Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-06-27
OUR NEW LANDS.
The Tributaries and Extent Of
the Great Yellowstone
Valley.
New York Herald, June Is.

New York Herald, June Is.
Bozeman, NJ. T., June 5.-The set
tlcmcnt Of the Yellowstone valley, ali
object being sought and looked for
ward to by the people Of the west,
is about to be realized. This valley
Of itself is not only the largest in the
United States, bat the tributaries are
enormous. The Yellowstone proper
is 400 miles in length extending from
the National park to the Missouri
river at Buford. OF this immense
distance 500 miles Of the valley at
least is capable Of cultivation. The
valley next to the park has no set
tiers, and is very mountainous, but
sixty miles down the ranches begin
ana extend at intervals Of five, ten
and twenty miles for $50 niles. Most
Of the ranchmen are farmers and
stock raisers. They grow wheat,
oats, rye, corn and all kinks of veget-
ables. The cattle run out all winter,
without hay or shelter, and are al
ways fat and sle-k. There are fully
10000 head Of cattle grazing ON the
Upper Yellowstone and 1900 head
of horses and mules. The soil Of the
Upper Yellowstone is rich black
loan and well watered by the numer'
Gus streams that flow down from the
mountains on either side. The valley
has an average width Of five miles in
the first 200 miles, when it suddenly
widens to ten miles. The first large
tributary of the Yellowstone on the
south bank is the Boulder, a rough,
rocky stream, with little agricultural
land along its banks. Nearly oppos-
lite the Boulder, on the north bank, is
the Big Timber, a stream on which
can be made some fine farms. Below
the Big Timber a few miles is Sweet
grass, a fine stream, and fifty or sixty
ranches can be located on il. The
first river that empties into the
Yellowstone is Saltwater, about $50
miles long, with a good valley cap
able Of accommodating two or three
hundred farmers and stock raisers
with homes. 1t is on this stream
that the Crow Indians have their
agency, but they will no doubt soon
be removed on the north-on the
MusselshelI river, to make room for
the immigrants, who are now pouring
into the Yellowstone from Montana.
Dakota and the Black Hills,
Below Saltwater forty miles the
Clark's Fork river comes in from the
north. 1t is deep enough in high
water to permit a steamer passing uF
its channel, and so, no doubt can be
nayigated for a good many miles
above IFS mouth, Clark's Fork is
over 200 miles long, and has a broad
rich valley. 1t is on the head o.
Clark river that the great silver mines
of Montana are located. Oflate years
they could not be worked on accoun.
Of danger from Indians, but now min.
ers are going in, aud one company il
Montana IS moving up shelters. |
is believed these. mines, when develop
ed, will surpass in richness and yielc
even the famous Comstock. | hay,
seen a great deal Of ore, some of i
nearly pure silver, and | am told b,
old miners, who have prospecteS
them thoroughly, there are hundred,
of thousands feet Of such ore. A
the mouth Of Clark Fork the yellow
stone valley reaches the enormou
width Of twenty-one miles from blui
to bluff. The Clark's Fork bottom 0
the Yellowstone is forty miles long
and will hold 5000 farmers and stocl
~raisers.
At the foot OF the great bottom j
Bakers Battlefield, made memorial
by a contest with the savages in 1877
it is one Of the few Indian battle
eyer fought at night. The Siou
attacked four companies of cavalr
and two of infantry under Colont
Baker at 10 O'Clock p. M, and th
fight lasted two hours, resulting i
the complete rout OF the Indians.
Bakers Battlefield is supposed t
be the head Of navigation for steam
: boats on the Yellowstone river. Her
a town has been laid out and a settle
ment founded. There is already
fur and dry goods store, and one {
two families have taken up farms.
Sixty miles below Bakers Battle
e field the Big Horn river empties int
the Yellowstone. This famous streal
\ is almost as large as the Yellowston,
y and it is fully 250 to 800 miles long
Near its mouth it flows through rock
canyons, but ten or fifteen miles up
broad, green and beautiful vale
opens out ten miles wide and fort
long. Fifty miles from its mouth tt
Big Horn receives the Little HoI
river, There Custer fought and m,
his death, with sixteen officers ar
It. 240 enlisted men. 1t is at the mout
of Little Horn that the new lively
lag company post is located. The b
tn Horn valley at the post reaches
"a