Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1878-05-02
Written for The AyANr CorRIER.-
The YELLOWSTONE STRUGGLE.
A Pioneer Story.
BY }. V. BOGERT.
BY j. V. BOGERT,

cal'ltal. the dissatisfied who find cono3,-i
. son "'loHS. joining l!.e with the restless
ana Tie rolling s ones" who go Wee,
l"r He,ieF or tor worse. And thus tie In
dian and ;hc border arc pushed W-cstwa1,
year oS year-and tho tie former g,",.lr.
. ih@'E disputes the right OF way. lie loses
%i"'hId with each stand he makes: and tho
latter Is even now almost without place
: upon tie map.
Inc history Of the struggle TO secure
possession of tie Yellowstone country is
one suggestive ana fall of interest. For
many years it occupied to the minl's-.ye
tie position of a failed land-l land oe
gold and rolling in milk and honey.
Nuggets presented themselves TO the
liiia%lnsiion of every man who. Given the
oi!ch-ia';I ability OF putting this and
that together" scented gold in its name.
and expedition followed expedition. only
10 be driven out by tie savage. and TO re-
turn reporting every c:pck buttoncd witt,
auiIlicr"uS sands and every mountain pre-
schtin% lodges Of gold lornatiOn. These
tales. Reinforced by wontlrous stories Of
trarpcr and hunter. who told 4, well Of
regions sutlOcatcd witt, hun.,lo end sIye
"ltli ok and deer and antelope. served ia
tan the iat!l2: and. desire f.t!lcr.nr cyf,ec
tation. the determination to cNplore fine
reccSscS Of the Yellowstone country led
many a man TO death among its mountains |
1T the hands Of It's Indians. or 10 stary.-
ton IN the midst OF the unknown rcr;ops
stretching into The far distance and extend
mo Indefinitely from either bunk of its
long-f.,mous river. Even the abandon
ment OF military occupation Of tie coun-
IL! ny the GovcInment-anl tile conse-
qaeht ouaWIy of lis Wl.ite occr,I,afion
upon its Recession 10 lie s..yarr S;ony-
could not cool the ar,!o: Of TIC determined
"prospccto". anl its streams continued
10 receive the s.ealtlly visits OF the pioneer.
who with his gold pan and his rocker
searched for the fountain Of wealth. hold
Ing his gun in one hand us he worked in
the gravel with the etlaer.--
And now "iat Il change, Witness the ,
revolution in the Blaci, IIills-t.ic re-cstaly- ,
lishnent OF military posts - the settle
nent Of the valley OF the Iellowstone-i
Tie opening OF n continuous line of travel
from Montana along almost tie entire line
II the river so long. and until so lately.
he gold-fabci stream OF Tie pro.lnc.0r
And what has effected all this: Nothing
'ut the determined enterprise of the II
american fronticrsmln-a class composed ;
lot 50 much of worthless vagabonds as of
turly men of business: men of al pro
essions; of education; tile trained of +"
chool and college and counting house.
Who. cmigrating to pastures new"
hated over the fact that an empire law in
avage hands, and useless and unknown. :!
etwecn them and their homes Of auld II
ang syne. =
1t was this feeling that urged the people
i Montana TO many attempts TO "Open -
p' the Yellowstone. Many of them !!
ad marched across the plains tloggcd by IL
indians at every step-tllc famous Big "
Iorn Expedition had found more Indians
lan nuggets. and. breaking up and seat u
ring. had left nothing to peIpe!ilate its H.
Tort except its idea and its iron gun ei
1T boats had made tie voyage of the riv- OF
:. and lett cargo and men whirling amid ca
; rapids-yet still remained the settled in
ntion TO locate towns. to explore its III
ountains. and put the plow into its vir- OF
n soil. And this, notwithstanding the
ctiOn Of the Government and the bloody III
'flancc OF its cver-preScnt sava~cs. VI
The present status of this region stands si'
to tie viii and enterprise of
% f.tiFsf 4
as a terra incoTnita two years ago 4"
oops were rescHing a aclcaguercd hand :"
OF settlers At tie mouth of the BIZ -
orn-'o dly the Government has posses
)n Ut tie ,ou'utry--scttlements are made nj
"a making from BoZenan to Tongue riv- idl
farms are located anl locating upon 10
cry bottom not claimed by tie Grow 20
asCrye. and the scene of the rescue upon
e Big Horn supports 4 population. 70
bile where the stockade stood. now yo
saloons." Two years ago
e tourist and the hunter camped upon the is
airie in their blankets. and cooked their yo
sty meal over q scant fire. which. scant
it was. not seldom discovered them TO yo
: ever watchful Sioux-to-lay "hotel'' AM
,ckcd with canned fruit. beds. oats and Il !
ok-stoye welcomes him each night. sh'
iile the "tral has surrendered to a pro
aten wagon road, which leads from CO. i
me. on the Union Pacific road. in an IN enc
,I,cp line ia Miles city on To,ruo ,;r.,. fro
Il ,fcnce TO Bismarck. 10
Among the now famous attempts to dis pig
yer and utilize the resources of the lei
llowstone country may be mentioned
sta
ha,
: 'D- io-> or i-i"'i i-' A'>''A-D AM lleI
sIXTY-TIREE.
Gliding 10 the desire of years and en-
Iraged by constantly received reports, a
rty of prominent and yenturesome men. ,
-suaded that gold would be found, de- ,,'
iiii'ie' ~ .Aiioi. :" '' ''.e 'ie'o,' col
.''o ""i' - '''o VI ~ off
lianS. of sanguinary conflicts. and hero ,,,.
persistence to the bitter en,. 1t located ~,
: Horn city. prospected the country. IN
l fought Indians during a march OF ~,
" '''ies l,no l''.'A NV " NJ "'' Mi.
thcs), the country was mapped -.
cams were sounded and measured and ~ =,
,spected: tile mountain ledges examined =.
metals. and such general data collected M,
It, Notwithstanding the suffering of the his
-ty and its almost constant struggle Mis-
h Indians, its diary has sulliced with 100
ny later party as guide over the. ,,,.O ,,,o
i'll now. +" unknown country" sa;,
IN the 18th Of May the Grows attacked wir