Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-06-24
t noon to-day We passed the

L1rrLE MISSOURI RIVER
and beyond it the country becomes more
broken and more barren of vegetation. The
timber il also growing less. We ran tonight
an hour beyond our usual time, to find some
trees to tie to. and tied up At half past ten
o'clock. Just before shutdown tonight Lieu.
tenant Doone called our attention to some
small and peculiar looking cloud clusters
low down the western horizon. Behind and
below these clouds, he said, were the crests
Of the Little Rockies, hundred and fifty
miles OF more away aud not in the direction
Of onr general course. We looked inteutly
and felt that We had climbed almost high
enough 70 catch = glimpse Of the snow clad
peaks Of the. backbone Of America.
TURNING THE CORNER.
Monday, June 9.-Since leaving Yankton
the Dacotah has passed northward through
Eve degrees Of latitude and westward through
six degrees of longitude. The crooks and
turns Of this winding river make the actual
distance about = thousand miles, and this
afternoon finds us ct the corner where our
muddy track turns westward to the noun
tains. From Bismarck our general course
has been north. Here, upon the fo~rty-eiehth
parallel, We reach the utmoet northern
limit Of the Missouri's %meanderines and
from this point to Benton We shall cross and
recross this parallel as We pursue our west.
ward journey. Here the days. are long and
the nights are short. Twilight lasts until
after ten o'clock at night and begins again
not much after two in the morning. Abou,
FOUR HOURS OF SOLID NIGHT
is all We can look for and that little fraction
of the twenty.four is not 90 solid with
vigorous moon in tn, ky. Our steamer il
climbing the slope down which these water.
rush and by and by We shall have risen ia
An elevation of 26O0 feet. The yellow flood
that il constantly clipping away beneath u,
to fall into the general reservoir 30 many
thousand miles bslow does net seem to los.
: any of its volume. There is always plent,
more ahead, but they tell us th.t after til,
Yellowstone is passed the Missouri dimin
ishes in size and loses many of its famili,,
characteristics.
! The country through which We have bee,
passing to-day is exceedingly rough an,
broken, the bluffs alosg the river rising to
> height of from 400 to 500 feet from the riv
er in places. The sell . becoming light i,
color and texture a We advance and III
prominent points Of the elevations arc ba,
' rem of vegetation. Considerable cedar an,
cactus grows upon the hill sides, Will
2 greasewoods is mingled with the stronge
vegetation Of the bottoms and low benche.
8 Strawberry butte was a prominent landmar
e OF to-day's journey. We passed it earl
this eveningiand because Of its peculiar q
pearance it was honored with an audient
q of the entire passenger outfit of Il
g Dacotah. 1t is = cone shaped hill, ii
. termination Of = long bluff range whic
comes down to the river from the mort
Upon IL summit IL a round Al
III perpendicular formation, which q.
10. distance has the appearace Of . chime
Because soma oAs imagined thas ibis elev
ks ton looked like a strawberry it has be,
70 named Strawberry butte.
il. There has been many peculiar formatio
he in the bluGs along to-day's portion Of d
to high river bluffs which have furnish
me divsssioa and relief from the nsno.ony
ur. the scenery W have leh behind. Ea,
ithis evening srsgion Of low, table topp