The New York herald., 1877-10-13
HERALD SATURDAY 49, ls77-TRIPLE SHEET


labor and making bitches bring the water from the
hlgher levels 10 the banks. Ten years ago some OF
near exhausted aud much Of The water Is used IN irr
gazing gardens and iarins
Al HrLKSA
Az ak r. IL wo re.ehed his the capital OF the Ter
rory. II also begun some ten years ago as a IN n
Ing gulcn Last caance) just where the small streams
a sor. OF table land. which extends eastward
70 'ns missouri River, eighteen miles distant,
Se' bo.s PLAINLY ls.. visible Tho town 1ail'
IN the bottom ana The better houses on both sides
reached by steep streets IL contains good hotels.
SHOPS. stores, an United States assay oIlce court
house aud many most excellent dwelling houses,
OF orics, put mostly frame, and not u low would be
good dwelling houses In Washington. There must bs
three or four thousand people mere who TO live
~ comfortably as they would Ia Iowa am The guest
sis,or Of Hon. Jasnss T q. Blaine uolonels Poe ana
Bacon are At ne hotol though they also offered
The hospitality OF Ar. Broadwater. We have AL bcen
entNained oy dinners and parties, though have en-
deavoTed 10 escape these trying kindnesses IL was
my intention on roaching Helena to 10 right on 10
Forts shaw and Benton, but we found en.y tri-
weekly stage and had 10 stay hero Two days when by
arrangement with tho stage company, took FRI
fun day Fort shaw The. distance 20 Forl shaw
e'gntyour miles, and thence 10 Benlon sixly.two.
usually taking Two days each way.
:TAGE
- Accordingly on Friday last at A. N. we started.
The road Is well travelled because Benton Is the head
OF navigation o the Missouri River, and that found
the cheapest rouc ireighls 10 tnls mountain re-
gon. Tho hauling is all done by OK and mule teams,
The wagons being Joined In twos and lnrees, SO thai
sx yoke ol cattle or pairs OF mules VIII haul these
trains with lhreo or four OF freight Tho advan-
tnSe Of lhus distributing tho load that IN steep
places cach wagon be hauled separately, avoiding
the old way o doubling teams unloading and Teload
ing so often. All these animals depend Tor food
grass by the way We carried III tue stage TWO mus
kets bat No guard, as we unprecedented danger al
though the country IS UNUSUALLY alarmed by recent
tics from inc Indians TO tue north and east Wo
Saw no Indians and heard OF facts 10 justify
sucn ears. Tho road led north, the mountains 10 tho
let and the Missouri TO The right slowly ascending
struck the head oil tho Little PrcKiy Pear,
tce road leads Tor about twenty miles through q
canyon Of great beauty, with heavy sandstone clins
ovcrhansing the valley, but the read was Dut
heavy cost o labor and money and Is regarded the
handsomcst rlace IN tho Territory. Emerging from
the canyon within a mile OF the Missouri River tho
road again turns north and crosses hills t II reaches
the Dearborn al right angles Crossing II by ordse
We again crossed u series of high hills, passing
mauy singular Butcs spoken OF by Lewis ana Clarke.
as Bird Tail. Fertilization square and tho Nipple,
reached Fort shaw, on sun River, about eievsn NJ
night The telegraph reacues that point ana no Iur-
thcr This Is the most important fort III tho
headquarters 0t General GlbDon, now hero wounded,
but temporarily commanded by MAJOR freeman, who
mot mo with y boncu o kilograms. So stopped ouiy
long enough TO answer them, and, iuienaiug 10 stop
on the return trip Tor whole day, wo pushed All
night And The next day until about r. NJ, We
reached Benton. Ibo road IRON Shaw ~ Benton Is
devoid VI Interest, because Is u part Of the Great
Plans, which look alike from our northern boundary
10 Texas. THIS reach OF prairie lies within the north
cru builao range und mention IL only because inc
telegraph line used 10 Benton, buL tho buaocs
found tho poles handy To rub aud scratch thensvcs
Ike hoss, that they actually rubbed tho poles aowu.
