large
corral. 100 feet square, with a shed twenty
feet wide running around three sides. They
have also fine, warm stables. h
From Mr.. C's I crossed over the valley
about a mile to he south to Bennett &
Goodale's ranch on the south branch of
Birch creek. These gentlemen are engaged
in breeding fine sheep. Their flock are
thoroughbred Cotswolds, comprising twen-
ty-four bucks, twenty-five of which are
young bucks of their own raising; and 101
head of ewes, 20 head of which were import
ed this season.. "Eritish Prince" who is
now at the head Of this flock is a perfect
beauty-two years old and weighs 325
pounds. This fine animal was bred by Jas.
Walker, North Beach, Gloucestershire,
England, and imported August 1875, by J.
Smell & Sons, Edmonton, Canada, and
brought to Montana by Messrs. Bennett &
Goodale last spring. These gentlemen have
just located and commenced improving their
ranch. They have a most excellentlocation
for meadow and grazing land. They hayea
large lot of hay put up, andhaye about TWEEN
ty acres Of fresh pasture enclosed with a
good fence, in which their flock is now graz
ing. They are building a two-story barn Of
hewn pine logs, which, when completed,
will be sox2o feet-large enough to house
their entire flock in winter, and SO arranged