Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1878-12-05
THE YELLOWSTONE.
CONCLUDED FROM FIRST PAGE.1

Above Fort keogh the country still i'm
prove in beauty and productiveness. Chi
cago Ranch, twenty-five miles above For
keogh, is pretty place, and in a few
. years will be beautiful. The settlement
!, continue until we reach Sherman (P. O.
Etchetah), four miles below the mouth O
Big Horn. 1t consists of several shacks.
post-of1ice and saloon. and is an importan
place, having been one of the earliest set
Elements. Four miles above the BIG Horr
!, on the south bank, is the Cantonment Big
horn, where freight is landed for Fort
custer, fifty miles south. Gen. Conrad:
is in command here, and has = number OF
troops with him to guard freight Fort
Custer, on the Big Horn river, is fifteen
miles from where Gen. Custer lost his life.
The fort is large. substantial one, much
resembling that at Keogh, aut has mis-
cradle location, the worst part Of the
"Mauvasis Terres.''
Just above the environment on the oppo-
site shore is Big Horn City, otherwise
known rs Sage Brush, the Ferry. and Big
Horn Junction. There are several shacks
here, and trading store, run by Major
Pease, well-known frOntiersman. On
the opposite shore is the Crow Camp, con-
sisting of about 500 lodges. or nearly 1000
Indians under Black Foot and Bear Wolf.
The camp is large one, extending mile
along the river, but contains only 400
warriors. Their wealth is comprised in
about 5000 horses, which Craze along the
river for miles above the camp.
| Above here there are many settlements
on the north side, where the stage-road
follows the river.
| Camp BERTHE. forty miles above the Big
Horn, was the highest point reached by
steamers in 1873. There will probably be
a settlement there in the near future. 1t
was christened 10 honor OF Miss BERTHE
Railey, of Weston, Mo.
Coulson, thirty miles farther up, and
about $50 miles from Bozeman, will very
likely be made the permanent ieak of nav
igation next year. A saw mill, owned by |
Meadow Bros, is now doing good bust
ness there.
Regarded as a commercial highway, the
SioN stolit rs VI ftit I'Gi-
ing tour months of the year it is navigable
for steamers of the largest capacity for
nearly 800 miles. All the troops supplies,
etc. for Forts keogh and Custer, and I'M
doubtedly within few years for TT. Ellis
also, must take this route, together with
all the ';stions, supplies, etc. for the Crow
and other Indian tribes. Last year wit
messed the successful opening of the great
southern route to Bozcman, Fort Ellis and
Helena. a steamer this year reached
Camp BERTHE. forty miles below Coulson.
and had it not been for crippled machinery
and unusually high water would have
reached the latter point. Cou!son is 1913
miles above the mouth and $50 miles from
Bozeman by land. Heretofore all goods
for southern Montana have gone via Fort
Benton. This point is 19l miles above the
mouth of the Yellowstone, and 264 miles /
rom Bozeman. AS will be readily seen. {
here is Il saving by the Yellowstone route :
If 30l miles river and III miles land trans (
)ortation. This, in a country where :
regliting is one cent per pound per hun Z
lred miles is an item. We predict that the l
lay is not far distant when all Government
reight for For. Ellis. and all private
reiglit for Bozeman and Helena will 90
ii the Yellowstone route and Coulson.
Tie people of southern Montana should :,
ender all praise and support to DR.. Lam
ne, to whom the successful opening OF E.
his route is due. r
As nayigable stream, tie Yellowstone ;,
J not what it should be. During the a
,onths OF May. June, July and August. a.
can usually be naeigated by the largest
teamers. Before and after the melting Of 2
IS and bars are very abundant, and the :, y
Gamers either cannot run or take very r.
ght trips. In high water the current is =,
cry swift. and great power is needed to =, =.
EN- the rapids. Heavy cables and power :
Il "nigger' engines are also necessary.
or powerful light-draugft boats the i'm
to navigation below Big Horn
e not serious. The greatest distractions
e at anley's Shoals, Beef Slough, Wolf {
apids, Bear Rapids. and Bufl;iio Rapids.
bove the Big Horn the river becomes
rrower and swif,er, While rocks and
pids are plentiful. Cape Horn, the Mar
WIS, and Snyder's Run are among the
;rst places. A light-drcught steamer, 4
AIMED by skillful officers and equipped
tn powerful machinery can, without
ficulty. reach Corlson.
A few thousand dollars jutliciously ex- II
nded would remove many of the bud
ices on the Yellowstone. 4 little dredp-
should be done at SANKEY'S Shoals and
ct Slough. Rocks should be removed
IN the river at Wolf, Bear, and Buffalo ~
pds. and facilities supplied for ..lining''
nr them. Many improvements are nee
airy above Big Horn, such lis removing
* and boulders, thus rendering naviga-
n less dangerous. In.
We hope. however, that the proposed J
ension OF the North Pacific Railroad PHI
. the Yellowstone valley will not soon
carried out. Steamboats, have made
country what it is and to steamboats,
trade belongs. The proposed route is
reary one, traversing hundreds of miles
Bad Lands' and could not support
road two months in the year. Let -
ntana think well before she approves
this venture, and remember the al
iy opened highway of the Yellowstone
Il.
ne OF the YellOwstone's most pressing
Is just now is settlers; not adyentur-
for there are plenty of these already;
earnest, Industrious citizens, who will Cam
build mp the country and develop its