The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-09-05
On the Way to the Black Hills.


A correspondent of the Rochester
EUe7'ir1q Ecpress, en- route for the
Black Hills, thus describes the sights
and scenes by the way: The huge trains
drawn by cattle or mules, the rough
looks and dress of the bullwhackers, "
or mule-punchers," as the drivers are
called, are strange to us, but evidently
common here. Be that as it may, the
sight is novel to us, and we gaze with
wonder at the immense wagons, capable
OF carrying 10000 to $4,000 pounds of
freight, and drawn by sixteen to twenty
head of cattle or mules. Often as many
as twenty to thirty of these wagons COM
pose single train, and in the aggregate
carry large amount Of freight. The
drivers we find to be made up from all
nationalities, Mexicans, Irish, negroes,
all associating together in one common
family, under One master, and fed by
one cook. Cali aboard 70 shouts the
burly driver, as the Concord drives up
to the door of the hotel, to take us to
the Hills, 300 miles to the north of us.
In spite of the haste we oil show to get
the best seat, the driver seems to grow
impatient at the delay, and is anxious to
get away for his early drive. His every
feature, action aud expression denote the
Western man, and you need not fear for
your safety while in his care. The broad
brimmed sombrero shading his sunburnt
features, his coarse clothing, and his i'm
mense top boots, all prove the roughness
of his duties, while the "navy" and the
Bowie in his belt tell their own story.
At last all are snugly slowed away In.
side, or mayhaps preferring more air, on
the upper deck" where true, fresh,
prairie Lreezes give us happier and
more comfortable feeling. A heavy load
is ours, yet the four well-trained horses
hardly feel our weight, but speed along,
happy in the prospect of good "meal"
ahead.
The magnifcence of the pasturage,
the frequency of running streams, near
each of which the inevitable ''ranchman"
has 'located" himself, already having
his cosy house in order, and tons upon
tons of hay ready for use; the excellent
condition of the roads-a strange thing
for new country y-all these surprise
us, and cause wonder why this broad
expanse of land has so long been left to
itself. We are told that we are now in
the center of the great winter grazing
iOSiOho, budb UuO pIdlIlo grass CuItS Ill
summer, and the winter is, for feed,
equal to grain Here we pass through
the lovely and picturesque Greenwood
Canyon, where a quiet stream is shell
tered by bluffs, and, soon after, by
very fine and substantial truss-bridge
crossing the North Platte river, we have
fine view of the chimney and court
house rocks, whose prominent appear
ance always command attention. About
120 miles out we pass the old Red Cloud
Agency.
Soon after leaving here we get sight
of the Hills, more than 100 miles away,
and truly black and somber they appear
to us, the immense peaks looming to-
ward the sky. In rapid succession we
pass French, Spring Rapid, Box Elder,
Boulder, Elk, Bear and Whitewood
creeks, each some ten to twelve miles
from its neighbor, and each the sole
occupant of its own bright green valley.
The general beauty of landscape, the
broad, expansive and grass-covered
prairies, the deep and weird canyons,
the refreshing streams, the brigbt-look-
ing evergreen pines, and more amusing
than all, the little prairie dogs-all
serve to relieve the tedium of our jour-
ney and make us less weary Of our long
ride