The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-10-25
Interesting Facts Coacernily the Iii
"a Hern Mountains. q

anu pOllsned Dy the local glacier which once
moved down this wild valley with an irrcsist-
The Middle FORK of the river may be ascend
cd to its source from the eastern side by q trail
first travelled by Gen. Crook in 1876; which
| starts from the foot Of the range near the
foothills to this fork, and thence to the sum-
NIT Of the second ridge, from which point the
Big Horn Valley may be reached by steep
mountain trail. The North Fork is absolutely
inaccessible through the glacial gorge; the
| stream here rushcs from the mountain in a
considerable height, extending for miles
through great masses of rock worn into the
scm,ancc Of gigantic stairway. This branch
heads I'm a lake nearly u mile long, which was
| covered with ice over one foot in thickness on
| the LIST of July, and is probably pcrpctually
frozen. It lies in great basin surrounded by
wall of mountains, which, towering above for
l 500 feet, so completely OvershadOw it that
the beams of the sun can only enter for q
short time in the afternoon. It seems prob
ing the locality of this beautiful lake became
| the crater Of surrounding eruptive forces,
which have uphcavcd its walls in grand disOr-
der, forming vast and magnificent amphi-
| theater, which stores the SHOWS of winter in
an inexhaustiblc reservoir.
To the southwark of the range lies Cloud
Peak, a lofty triple pOinted cone, while about
| one mile further to the south lies Mount
Hayes, thousand feet high.
The general bend of the mountains from
| where the elbow is formed with the Owl
Creek range, is northwest; the slope from the
head of Tongue River to the northern end,
| where they are cut through by the Grand
Canyon Of the Big Horn River.
From Mount Hayes the range slopes south
ward, forming the watershed Of Powder
River, which drains a greater area than any
| tributary of the Yellowstone except the Big
Horn, although Tongue River discharges a
greater volume Of water. At the northwest
| end of the range is Shell Creek, large and i'm
portant branch of the Big Horn, and locality
Of considerable geological interest, from the
| found high In the mountains near the trail
| made by our party; want of time prevented an
examination of this vicinity, which trappers
have reported to abound in fossil Shells The
northern end, and drains low valley between
| the Wolf Mountains and the Big Horn River.
The Big Horn Mountains are perpetually
covered with snow, and are conspicuous for
the total absence Of vegetable life at their
greatest attitudes. There does not appear to
Be any soil whatever on the higher peaks; and
the moses, lichens and Alpine flowers SO COM
| mon at greater elevations in the Colorado
Mountains do not occur here. Owing to the
| failure of the anerOid barometer to record
after reaching an elevation OF 10000 feet, the
| attitudes could not be determined with any
| degree of accuracy; the estimates of ele-
Walton were made upon their apparent
height above timber line, which is here
probably about II 500 feet above the sea level.
Judging from this basis, Cloud Peak and
Mount Hayes are each Ii 800 feet in altitude,
and several other peaks above IL, 600 feet The
highest peaks of Colorado and New Mexico do
| not contain such an amount of snow and ice
during summer as may be found here. On the
18th day of july from the summit of Monu-
ment Peak down its steep side to the foot of
/ f1,<,< nyfo .1n6 n
mile in length and of unknown depth. In
several places there were huge crevasses fifteen
feet in depth, showing a foundation Of solid
| ice, underneath which could be heard a tor
rent of water rushing down and undermining
this incipicnt though probably short-lived
glacier.
The zoology of the Big Horn does not differ
| materially from other parts of the Rocky
Mountains There are found thirty-scven
species of butterflies, ono of which is new,
rare, owing to the high altitude. The tit-lark
is common, while the ptarmigan is unknown.
Aliens fnches were seen, while the dusky
grouse is common, though not as numerous
as Richardson's grouse. The wild pigeon was
seen on the Little Big Horn. The mountain
falO were found scatteringly throughout the
Big Horn Mountains, where they mingle with
| the small dark species known as mountain
bison. Trout and white-fish abound in the
Tongue River.
The country from Green River, Union Pacific
Railroad, to Camp Stambaugh, w. T., is des-
ert region which can never be utilized for the
benefit of mankind. The soil is dry and sandy,
and often SO strongly impregnated with alkali
as to be unfit for agricultural purposes, even if
without wood, water or grass, it is difficult to
imagine a more uninviting region than this:
| Camp Stambaugh Is situated ON the summit of
a high ridge at the head of Wind River Valley:
From this place northward to the junction OF
the Popoagic with Wind River, the soil is fer
tile, the valley well watercd and timbercd,
and, with the exception of its liability to early
frosts from its altitude .(abOut 5000 feet, it
is a good agricultural and pastoral locality.
From the mouth Of the Popoagie to the south
try reappcars: The soil is full OF mineral
salts, which affect the water very disagreeably,
| and produces but scanty crop of grass. After
crossing the Owl Creek Range the character
of the country changes remarkably. From
this place northward, on both sides OF the
Big Horn Mountains and down the Little
Horn River to its mouth, is magnificent
grazing region. The soil is ALSO fertile, but
on account of the general high altitude, ag-
rfculture must always be precariOus; but as
Tongue River and the head of the Little Big
Horn are particularly fine sections; here may
be found five different kinds of grass and
several varieties Of weeds, which cattle eager
" dcvour, all growing in the greatest luxu
horse in the valleys, while on the table lands
wild timothy and gramma grass can be cut, by
a moving machine, over an unbrOken stretch
of land extending for many miles. The tall
bunch-grass observed gave promise of
should be unusually deep. The winter
| climate ia not as severe as would be
expected from the latitude, it being very
much like that of Northern Colorado, owing
| to the passage OF 2 branch OF the Northern
Pacific Isothcrm through the low passes at the
| head of the Missouri River. The Big Horn
Mountains are densely timbered with pine and
spruce, and all the streams fringed with thick
growth of cottonwood and ash. The soil will
make excellent adObes, and lime can be oh
tanned from the stone in the foothills. The
climate is hcalthful, and game and fish abound
in profusion. With SO many natural advan-
| tages, this region must soon attract the atten-
ton which it merits from pastoral people,
and will not fail to soon become great stock
| producing center.
The Biz Horn River drains an area of about
10000 square miles. Tongue River is about
| $50 miles in length, and Powder River nearly
800 miles. The entire drainage Of the Yellow
stone east of the Big Horn Mountains, and also
that of the Little Missouri River, is an excel
lent grazing region.
@ A Man Of Acquaintance.
THE original and only Intelligent
Compositor-all others being impostors
has been in the city several days. He
entered the newsroom of the Hds0k- Eye
and Immediately distended that valu-
able department with information to
such an extent that the old tramp who
was trying to keep awake until lunch
was spread out, got out and, humbling
himself in utter .abasement, publicly
retracted every personal narrative and
general statement he had made in the
room, and went out of town ON q tie
ticket. The original and only Intelli-