Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-07-01
GFN.sSTARK.

L
The Vice President Of the Northern Pacific
Returns from . Tour to the Yellowstone
The Railroad Development In Progress
and Contemplated.
Several weeks ago Gen. George Stark, vice
president of the North Pacific, accompanied by
respectable sized party of friends, started
| out for an extended tour over that road and
beyond its present terminus. Yesterday even
J ing Gen. Stark and party registered at the
Metropolitan hotel. The ink of their Ham
cockian mark was scarcely dry
before a GLOBE representative had
introduced himself to the travellers. A few de-
sultory remarks followed and then business
was tackled with unanimity by the GLOBE
Gen. Stark expressed hisswilingness to tell the
GLOBE something, and together they repaired
| to the quiet of private room, and there
eral?"
'.Primarily business, of course, and then
again pleasure"
Adhering to the business before pleasure
maxim, the GLOBE wanted to know what bust.
ness. ~
The General replied that he wanted first to
| inspect the whole route, which he did. and
then to go out upon the line of construction
and even beyond, over the country through
which the road was to be laid to reach the Yel-
lowstone river.
~ AS 8 70 the part being constructed, how did
You know we have under contract 100 miles
beginning across the river at Bismarck, len
miles Of that has been put in running order,
| and forty miles more is graded. The
& Co., have either ali the msteraI
ties, rails, ETC., on the ground or on the
way to complete this portion SO graded. Imet
on my return 100 mules destined for the con-
tractors camps. By the LIST of July the con !.
when will the first 100 miles be finished? ?"
By the LIST of November the track will be in
complete running order.'
And then-?'
And then, We propose putting under con-
tract another hundred miles to reach the yell
iowstone river. This contract will be let this
season, and during the winter much of the
heaviest work can be done, SO that the road will
reach the Yellowstone in the vicinity of Tongue
river + TT keogh) at an early date next sea-
son. My VISIT west was more especially to see
this route than anything else connected with
Gen. Stark then went on to explain that
several preliminary surveys had been made by
different routes, and that now Mr.. Keith under
Gen. Rosser was out to establish the actual
route for the new 100 miles. Over this line.
Gen. stsrk and party took their trip.
The party consisted of Gen. Resser,
Capt. Dennison, late of the United States
army, from Baltimore; ]. B. Power, st. Paul.
land commissioner of the Northern Pacific
railroad; and Lieut.. j. F. Bell, Seventh United
St.tes cavalry, with an escort of twenty soldiers
from Fort Lincoln.
The Journey is described as one of uninter-
run tpH nj h hre
attended to. The proposed route crosses the
Little Missouri river at a distance of
$50 miles from Bismarck. Here
one of the greatest difficulties in engineering is
encountered along the whole route. Two lines
were proposed, one requiring five bridges.
owing to the windings of the stream, and the
other demanding ten or twelve bridges These
routes were selected as advisable because thew
led to a practical grade up to tho highland, or
mesa, 500 feet above the river. Gen Stark
with Gen. Rosser took q view Of
the country and escaped this bridge
the two proposed, where only one bridge will be
required, but where the grading will doubtless
be little heavier. =
Gen. Stark was here interrupted by the
query:
'What do you think of the country?'
Except next to the Missouri river, it is APP
parentiy as fine an agricultural country as that
between the Red river aud Bismarck. But
had one surprise in store for me, ''the Bad
LENDS"
At this the GLOBE made several in
quiries about this terra i,1cognsta, as well as
te'7,e manuals, and fer reply was requested to
read General Stark's notes upon the
country, taken when the impression was
fresh with him. By permission, the following
under date of June % are repeated, being the
account hastily dotted down of
THE BAD LANDS.
march of three miles over high-rolling,
well-grassed country brought us to the
border of the Bad Lands. We as
cended constantly until we stood upon
the abrupt edge Of the cha. m,
which is there about $50 feet deep. Looking
off into the great washed-out valley below, We
see a broad expanse of fantas-
fop 9att es ua aGsnG bv the e' plain
and obstruct the view. The opposite side of
the chasm apsears to be two or three miles
away, and, like the one on which we stand, it
is nearly as precipitous as the material admits.
This material is the same as the buttes in the
valley. The top of the buttes are covered with
red clay, or shale or baked clay, looking like
pottery, having a clear ringing metallic sound
when struck. Below this comes layers of
light colored clay, the different layers being
from ten to forty feet in thickness, each stra-
tum having different color, the whole pre-
sentlng varlgated or notified appearance--the
color Carrying from white to dark brown, with
intermediate shades of marked and distinct
delcacy. Layers of sand and lime
stone and Ignite also crop out
The valley around and between
the cliffs and buttes covered with green
and luxuriant grasses. The wagon road down
int the valley was SO steep The wagons had to
be lowered by ropes; the descent made in this
way being fully $50 feet. Davis creek wends
through the valley in westerly direction and
| with considerable grade. This creek
| is very winding, and its course
| is followed with great difficulty. (This days
March was from A. M. to P. NJ. and with slow
progress owing to the difficulty experienced in
crossing Davis creek. The little Missouri
being reached and the party went into camp.l
| ROYAL REGION.
In further commenting upon and describing
the bad Lands" Gen. Stark observes
1.-The Bad Lands disappoint me agreeably.
The badness il owing to an excess of fertizing
salts The clay contains lime. gypsum, alkali and
other enriching material. Tbs sides of the
valley and of the buttes are bare of vegetation
because they are constantly washed and fur
rowed by rains. But the bottom land of the
valley is covered with rich coating of grass
Much of the way as we drove along,
the tall, thick grass brushed the
bellies of our horses; large variety of grasses
| il represented; buffalo grass, red top, rye top,
and dozen other varieties, apparently nutri-
tious and relished by our stock, Great patches
| of sweet scented roses are met with, and the
odor of pennyroyal crushed by our wheels was
frequently perceptible. Besides great variety
| of Towering cactus was met, and many others,
some familiar but mostly strangers Sage