The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1877-01-05
Notes from Montana
Van Wagenen in Colorado Mining Review. "a

ih.A NansWagenen In Colorado Mining Review. &. ~
a3.7 gsf BUrTE, Mon, Nov. o1e, 1876.
| Busse is just now the great silver distric
of Montana. titles about 45 miles by ali
line southwest from Helena, and Just aeros,
the main divide Of the Rocky Mountains
I left Helena early on the morning of tht
5th BY buggy in the most excellent con,
pany Of one Of the largest mine owners q
Butte. The road leads around Mt. Helen;
and mp Ten Mile Greek past the hot spring.
to the pass, whichis iS miles from town
The pass is 5000 feet high, and is consid
cred q very lofty one here, being nearly the
most altitudinous in the Territory. twist
we had a few such in Colorado, to replace
the Argentine, the Georgia, and Tennessee
passes. Across the divide the road leads
down into the Little, Blackfoot, stream
which had once many famous golden tribu.
taries, and which are still worked in many
places with success. remember but one
other popularity Of this valley, viz: thai
towards its lower end, just before the road
leaves it, lives Mrs. Sweetland,. who fur.
nishes most excellent comfort to tue inne,
man. We reached this oasis at 4 p. m n
and after thawing out, enjoyed such a
hearty meal. that we concluded to stop there
for the night and sample the breakfast
The breakfast was found to be even bette,
than the dinner, and the Judge was only in
duced to go on with difficulty. I might as
well state, just here, that there are two dis
tinct classes Of roads in Montana-natura1
roads and frelghters reads. The former
were planned and built as their name indi.
cate, by nature alone, They are located
invariably in the bread valley bottoms, and
are wholly irreproachable. They existed
long before Montana was discovered by the
white man, and have suffered no alterations
| at his hand since that date. On the other
hand, the freighters roads are the exclusive
product of human ingenuity GENERALLY OF
the Missourian branch Of the. family,) and
as pieces of engineering are hardly remark
able. The Missouri freighter is gentle
man of leisure, possessing good stock OF
nsules or cattle, "a whip that egoes off" with
the acumen Of a Henry rifle, and vocabulary
of profanities that would shaaae even a
Mexican burro driver. His main object in
life is to get from one place to another, and
consequently where necessity compels him
to lease che natural roads Of tlae valleys bis
tracks lead across DIVIDES and mountain
slopes, irrespective of the inequalities of
the surface, and totally without regard for
the center of gravity. They are models Of
engineering SO far as direction is concerned,
but generally possess '.sidling" to such an
extent that the travellers tins is mainly
occupied In climbing from one side of the
vehicle to the other. in the struggle to main
tain proper quantity Of equilibrium.
Mrs. Sweetland's house of refuge, as I
have stated. is in the Blackfoot valley. The
Blackfoot after due course OF meandering
empties into the Deer Lodge. Our road
leads across into the valley Of the latter
stream, and consequently there was a di-
vide to cross between. This is known as
the Dog Creek Divide, fer what reason I
do not know. It is a tough ridge to cross,
quite Missourian in its features, and fully
twelve miles from base to base. The srn-
,s.as ia "a atreteh of thu Montana imagin-
alton denominated level, while the ap-.
proaeh at each base is Sudden and rapid.
Arriving at the farther edge Of the divide,
one looks down into the. beautiful valley of
the Deer Lodge, and, eight miles from the
base of the hill, upon the agricultural town
of the same name.
This creek rises at Deer Lodge Pass, the
lowest divide of the Rocky Mountains
within the borders of the United States,
and tile break through which the line Of
the Northern Pacific Railroad was survey
ed. The town lies about 4S miles from the
pass. When reached this valley strug-
gled to place it geographically, but cannot
be sure OF success. Current report in the
neighborhood is not very positive or clear
in regard to the doings of Deer Lodge creek
after it leaves Deer Lodge valley. Some
say it empties into Flint Greek, aad others
into the Missoula. Others give it more
northerly tendency and thow it towards
Clark's Fork. Without a map feel that
have naiserably failed in this point, being
sure of one thing only-that it ultimately
gets into the Pacific through the kindly SER
vices of the Columbia, and any one who
wished to satisfy himself more thoroughly
as regards its intermediate steps is referred
to the excellent map of Montana which the
writer bought in Colorado before leaving
and forgot to take with him.
Deer Lodge valley has mean altitude
of about 600 feet. The top of the pass is
not much over 1900 feet. The valley va
ries in width from one to twelve miles, and
is covered thickly with the finest grasses,
on which cattle and stock OF all kinds at
tain flavor superior even to that of stall
fed animals: The town of Deer Lodge is
comparatively small one, but it is a centre
for several growing mining camps, and pos
sesses by long odds the best newspaper in
the Territory, the New NoRTH-WE EST.
Outspoken in its politics, which are Re-
puDllcdu, III 1lctS tu6 lVo DCSb StA0 ouPpOLt VI
Democrats as thoroughly as though belong
ing 70 that party and besides being care
fully and handsomely printed. is always
readable. These are unusual qualities for.
a newspaper enterprise located fully $50
miles from any railroad, and in q part Of
the West SO little known as Western Mon
tana. WhcnfI add that its subscription list
exceeds that of any Denver daily or weekly
it need not be doubted that Montana is
without worthy representative print.
One dimes at Deer Lodge after surveying
the Dog Creek divide, and then passes on
up the fine valley, through large cattle cattle
ranges, and over road so. level aud pleas
ant that even Missouri Ingenuity cannot
make it "6idling. Race Track creek, Lost
Creek, and a hostof other tributaries are
crossed, till at last, twenty miles from Deer
Lodge town, the cone of thu Geyser looms.
up before the traveller, and at the base Of
this now nearly extinct hot spring is the
hotel of Madame Belanger, to whose care
all travellers may safely confide themselves
with the utmost confidence and satisfaction.
Il