River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-02-10
letter from montana.
Okla. MONTANA, Jan. 6. 1881.

to Benton. In many places along the
shore, crossing through the Bad Lands
there are and have been for years, /
have been told, buttes which are on
fire. They are composed of clayish
substance and soft coal. There are
Indians of different tribes along the
river from Bismark to FIT. Benton, SO
that persons coming to this country
by boat have good chance to see
them, and observe their Characters
tics while the boat stops at the wood
yards, as there are always great
number around such places. They are
much more degraded in their habits
and mode of living than the Chippe-
was of Wisconsin. There will be 240
miles OF navigable river above TT
Benton when the upper Missouri falls
are blasted down, which will be done
ere long. Engineers were at work on
them last summer.
Above Fl. Beston there is good
farming land, and excellent grazing
range which have been well supplied
with cattle. Fl Benton is rapidly
growing town, although it is thought
that there will be city at the Falls
in time which will injure it to some
extent. 1t was built in lS48 by Alex
ander Culbertson who belonged to the
Northwestern Fur Company, and had
| considerable influence in the then
new country. He died at Yankton in
the summer of 1880. The country along
the Judith and Musselshell rivers is
being settled fast. Last spring when
| crossed the Judith there were but
two ranches, now there are over thirty,
and more that have been staked,
which shows ~ fast increase, and next
summer there is no doubt but what
there will be double this number.
Many ranches are being taken on
Warm Spring, Ross Forks, Big
Spring and others, too numerous TO
| mention, and in less than Ten years,
| unless some unknown and unlocked
| for calamity befals the country, it
will in spite of hardships, be densely
settled where there is water, for say
what they may, the land must be II
rigated more or less, although last
season good gardens and some oats
were raised without irrigation. Fege-
| tables are high, and not one tenth
| enough have been raised thus far to
supply the demand. Oats are now
worth ten cents per pound, cabbages
five, ruta bagas two, potatoes six, and
other things in proportion, all OF
which are very scarce.
Rtnching Will certainly pay big in
| this section. There has been some,
| average amount of snow here this
| winter. Ehere has certainly been
enough, which accompanied by severe
cold and hard winds, has killed many
cattle and sheep. Over one hundred
cattle persisted at Judith Gap in
one storm. Pilgrim sheep and cattle
do not stand the winter as we'll as old
range stock. Many young moneyed
men from the East, who have invested
in sheep and have no sheds and but a
small amount, il any, of hay will lose
many. Where sheep can be cOrraled
in thick willows it is amazing as to
the amount of cold they will endure.
There are several feet Of snow in the
mountains, and the elk, deer and an
telope have gone down to the rivers
and along the edges of the Bad Lands
for shelter.
Owing to the abundance of snow
and the bad weather mails are days
behind. Several new mines were
found last summer one in the Judith
mountains which promises good re-
turns. 1t is deconposed gold bearing
quartz, and few miners worked seven
dollar diggins on the surface last fall.
One mine ut Barker, in the belt range,
is silver, which according to the as
says is very rich
1t has showed every month since
arrived at Benton on the 8th day Of
May last, although there has been
some excellent weather. There is no
such grass in this country as is said
to be. All over the bench lands grass
does not average over four inches.
Along the creeks and marshy places it
grows hign enough to NOW, but
must acknowledge that it has great
amount of nourshment.
Many teams with freight for the
Yellowstone. MusselshelI and Crow
agencies are now snow bound, and
their cattle have gone, where, they
know not. They viii travel thirty
and forty miles in single night be-
fore storm. Camping OH the prairie
is not the incest thing in the world,
although men do it and do not growl
much when, as the talk goes, white
man would freeze to death. Buffaloes
are being slaughtered in great num-
bers, and in less than five years
buffalo will be a curiosity.
Boys, you who contemplate coming
to this country, can, if You have a
mind to ''wrestle," do well, although
pilgrims f they cannot do something
more than common work will not get
more than thirty-five dollars to com
mence with unless they happen to
strike some one who wishes help quite
badly. Old timers are getting from
forty TO sixty and some one hundred,
for freighting, &c. Boys in this coun-
try have to furnish their own bed |
wherever they are. Last spring, in |
Benton you could not get a bed for one
night. | expect they have better ac-
commodations now. Indians are now |
quiet except with an occasional pow !
WOW which is held where there is Il |
trader. Once i'll while Il trader and /
''squaw man" with the help of bad /
whiskey, get into trouble. Several |
men have been wounded, and one or I
two shot. There is no danger if a |
person minds his own business, unless |