Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1878-10-24

To Denson's Landing.-A Graphic De
ScrlptlOn Of the Knterm ediatD
Country.-EmigEan and the
Upper YcBloWstone
Valley.

I
Country.-Emigrant and the
| Upper YcIlowstone
Valley
BY our TRAVELLING CORRESPONDENCE.
| HO! for the Yellowstone country-the
Wonderland" whose partially revealed
mysteries 90 .-ttracting the attention OF
the people I'm Maine to the Pacific. But
yesterday the undisputed domain OF saw
ages, to-day dotted with the cabins OF
hardy pioneers, the van guard of adyanc-
ing civilization.
Once more mounting Bob, we bid fare
well to BOzeman and are off on our long
journey to Tongue river. Crossing the
bluffs we leave the white-washed walls OF
Fl. Ellis on our left, and threading the
'narshy sod through the thickets, enter
Rocky Canyon. High up on either side
tower its pine-clad walls, fnrrowed and
SCARED in . wild. fantastic fashion. Below
the road the rapid stream dashes wildly
along to mingle its waters with those #
the Gallatin. After reaching the coal
banks, the road bears off to the right, and
winds with easy grades to the summit OF
the divide. Here is obtained magnificent
view OF the Yellowstone range, its lofty
snow-capped submits contrasting sharply
with the dark-green of the forests which
ciothe its sides. Descending, we pass the
steam saw mill Of Hodgdon & Flaharty.
who have cut up this season 2OO, 600 feet
OF lumber. The logs, which are of good
size, are obtained on the mountain, about
two miles from the mill. A portion of the
lumber finds a market in Bozeman; tie
balance is sold in the valley, some RATS BIZ
ing sent down the river as far as Miles
city.
Several new stock men have settled along
the road, one of whom, Mr.. f. E. Pratt.
will put on the range this fall 800 head of
cattle. We stop one night at '.wayside
inn," kept by Boetler Bros, who regale
us with delicious steaks of black tail deer
and make us SO thoroughly comfortable
that We regret we cannot spend week at
their pleasant place. Having sold their
cattle, they have just purchased flock IF
Oregon sheep. and in the future will de-
vote their attention to wool growing.
There is on this ranch natural crrios Y
in the shape of half-bred buffalo, which
has the head and tail of domestic cattle
and the body OF buffalo. 1t is coal black
in color, with white star on the forehead.
The much mooted question as to whether
the two races will interbreed seems in this
case to find an emphatic answer.
Our course now lies across the valley.
and we have for company Messrs. Stanley
and Donahoo, who did a good deal OF
scouting for Gen. Howard last summer.
AS We canter along the conversation natur-
ally drifts into matters connected with In
dian fighting, and they explain to your cor
respondent just how he will be killed if he
should happen to be gathered i'm on the
trip. Some stray party Of Bannacks or
possibly treacherous Crow will do the
'.bloody work." After this we become re-
Elective and think of the obituary notice
the COURIER would doubtless furnish. The
heading would be in large type and prob
ably read: ''Died in the Discharge of his
Dutyr' We saw in Imagination the puz-
zled faces of our friends as they read over
the long list of our virtues, the greater
portion of which death alone had revealed.
Winding through the bushes, we arrive
at the river bank. The horses are spurred
into the stream, their Gathering hoofs toss
ing thousand crystal drops into the air,
which the sun for moment transforms
into jems of radiant and varied hue.
A few moments later we arrive at the
ranch of Mr.. Vim. Lee, one of the pioneer 4
stock men OF this section, who with sever
al neighbOrs is harl at work attending to |
fall branding. The cattle have done well
this season. and in consei uence all are in
good spirits. /
A dash of three miles over rocky road
brings us to Emigrant Gulch. We stOpl
with Mr.. Swan, who keeps a strictly first
class house for the accommodation of the
public. The mines here were first discoy-
.red in 1864, ant; have been constantly
worked ever since. At present they are
operating eight claims in the Gulch prop
sr, and about as many more in what is
,alled the ''upper district" five or six
niles above. These claims give employ
nent to about sixty miners. The system
If mining employed is bed rock sluicing,
here being but one firm. Messrs. Batchel-
Ter & Sowl, engaged in drifting.
From Emigrant we follow the course of
he Yellowstone to the canyon. distance
# fifteen miles. The valley varies in
width from three to six miles, and has a
ich soil, which can be irrigated with very
title trouble. At short distances small
md rapid streams come dashing down
rom the mountains and empty into the
liver. The range on either side supplies
IN abundance of timber for fencing, and
i,ll rs well as for building purposes. The
.reat want of this section at present is a
lour mill, where the settler would find
ure and ready market for his grain, but
mother season will doubtless sec this want
upplied.
Once more fording the Yellowstone, we
rive at little settlement which has
prung up during the past year in the
of Pease's ranch. We found
quire Lilly hard At work on his new
ouse, which will he completed in few
ays. Last spriIr nc broke up and put
nder cultivation 40 acres OF land, which
as yielded fine crop IF grain and vege-
ables. One of his neighbors. Mr.. Strick-
md, has over nine hundred bushels of
me potatoes in his root house.
Here we also met Mr.. s. D. Henderson,.