Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1879-05-08
Correspondence -
RED ROCK TO OGDEN
Novel Scenes ut Western Hotel
Heavy Immigration Montana.
ward.-Ctah Northern Il. II.
Matters. etc., etc.

of from one half mile to a mile in widtl
ts The heavy growth of grass shows til
m land to be quite productive. and suggest
j. that good crops of grain might be raise
70 with proper cultivation. The valley
10 very thinly settled at present. but durin
\ the winter. it is said. large herds of cattl
" are driven in. the range being an eXcelleIl
J. one. and the fall of snow generally yer.
e tight.
:. Lcavin. Red Rock valley we graduall
;. ascend hills. barren OF timber. to the to-
y of the Rocky Mountains : the dividin.
n line between Montana and Idaho. Thi
. part OF the ride and on IT, Pleasant Vale,
we made in '.dead-ax'" wagon From
y the summit of the divide. the road follow!
r down Dry Greek to Pleasant Valley. wher,
:, the coach remains over night.
: This station is kept by Mr.. l.. A. IIark
n ness. who also owns a tol! road through
Dry Greek Canyon. This toll road is !:
: very valuable property. and it is is report
, ed that it has Melted the owner over S12..
, OC0 a year for several years Mr. Hark-
ness. we were informed. undaunted by the
prosps IT Of railroad across the divide
rendering his ton roid valueless in the
near future. has decided. when that time
arrives. to remove to the Yellowstone
Valley. near the mouth OF the Big Horn.
and there engage in raising stock.
From Pleasant Va.'ey we proceel in a
"de,d.aX' wagon to Try Creek station.
where our load is transferred to a com
Portable Concord coach. and we are again
on our way rejoicing. We continue on
down Dry Creek for several miles. when
follow it down perhaps ten miles. and then
leave it and cross the prairie to Sand Hole.
where we eat dinner. From this place.
we proceed across lava bed and sandy
country to Market Lake. The most of
the country passed over from the foot of
the divide was eI,lier quite sandy. overrun
with sage brush or almost barren. At
Market Lake. however. we are in Il much
! better county = at least when near the
Snake River bottom. along which we trav-
el from Market Lake to Taylor's Bridge.
the present terminus of the Utah and
/ l
a. m. and as the railroad was not yet com
p!cted to that point we We're compelled 10
continue our journey by coacls to Black
foot. tlirty-tHo miles distant, where we
arrived about 1 4. III.
The railroad was completed to Taylor;
Bridge. the crossing OF Snake River. on
April 18th. and cars were to commence
running on the l4th. Several miles Of
road were also graded ready tor ti.. track
on tile north side of the river. IL d the
party surveying for the road had ii land
out to Market Lake. The railroad com
pany will build an iron bridge across
Snake River. about one hundred feet be-
low "Taylor's Bridge portions OF the
abutmen!s have been built and twenty car
loads of bridge material are already on
the ground. Ii is the intention of tie
company 10 build their road to tie north
side of Pleasant Valley divide this year.
They will follow the stage road closely |
nearly the entire distance. and will either
cross Pleasant Valley divide by going up
Dry Creek or 90 Il little farther southeast |
and 90 down Red Rock. The divide" is
high at either place. but not SO high by .
nearly 1909 feet as the top of the divide
over the Rocky Mountains at Sherman on |
the L. L. X. Il. The snow. however. on |
this divide is often four feet deep on TIE |
level. and the grade of the road will OF
necessity be high. where possible: and in
other places snow sheds must protect the
track.
Emiyrants enrOute to Montana we met
along the road in many places. Some
were travelling in private conyeyances.
Others on foot. with all their earthly pos
sessions about them. and still more by the
stage line. For their accommodation the
stage company runs Il line of +" dead-ax' =
wagons. one Of which leaves the terminus
Of the railroad when Il load of eight or ten
passengers is secured.
A sight presented itself to our view on
our arrival in Biackfoot. the resemblance
Of which We have never heretofore wit
messed. We repaired to the Lewis House.
and there in the Office and dining room
were men in almost all Imaginable posi-
lions INDUCING in natures sweet rcstopr.
baliny sleep" Pointing to his customers.
some of whom were sitting others sprawl
ing on the floor. some with blankets over
,r under them. others without any bed ,
liny whatever. the landlord said: "These
ire my customers. am sorry have no
room to offer you. bat if you desire to !.
rest until the train leaves you can occupy I.
a h.iI ! hava I'm Of q
;harge yon anything extra for having
it, We told him. as the train
would leave in less than an hour we would
1Ot lie down. and he entertained us for
COOL halt hour with lively. jovial CONVEX Q
'ation. Yesterday" said he. IL received '
| telegram from Mr.. Peasc. OF Virginia !
City. Montana. enrOute home. requesting b
he to save rooms for twenty persons in i
lis party. | saved all | could. and here +
ire the others. wonder how many there
re- he continued; IL expect Id better I
count noses before daylight and some of Q
hem leave me in the iurcl." He counted t
hose in the Office. took light and went !
nto other rooms. returned and reported. $
'Thiry-seven without BEDS What he I
'harged tor sleeping on 1.-THE soft side Of p
blank" we failed to ascertain. but learned j
rat another hotel in town was full. but p
lot SO badly crowded. and that nearly all
we're men enroute 10 Montana: men. too.
IF almost every station and calling in,agin- I
lble-all working toward that Territory t
where the poor but determined working Il
nan has abundant opportunities to i'm |
D.Ove his financial condition. b
From Taylor's Bridge to Franklin tic |
abroad follows the stage rorte almost the
'ntire distance. Captain Hardness. when I
his toll road through Port Neuf Canyon t
vas rendered valueless by the railroad. re- a
moved to Ogden. where lie is at present {
'ngaged in the banking business. 4
At Franklin we are practically at the Il
read Of the most thickly settled valley we
lave passed through on Ger route. Cache
ALLEY is over 60 miles in length AMI from
y to 30 miles in Width. and nearly all of it o
Il L. 4, A. %