Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1879-05-01
VISIT TO TEE FLATHEAD AGENCY.

Harry Lambert, head farmer OF the flat-
head agency, to visit the reservation and
witness the Good Friday and Easter Sunday
celebrations which, promised to be OF more
than usual interest, I had the good fortune
to secure a seat with Messrs. Daniel Welch
and John Hayes, on the 10th ult., for the
trip. The seat was easy, and mounted in
an elegant new spring wagon, to which was
hitched a splendid team. With the reins in
the hands of Jack, who, for short, is usual
w called "Mulligan." we glided out Of
Missoula and across the level bench land,
viewing some pretty farms and many acres
of unclaimed lands. Eleven miles from
town we faced toward the north, passing
the premises OF @. C. O'kiet, an old resi-
denter, known here as Baron O'Kief." AS
we sped up the valley toward a gate in the
mountains the story of how Mr.. Ok2ef got
the title of "Baron'' was listened to with in
terest, but it will be enough to state that
the title still clings to him, and that the cas-
tie in which he lived in early days still
stands that his farm of 200 or more acres
is well improved, for he still reigns in a
manner suited to his making-king Of the
hills and herds thereon.
Into the gate of the mountains and along
the pebbly road we went, but slowly. for it
was up hill. Mulligan asked me "what col
or were my stockings" and [ told him they
were not striped. Then he said something
about pedestrians, but | told him | had no
love for them. Then he said "walking is
pleasant and healthy," and | was about to
tell him that my health was splendid when
he said, "its fashionable and profitable, too
women do it." ''This is too much,'' said
w. "Can't stand the press" and was too
full for utterance. So we all disinounted
and walked, though there was none who
could do 5000 quarter miles in 1900 quar-
ter hours. The top was reached and we en-
tered the reservation. At this point allow,
level plain called Camas prairie. skirtedMith
pine forests, extending llighup tie moun-
tains OH all sides. The prairie is marshy,
produces good hay, and is a noted place of
summer resort for Indians who spend the
fall season in gathering Camas roots, a sort
of potato-like vegetation that grows abund-
eAAoAy hoASS otAio 0tIISAs NiC IooACds ido &c
palatable taste, answering to some extent
as a substitute Tor bread. 1t was here that
Col. Medary, when Indian agent, built a
hog ranch, the remains OF which still stand.
His design | suppose was to utilize the res
e%rvation by feeding his hogs Oh The Camas
root. Several prairies were passed through,
when we descended q long grade cut around
the mountain and through a grand pine tor
est, crossing a gay little stream at the foot.
The banks OF this stream are noted as hav-
ing been the scene of many hard fought bat
ties by the contending Indian tribes years
ago. The last battle of which there is any
record happened in 1890, or about that time,
when, it is said, a great brave chief was
killed. The only ''recordn is a circle OF
round stone lying upon the.plaee, showing
where he fell, and two long row of stone
stretched out across the fiat representing
the lines of battle. A historian distinguish
ed for his long residence in these parts tells
an interesting story Of the battle and the
victory. The only strange thing about it is,
hat twenty-five years ago those stones lay
Oh top Oh the ground, anu now they are
nearly covered in the earth. He can't
see why the only record of the event should
be so obliterated, and that in the face Of
eye witnesses, for he has been there often.
A minutes drive took us out on the level
land, the beautiful valley of the Jocko, and
q ten minutes drive further, landed lis at
the Flathead agency, the home of Major
T. Roman, where we We're kindly cared for
and remained until the following day. The
Jocko valley varies in width from two to
six miles and is about u miles long. The
land is level from the river rising slightly