, 1879-06-20
From. Bismarck to Fort Keogh on
q Blackboard.
A Wild but Deantliul Country, Of Hreat
Agricultural Capabilities.
Allts City and The Northern Pacific Railroad. ...Mhy
That Road Slonll &c Speedily Con-
structtt.

gtons through which flows Tho beautiful river 81
often mentioned IN song, but which, ~ far ns
Jour correspondent Is aware, ius no cxissenco
outside of puctic inaglnatiuns. On The rcvcrsc,
the river 10 which the writer refers IL
TffK sTYu1AS.LtKE MISSOURI,
tint fur,lls The presrut boundary OF civilization
In Northern Dakota nnd tho vast urea Of bcuuti-
fuL and fertile country westward.
Those who, from necessity or a ioyc Of ud-
venture, decide OH 4 trip 10 this place, must
turn tl'clr backs on civilization, with 'its colt
forts md eonvcntcnccs, anu make up their
minds to rough IL In the mast perfect ecnso oil
thu term; for, except the ranches which serve as
rclHY-statlons for the Bismarck 8; Tongue River
Stage Company, ilat transports the n,a!ts frum
bismarck TO Fort KcoCh, tlcro Is se1rccly
human limitation between tic two points, dts
tanco of 1l0 miles, more or less; md those who
,nnkc 1t, as your correspondent did, On buck
board, With no oll,cr companions tlan tie mail
carriers, will be apt TO think 1t considerably
more than frBs.
Travelling, however, like everything else, is
pleasant or dsaErceahc
IN A COMPARATIVE Bg:1sE;
hence rile on n blackboard through tho bcauti.
full wittls Of UnRota utI,l Montana, although not
half SO ptcasurablc as the aan,e Journey Is likely
to be nlutu noxt year, when the Northern parIiic
rcachcs this point, Is far moro pleasant anil
unIte us speedy ns was, tho mode OF travelling
through Illinois md other Northwestern States
twenty-five or thirty years slncc, ws,cu tic only
mrans vi public convenience were Frluk g.
Walkers Mltd.HngOns, and tic traveller maid
SIX ami seven ect,ts per intlr for the privilege
OF being j01tc1 over corduroy ruatis OF the worst
Imaginable description, a1Nl vArict the monntony
by hiding to pry tho wagon out when u stuck III
mud OF indefinite depth.
THE RAsclr-rANr
which tile Traveller !inds OH tits route, nltbouc,
nut up to The stndard NJ first class hotels, ID s
g0OA ns could lN expected under The ctre,1lI,.
stances. aud quite Ms Eoud as the ordinary TO-
cont meals 10 bo found In most Of tho hnlall
io'Sns wherc men cngagc III tue ]lotcl-busIncss
becauee they are tnO worthless to do anything
else TIC pure, tnyrorattng ufr Of this country
also largely copensates for the nbsrncc Of deli.
cacics to bo t,ol ut home; In fact, Gus acquires
n rasenous appctito nsul Is willing to cat almost
ANYTHING set heioro him, md ask no 9itcstion..
Tic charge tor conyeynncs from Bismarck to
Kcocll Is $40, nutl II cents per pounll extra for
all baggage over nfty pounds. Tic time through
Is th!co aaEs mud tsso hours, travelling day n,ld
al the stations, or anywileru o'H1'Afor elnc, for
stopping oycr; ulld those wlo desire to 10 80
lul better provide themselves With bankets;
they nrc, In fucs, an Indispensable requisite IN
such Tourney. Towels 'aiMl Ruap will also 10
found convenient and advantageous.
THE ESr1nE COUNTRY
hra,tr. ", varv III ,fc 20 ~ LOT
centlfile of nroluclur .hrnant srnn. ~ s,na1, 9m
g:au, grass. and all kinds 0f roots indigenous
to t. Northern CLIMATE. Thc eoils may be d.
ing OH Il clay base. Second. light aundy loa,l
intcrnlixcl III ,nnuy plnces with small gravel.
with u compact sand base. TAosc not cr1,-
yersant with this class Of soil would suppose
f1nf 1E& lac
wet seasons. This Is n mistake. 'rhu
compact character Of the subeo!l or sand enables
It 10 retatn nl0lstltrc to a remarkable degrpe;
iicnse 1t 6tu,Hls long period Of drought inucli
soGls Third, t!!c alkaline lu,lds. Iirse Inuds
arc usually supposed to be worthless; but my
own observation, as we'll rs the statements or
Intelligent gentlemen who liare given then,
ugc OF then,
CAN lie succEssruL1.r CULTIVATED
r,x .,,, ,,,,1.,.I.n, - ..,.s1t -.
~ nrcanri hcwsr,, " ,ar. xu a ~ ns Esasses.
e'u u no occasion lor
w waslnE tnH sa. a..a oney vi saen experiments,
10 - "ia -. .i " ietfe 'isualsra1io'l 10
lIrrn and DIsmarck. = '"s o'>"e'"
is regards tho character Of the country in
this Vicinity, ayo TO hesitation iu eurin. lint
tl,u Valleys Ut tic Yellowstone u,la Tongue
l'avc no sspertor IN point nf bcauty ul,l fcrtll-
contain large uul lo.irishlny population.
tien. Miles, ti,c intrcnd indan iles,scr,wni,o.
by tile way, Is one ps tho best officers In thr
srryirc,-has urcatiy incnteI a towl,.site .t thn
mouth Of Tie Tongue River, which lie cai}s
,t,trsc,rv
r,. ,,.,,, III. i.a....s,s =,
~ GSn!.sso UT, noTeyer, Is not on ttsc line OF
1--we Mos1e9m t*e.c Mnsnan as a. present etlr.
xeseu, n, Us l.ie Town Slnnos flourish without
,Ie Eau1on1, ellneF o1G Or th' other WI!
s,aSe sns 70 os fe,oSasGu. ;s Not HAVING examined
iesrc i ,,,rsii, ~ t1.os,. su ,,,r ~" u!non,
Interested NJ 10 Which yiil l,nvo tn thnuns
It's base. II is cluiulcd. however. hv ti,os. wht
thc hest 1ururs OF kunwInr iha ro,im,rw' lint sh"t
the Rnroa,l Company viii llntl il gt}yant1rcnIs
to alter liz pfcscnt jnc n,Jl tnEn Ali"s i,v Il,
its ROUTE It Is utyo jikciy tint rt..x,,rycr Iii
de,nopstratc t!,s adyisnl,itly Of mukin,r tnn,,v
al.d inportaut changes iro,n tia lins ns IL i,r.s.
cut dcs,gnatcd, ns tic FIRST SURVEYS thrnani, n
Wild country ara ul,uuSt universally n,o,!r Titia
haste aI f,v lino OF The Sor,irIn PaciiI WA
cs,,ccaliy 70, ns thu country was iu!l Of hostIis
Indians, II is nIub,y lN,por,nut lint lin ro,tc
should po caref,1lly Golr over before ,j,t, 1tns ia
fully established But for tic interest 'poeh If
tic Company nlni tho country to lie trnycrsrd
suo1t1,n nr 1oc4ryn ,,tn,n,,rp,v
oul n,,s,lctl forward wltl,out delay. lIaJ t,,o.o