River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-05-27
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MONTANA.
A Graphic Description Of the Valley of
the Yellow Stone.

Valley of the Yellowstone, near Cedar Creek.
May IA, 1880.
EDITORS JoURNAL:-The is probably no
section ot territory in the world that at the
present time is attracting wider attention
than Montana, and OF this vast region less is
known of the Yellowstone Valley than OF any
any other portion. Your readers will readily
concede that one accustomed to the beauties
and many natural advantages of the section
in and around River Falls, is not liable to be-
come very enthusiastic over an inferior
country; such an one, in TACT, leaves home
with picture of what nature can do in hap
by moments too wildly impressed upon the
mind to be efaced by an ordinary wash-day
production.
Our party reached the river three weeks
since, after long and fatiguing days march
down Cedar Creek Valley that came nearer to
making us wish we had stayed at home than
anything we had before encountered, and
none of us were in humor to acknowledge
that this was even a tolerable country, but
we have been forced to admit, after close ex-
animation, and with eyes anxious to discover
objections, that advantages are offered here
not to be found either in Wisconsin or Min
nesota
The bare thought OF trying ones hand at a
description of the glorious panorama here
spread out to view is nearly sufficient to con-
sign writing materials to the flames, and the
writer to a hunting expedition; but as the
feebleness OF the attempt will only be fully
realized when your eyes behold the grandeur
OF the reality, and as distant dangers have
No terrors, proceed.
The Yellowstone is swiftly flowing river,
two h,,,ndred yards wide at this point, and
subieot to rise of sixteen feet above its pres
ont level. Int as its banks are high enough
20 contain the extra amount o. water, Its
mean width is not materially increased.
Large islands, covered with heavy growth
of cottonwood are frequent, and the distance
between extensive groves Of the same timber
on either bank is never great. and trees three
feet in diameter are by no means rare.
The bottom lands slope very gradually
from the ot-hills to the river, and vary I'D
width from FIVE to ten miles. At this season
of the year they resemble nothing SO much
as mammoth Ueius VI W meat W 4AVAA SAA~ DAs.~
are few inches high.
Across the bottoms aud running at night
angles with the river are occasional raylnes,
through most of which there are uniailing
streams of water running, supplied by
springs in the foothills. The bottom lands
are not marshy in the least, but solid ground
clear to their abrupt termination at the riv-
er's bank.
The foothills cover a strip varying from
one to three miles in width, making the as
cent-whatever the distsnce-from the bot
tom to the table-lands, two-hundred feet
above.
The table-lands, as the name indicates,
are perfectly level, covered with magnih-
cent growth of buffalo grass, and extend back
for miles. The sides are notched by guiehes
in which grow large quantities Of red cedar.
Here the black-tailed deer seeks seclunon
when not engaged in feeding in the narrow
valleys between the foothills; but the OBJ
servant hunter, who has crawled up TO the
leeward side Of the covert, knows that curl