New-York tribune., 1879-09-20

irRoN sTATF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNEl
HrIrNA Mont, Aug. %. - have rode
10000 miles in stage-coaches since l came
.o this country" SAID one of the most prom-
nent and active citizens of Helena TO me day or
two after my arrival. Il have rode by the side of
the driver as far as arou'd the globe, aud have
spent a whole year crossing and recroSsing the
plans and climbing the mountains between here
md the States" That mans experience has been
hv no means singular or exceptional A majority of
the present inhabitants of this Territory came here
before the Union Pacific Railroad was built and
when Helena was accessible only by three
routes-ovcrland hy stage-coach from the Missouri
River at Omaha, by the way of Denver and salt
Lake CITY, journey of from twenty-three TO thirty
DAYS; mp The Missouri, River. from st. Louis or
Kansas City. much longer and more uncertain
voyage. which could be made only during about
three or four months Of the year and by OK teams
from Missouri, Kansas or Iowa. trip which was
rarely made in less than 100 davs. Now that
"pilgrim may leave New-York in the evening and
eat his supper at sunset the eighth day in Hele-
na spending only ffty-two or fifty-three hours Of
that time in the stagc-coach. the old residents OF
TINS mountail town begin to feel as II they were
within hailmg distance of their friends In the
States. and the latter to find out that Montana Is
Dot one Of the remote counties of Colorado.
The older readers OF TIE TRIBUNE VIII remember
the graphic letters IN which Mr.. A. ID. Richardson,
jus, after the close Of the war. described this coun-
Try aud the wild life of it's mining camps. He came
10 Montana when it took almost month to make
the journey and another month for his letters 70
reach New-York. He saw the Territory when its
placer mines alone were supposed 10 give II value,
and its boundiess a grazing and agricul-
tural country were entirely overlooked lie wit
messed AMI described phase Of life that can
never again exist in the United States, be-
cause no portion of it can ever AGAIN he a.
much isolated from the rc~t or as difficult
ol access My visit here is made under different
circumstances and at time when the journey is
comparatively easy one. In a few weeks the
construction gang OF the Utah and Northern Rail-
road viii cross the southern boundary Of Montana
and connect 1t with the arteries of the inter
nal commerce Of tho country, tho last Of the Terri
tories to welcome tie coming Of the iron horse. l
see Montana when there are cattle upon thousand
cf hcr hills aud myriads Of sheep grazc in her shol
tered valloySa greater and surer source Of wealth
than her mines Of go and liver have yet proved 70
b; when her fertile fields under their boun-
icons crops. and peace and plenty everywhere pre-
vail come here when reckless excitement has
given place to legitimate business. and the people
are surrounding themselves with the Injuries and
rctnemcnts Of modern civilization. Though some
nav mourn for the davs that ero gone, for the fe
v,rish excitement the reckless expenditure Of
money! for high prices. stampcdes 10 row camps
ond the reign of tho Nigilantes. In short. for
Montana as Mr. richardson it, the las. state Of
Ills r rrtory IL not worse than the first, rs hope
g. show the letters Imay write from It's dinerent
centres OF industry.
And first how TO GET here. The quickest and best
vav. ana during nearly onc-half Of the year, the
only way IS hv tie Utah and Northern Railroad TO
s., terminus in Idaho, and thence byovorland stage
coach ler 10 Helena virginia CITY Butte CITY
Deer Lodge. The railroad Is now completed PAS
rii'es from OGDEN 70 CamaS Crock 23S miles solth
Of Helena. The terminus will probably be removed
10 a point thirty miles further north before nv
turn. From the present end OF the track the jour
ncy is something more than fifty hours. the greater
part Of II through the most beautiful country have
ever seen.
The train for the north leaves Ogden early in the
evening ard I was therefore disappointed I'm pass
ing throurh the beautiful Cache Valley. OF The
most fcrt c and densely populated Of Utah IN the
right. met on the train one Of the Twelve Nor
mon Apostles who was going to LOGAN ana thence
10 the Soda Springs Of Idaho, and he very kindly
gave me much interesting information about tho
people ana resources of the valley. It's pres, n pop
ulation is about $1,000, and il contains not fewer
than dozen Mormon villages, each surrounded ty
rich grain fields. orchards. vineyards and gardens.
Until last year 1t was supposed that nothing could
BE- made 20 grow IN the Cache or other valleys Of
Utah without irrigation. hut recently some impor-
tant experiments in dry farming" have been
made and have met with unexpected sucCcss. saw
none Of these dry fields. but from what :
lcarnel obout them, suspect that willie the RAIN
fall IN Utah may b, increasing and crops NAV some
years be raised without artificial irrigation it will,
as a general thing. be safer and cheaper to depend
upon the mountain streams for water. The farming
in this and other valleys of Utah has, | was told,
improved very greatly during tho past few wears.
lie people are learning better how to mauarc their
land what rotation Of crops is best, and what crops
are most suited fer different kinds of soil. Tho
Cache Valley already furnishes q large local bus-
ness fer the Utah and NortLcrn Railroad. aHd this
will increase every year.
When walked up rn the morning ard looked out
OF the car window the train was I'm Idaho, running
through the Ola Fort Hall Indian reservation, aud
soon passed thriving Indian village tue west
side of the road about which there were some we'll
irrigated and finely cultivated fields, and where the
blending of savage and civilized life made Vely
interesting and suggestive picture. AT one point a
field Of ripe grain. about fifty rods Wild, lay along
The railroad, and | saw a Shoshone Indian III the
field cutting the wheat with a cradle while on IFS
further border stood row of rude tepecs
covered with skins or soiled sail-cloth. Old
residents of Montana say that 1t Is not
once in lifetime that an Indian buck Is seen
al work snd they tell many amusing stories of
their laz nes- One gentleman says that IN driving
cattle year or two AGO steer got Injured aad was
killed. The carcass was given 10 an Indian who
came into camp but instead OF loading il upon TWO
poles, fastening ono end Of them 10 his pony and
allowin- the other 90 drag on the ground, hc gal-
lopcd away over the hills. and IN half an hour re-
turned with his squaw. The beef was then loaded
upon two poles and the woman forced to drag