Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1878-06-06

some of it's cotemporarics-evldently mean
ing us-are influenced in their opinions il
regard to the location of the new Military
Posts i'm Northeastern Montana by motive:
other than the best interests Of the country
Now, we would, say, once for all, that tho
HUsBANDNAN is above anything that would
tend to .place.it upon a level with the mar.
row-minded sectional or county organ. II
is a Territorial paper, and has a nobler work
to perform than to labor for the building ul
of one section at the expense of the rest
and the location of a Military Post can GER
tainly have no influence upon its finances.
We favor the building Of the new Post at CT
near the mouth of the Muscleshell, not fol
the purpose of building up Meagher county
(for the place is not in Meagher county,, but
tor the reason that it would subsarye the i'll
terests of the whole country BEST it being
about the only point where a garrison could
be located that would check an advance OF
the hostiles from the north, and at the same
time offer adequate protection to our eastern
settlements. Further north would leave too
great an interval between it,andl the Posts
of the Yellowstone, and would leave that
large and inviting portion of country fully
as much exposed to raids as it is to-day.
General Miles, one OF the best field officers
in the army, having last summer marched
with his command from Fort Keogh to with
In 35 miles of the British line, is thoroughly
acquainted with the whole country, and
recommends this point. in the highest terms.
The Bears Paw mountains, the place
pointed out by the RECORD from its motives
of pure disinterestedness ~, may be all that
is claimed for it as a wei -watered, timbered
and fine grazing country, which, OF course,
renders it an inviting place to settlers; but
it cannot possibly possess any advantages in
this respect over the region south of the
Missouri river. The Muscleshell valley is
second in size, fertility and pastoral advan-
tages to none in Montana, and as a winter
range bears the palm Of all the valleys of the
great Northwest. 1t, and the innumerable
little valleys between it and the Yellowstone
on the south and Fort Benton on the north,
is now the home of several hundred herds
men and pioneer farmers, and thousands of
cattle and sheep roam over their grassy
hills. Herds, tiocks and farmers continue to
move. in that Direction, and it does appear to
us that this section has as strong claims up
the government for protection as the unin-
habited region north, and. since the point
mentioned by us would afford the necessary
protection to both, it certainly recommends
itself in strongest terms, to the unprecedented
mind.
The matter of convenience to. building
timber, upon which the Record dwells with
such earnestness. can cut no v~eryimportant
figure in the location of a military Post, for
were it SO the wilderness OF Alaska might,
with propriety, be selected, as there ,could
be no question as to the supply)of building
material and fuel. However, the scarcity OF
building material and, fuel. could not be
urged as an, objection against the mouth of
the Muscleshell. There are large. groves OF
cottonwood 4skirting, the banks of the Mis-
souri, and the ,Muscleshell in this vicinity,
and the Little Snowy mountains, which are
only about 40 miles distant, on the Muscle
shell, abound with beautiful bsilding pine,
which could be easily. tloated down, while
the coal fields of the Missouri aud Muscle
shell would afford the cheapest supply of
fuel that could be had anywhere.
In addition to these advantages, and that
of being upon a navigable river, it is the
place where the Post is needed. A twelve
company Post here, and Fort Benton and
Fort Shaw garrisoned as they shouldz be-.
would, with Forts Keogh and Custer, form
4 comnIpta Saui- la nj dafanSa around Tho