The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-01-06
"BUNCH GRASS"
Firm Opinions Of Montana by
an Inflrm Person.
Pen Pictures of Kaleidoscope
Views Taken on the
Wing.
Condensed From the RecOllectiOns OF Am
Editor ON the Sick List.
HOW!

A'"s loScsh"'s ANc W. As> '>N'
asked me that 1 look for it as inevitable whsn-
ever l meet with one of the "natives." My eX-
perience has been similar, probably, to most of
those who leave the East in search of the - gOl-
den neece, or, percnance, 10 ma IN new SKIES
invalid life; and ! will relate my impressions of
Montana, as nearly as may be, as they actually
appeared at the time, and whether they be good.
bad, or Indifferent. they may be relied upon as
being a true reflection of my ideas of this coun,
try and its people. While many of these impress
sions may appear distorted and grotesque to the
.'old timers" of the Territory, and many of my
reflections on the people, resources and general
GUS, vet such impressions and reflections have
been the experience of most OF. that class of i'm
seen, for the first time, through a medium alto
gether foreign to their previous experience.
WHY?
have considered it better, in the present
instance, to throw aside, in the word 'we' the
mask which is SO generally used to hide the per-
sonality of the writers of articles of this nature,
and assume personal responsibility by a free use
of the pronoun t." for the reason that, in my
opinion. the experiences I am going to relate
may only be properly conveyed through the
medium of an autobiographical sketch. With
once into my subject. hoping that it will not
have the sedative effect of a cold shower bath
on the imaginations of my readers.
BECAUSE.
am one of those miserable people whom the
marshes and fens of Central Indiana have so
often Observation-Disclosures, sallow and used-up
specimens of humanity. Four years of liver
complaint and dyspepsia and nervous derrange-
ment, supplemented by four years of drug-med-
ication and professional malpractice had nearly
relocated me to the condition of the late and
Iamented Mr.. Blank, when. as a last, desperate
resort, it occurred to me to throw my phySic to
the dogs, and to search. in the mountains of the
West, a soothing balm for my troubled spirits.
1t will be irrelevant to the intent of this arti-
Gle TO relate my experiences IN coming nltler,
and l will, therefore. pass them by, and begin
at the portal of Montana now situated in Pleas
ant Valley. Idaho, and better known as the
Terminus
CONCENTRATED LIE.
This place is Impressive for its whiskey, its
wickedness and its instability. While giving
expression TO a feeling OF exhaustion in the pres
cnce of a hardy pioneer, he drew from a capa-
cious pocket a black bottle. the contents of
which, he said. would instantly revive me-and
it did-it would excite molecular reactions in a
mummy. ! took a swallow of this e'irtr tit",
and Immediately expressed to the generous do
nor my thanks by a copious flow of tears, and
by a series of muscular cOntractiOnS of the dia-
phragm which must have been painful to wit
ness. After getting my breath, I asked Thin with
Il subdued and defferential manner-What was
that: But the j.. old timer put the bottle back
into his pocket. and with an expression of min
sled pity and contempt. surveyed me for a mo-
shall never see him more in human sha pe;
but often. in a nightmare phantasy he appears
'tloIe Hlt "llh tIlc lill6 vi Il IhtpllSlOpltltS.
until / have become convinced that if | should
see him again. it will be in the person of his
Satanic Majesty.
A. casual glance over the town showed that
the principal business was concentrated on Il
single street. and was labeled saloon. ;" but hav-
ing had sufficient of their production, | cast
about in search of"mine host" and found him
sioIniciled in IA large balloon frame, covered with
cave of the winds. 4! night passed in shivering
unrest was followed by a brea kfaSt which was
no solace. Soon thereafter the teamster who
had hnt-ln on GA OnI IN al rN- l1s tfnrt n uylr rn
ported that he was ready, and l left the place
without a single regret.
IN MONTANA.
looked for the landmarks which would indi-
cate that I was in Montana, with great interest.
l must confess to q feeling of disappointment,
when, after a careful survey, I could see nothing
but a barren waste of sage and rock. A person
raised" among the soft landscapes. the leafy
bowers and broad expanses of grass and groves
incident to the East. will find in his first impress
SiOns OF the country here. a feeling of loneliness
at the apparent barrenness and desolation in
the physical aspect of the country.
There are several reasons, however, for this
sense of dreariness other than those of previ-
Montana by the way of Pleasant Valley. Will
pass through the most sterile and fOrbidding
section; by far, ] have seen in the Territory, and
from what | can gather from others. is really
the worst hence the first impression will prove
Il trife dlscOuraging.
The magnificent distances which separate the
salient features of our landscape, and the i'm
lnense scale upon which they are constructed.
dwarf the smaller and subordinate into such
inSignificance that they are either entirely over
looked or fail 10 make any impression upon the
mind. ! had been in this Territory two or three
weeks before l arrived at that degree of indiffer-
"nce to the grander effects of mountain scenery
that | could descend to notice the many effects
Of detail which are the romance of landscape.
Yet there are here a thousand scenes of SurpaSs-
ing lovelineSs, in every valley and along each
water-course, which are notexceeded anywhere,
and which may be the source of inspiration for
many a poem on Spring pastOrals, and cause
thereby much. and serious trouble among the
editors of the future.
EXHILERATION n RELAPSE.
1t is in the inimitable skies, transparent at
mosphere and the exceeding purity of the water
That the . pilgrim" finds his principal attract
ton. A feeling that you would like to climb
TO the top of one of the hills as you pass along,
and then roll down., Is almost Irresistible. and to
Il convalescent invalid very refreshing. A desire
10 jump over obstacles instead of passing round
them, and a sense of confidence in your ability
TO walk to the foot of one of yOnder mountains
in half an hour, are among the first indications
If returning elasticity and spirits. But when
YOU are told that "yOnder mountain" is twenty
miles away, your confidence will diminish
and you will conclude that this is IA
great country, after all, and then relapse into
your former state Of apathetic credulity, con-
scieus of your inferiOrity 20 those beings whom
YOU will hereafter meet, and who will take Sa-
complete insignifcance. These parties will
probably show you a fine-loOking piece of gran
lite. peppered with flakes of mica, making it
look for all the world like a new bonanza, or
else a good specimen of iron sulphuret, and try
10 make you believe 1t is gold. If he succeeds
in imposing upon your credulity he will laugh
at you. and you will shrink away into a mental
nOnentity.
SEMPER FIDELIS.
At our evening halt. / met my first expe-
rience with the far-famed hospitality of the
Western rancheman. And / will bear cheerful
witness that in whatever ways the country may
have been misrepresented, there can be no
question OF the hospitality and op~en-handed
generosity of these people. There was a party
OF us. and we were belated and weary, and
had staked our hopes for rest and refreshment
on the hospitality of this rancheman-wc were
not disappointed. Every accommodation they
had was placed at our disposal, and there was
ahearty good will IN it all that made US feel
doubly welcome.
In the by-ways or the continent. under the
shadow of the mountains. in "a country where a
L. riI-aIiA