The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-03-10
YELLOWSTONE FIELD NOTES.
BY >. '. BoaERr.

sNS 80
mountains to the southwest. At the
time the command passed, its volume
was about half that of the Yellowstone,
The head of the Fork is a remarkable
cold spring region, audit is dotted with
lakes of various sizes. Cottonwood
abounds and at the confluence Of the
two streams there is quite a forest. For
more than a mile above this junction
the two run almost parallel-the bear
ing up the Fork being south 800 west,
and up the Yellowstone southwest.
Canon Creek has its source in the lake
region mentioned. Many Of these were
once large bodies of water, and are
mostly situated near the summit Of the
Divide between the point mentioned
and the Muscleshell.
Where Pryor creek joins the river the
valley is described as very beautiful and
one of the finest upon the Yellowstone.
Varying in width from n to six miles,
and averaging about 81, it extends for
miles along the river, and contains, per-
haps, 10000 acres of arabic land, all of
which is susceptible of irrigation from
both streams. The scenery is varied
to the southwest can be seen the lofty
Yellowstone, snow-covered, range; to
the north and northwest the bluff
country toward the Muscleshell stretch
es away as a vast plateau, and to
the south and east the gently rolling
hills are lost in the far distance in the
granite ranges of the Big Horn and
Pryor's mountain. In all this section
great cottonwoods grow far back from
the river. McClernand reports regard
ing this valley as follows: TO convince
one that this valley has a bright future,
it is but necessary to remark that the
river flowing along its entire front is
navigable two months in the year.
PoMPEY's PILLAR.
This rock says McClernand, NAM
ed in 1906 by Captain Clark, stands up
on the south bank Of the river, a few
yards from the bank. 1t is easily as
cended along its northeast side, and
one of our scouts reached the summit
mounted upon a mule. 1t is n hun
dred and sixty feet high and two hun
bred feet in diameter. The soil on top
varies from one to four feet in depth.
The rock is gritty and sandstone, and
great blocks which have detached them
selves lie scattered about its base. On
the east side a huge rock, nearly as high
as the pillar, and five or six yards in di-
ameter, appears ready to fall. On all
sides, except the east, the rock has YER
tical faces and is cylindrical in shape
Again: Having reached the sum-
NIT the view is grand in the extreme,
especially to the east, south and west.
On the north bank Of the river the view
is somewhat limited by bold, rugged
sandstone bluffs of about the same
height as the Pillar, and to which it
has undoubtedly been formerly attach
ed. A few miles back these bluffs
break into a rolling country, studded
with scrub pine, and presenting a bar
rem appearance. These hills, ex-
tending to the Muscleshell river, and
running 40 miles along the Yellowstone,
constitute one of its poorest sections
FORT PEAsE VALLEY.
This valley is luxuriantly grassed and
the bank of the river is grown deep with
heavy brush and cottonwoods p to 3
feet in diameter. McClernand states
that these trees show plainly that this
end of the valley has filled up several
feet in recent years. This is explained
by the fact that two large ~ravines in
the hills to the north do not continue
their course to the river-after a hard
rain the loose material brought from the
hills is scattered pr~omiscuously over the
entire bottom.
FORT PEAsE
is next reached-a distance from Fort
Ellis of PIG. 50 miles. This post IS situa-
ted in q valley 10 miles long and from
! to 2 miles in width. The soil is rich,
and the grass good. To the north stands
a line of steep hills, while to the south
across the river is a barrier of precipi-
tous and broken bluffs. Twenty-one
and a half miles of poor and broken
country now intervene when
THE BIC HoRN VALLEY
stretches away for miles a little west Of
south-large and fertile, in places four
miles wide, it can easily be irrigated
from the river The march up this val
ley 500 brings one to the mouth of
the
LITTLE BIG HORN,
which comes from the southeast
through a beautiful bottom. On each
stream grows an abundance of contton-
wood, and at this point the valley Of
the Big Horn is described as broad and
fertile. The river vase feet deep when
the command crossed, and the splendid
grass detained the worn animals in a
tree-shadowed camp situated 534 miles