Some Lgenious nan suggested tho remedy oil driving
tho poles iu OF nas our this just what buIa-
loes WAITED so that was found Impossible to keep
up the line at all.
Benton ~ small group OF houses aud storos on tho
river Uank AZ tue head Of tho navigation OF the Mis-
souri, River, nearly II not quite four thousand miles
IRON the sea- Eacn year tho navigation improves, SO
that tor three months boats carrying 800 tons can
roach it. We found the stores wcl stocked with
staple articles, passed many trains OF wagons
hauling TO and iro But there no boats then al
Benton and none expected TIC season OF navigation
Is past, but heard only OF two boats discharging
cargo A. Cow Island, l25 miles below, whose cargoeS
Will have 70 DO hauled to B,nton.
BENTON.
The place is called Fort Benton after fort ostab-
lished there long ago by the American Fur Company.
II stl stands the lower edge Of The town, built Of
block houses ut the diagonal corners II contained
Tho necessary storehouses and dwellings, for
good trading ssn post. When the military
was rented and occupied, but its walls arc
cracked and washed SO as to be insecure ana It has
been Abandoned by tho military aud 10 only occupied
ny tsw hali-brecd iamles The present garrison u
Major GUIDO lges and ive men, who occupy rented
houses town. The garrison IL ono company Of
The Seventh lnantry, whcn General Gbbon had with
him III hts light al By Hole aud mad yet
understand tho same company will return TO Benton.
MORE TROOPS WANTED
was waited on Wy very respectable delegation Of
ctisons who represented their exposed situation, VINO
we have IN tue wnoe Territory. Thcy handed me
petition which Will send with this II states their
case from Their standpoint better than can. There
DOUBT Bcnton will become u large deposllnry Of
goods Tor trade with the great Northwest emUrac.
ing the British Possessions Already quito
q trade has sprung up with Port Mcleod,
Canada, round which important settlements
are being made, not uniikc ours IN Montana In unv
will be forced to buiid some military establish
mcnt on the Aaras north Of Benton hut Tor tns pres
ont Forts Shaw and Benton sunicc, only they
should havo garrs0ns not only capable oi sedefence
bat oI seiiug help 10 exposed ntorests outside The
question 10 not so much tho mere defence Of Fort
benton, single point easily covered, but the long
roads leading TO and irom also the scattered arm
ranches and herds without which the occupation vi
the country would have national interest We
spent Saturday afternoon and night at Benton and
sunday returned 10 Fort Snaw, renchng thore about
SIX r. NJ, and staying over twenty -four hours.
FORT SHAW.
This is well butt, wen supplied and creditab!e
post, good Tor iour iull companies. General
Gibbon mad built a ditch sovcn miles long
which brings water enough 10 irrigate govd
gardens, and to flow all through tho garrison. The
General on Mintary Posts. Tne present garrison Is
very small aud was much cut up General
Gbb0as late light l want tue Adjutant General
TO send recruits 10 this regiment AS possible,
as II IL very small IN numbers, with many wounded
men lott at Deer Lodge aud here ut Helena. rho
troops Of this regiment good and we'll cared Tor,
have worked hard ana fought hard. No one who has
not seen ana elt The extent OF Montana anu travelled
It's roads can appreciate its labors and exposures.
The officers as Whole are Ane body Of gentlemen,
who arc credit to the service refined and temp
! would enter more fully into q description Vi Fort
shaw, but lind all would say in the document 10
which allude On Monday night took tho stage,
reached Helena al twoP. NJ, and are now busy pre-
paring Tor our departure to Missoula and the Pacific
MONTANA TER.lf0kY.
still retain u hisi opinion OK this territory and
think merits tho fostering OF the general gov
srnIneut, especially OF tho military It's extent
empire, the greater part ol which Is exclusively
adapted 10 The raising OF CATTLE horses and sheep There
abundance VI valley land ana of bcuch land
which can be irrigated by springs to produce all Tho
Amls h.FlA lutkt