The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-05-06
HUNTING A RAILROAD LINE.
An Exploration of Peterson and DRY
Cottonwood Passes


The following particulars in reference to
these passes We gather from Mr>scrs. Thomas
S;uart and Addison Smith who accompanied
General Dodge on his late trip eastward The
marty left Deer Lodge on FRIDAY evening and
nut up for the night at the hospitabe resi-
d.nce of Mr. Jams O'DUuncl, OF Caribou,
ten miles distant. The next moning, break
fast was served at daylight and the party was
on the summit on the Caribou trail Ut %. IL
IN. Here on IA broad prairie is u goid-bearins
| quartz lode staked right along on the summit
| for two miles, one of the claims being deVci-
| op,d to water level, which i 10 feet from the
| surface. where the water come in in such vol
ume ~ to require heavy machinery Tor Sink
| ing the cost of which exceeded the bank &C
| count of the owners AMI having taken ont
over 100 tons of No. ore they are taking a
| rest in order to raise money to continue the
| work. The summit here is so broad and HAT
that it cannot be- drained with tunnel with
out great expense. The green bunch grass at
this point is now Six inches high.
Following the summit to the south the eX-
nlorers crossed snow drifts from ten to twenty
feet in depth and, reaching the top of tn e
| L
to drop down to the Peterson Pass which APP
.ars from the lofty surroundings To be little
less than hole in the ground. But on reach
ing il il was found to BE- 2iS0 feet above Deer
Lodge. and although the narrow divide could
be tapped by a tunnel 40 a. lower 1t about
300 feet General Dodge was not favorabiy
IMPRESSED with it, From here the party de
seconded to the main Boulder and followed
the stream to the summit at Dry COTTONWOOD
Pass without finding any ascent that an ordi
nary grade could not cover. This Is without
doubt the most regular ascent to the summit
from any point from the east. But the drol
of Dry Cottonwood is too rapid for tract
down the creek, and the grade would have Il
swing around the hillside, cross the San'
Creek notch, the Orc Elmo ridge, around thu
basin at head of Orc Fino thence around tn
mountain butte between Gro Elmo anil CARR
bou. Here, however, would be unfoided Tn
grandest scenes on the whole line OF In
| Northern Pacific. The road would swim
around in plain view Of forty miles OF tn
Deer Lodge valley lying below with NJ
I Powell for back ground Thence the roa
would cross Caribou guich, around the bal
u butte and down the plateau west OF fetcrso
TO Deer Lodge and Puget Sound. The sun
N init of the Cottonwood Pass was calculate
IN from baron "trical observations to be Z2io fe'
above Deer Lodge and H. the Pass IL ab"ct
miles east Of south from ID eer Lodge, andt
= long curves the track would have to max
/ the gra.ie would not exceed 100 feet to q
o mile, which gives this Pass a fair chance IL
@ for selection. The grade will not be 10
h.ayv anil il has tie aiv.ntag Of being
z direct line. Should Gene raj Dodge ind q
lie proposed route from the bead Of the Bouts
I, Gal!a.in City practicable, C"tfsHwosA "a
will not MACH longer eont ! Ee to bs,we trus
III thu. hotnr Of the iisoa and elk.
" General Dodge went ga WI the boaia
" i'm the diras. oa # Tnre F.rks and the DE
Ledger, returned Sauri y veain2.