The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1882-05-03
FROM UBEr TO THE SPRINGS.
The Musselshell Valley and Some Of the
Pioneer Settlers.

From TIBET to Stephens Bros hotel at the
Judith Gap is five miles. Here | found AL,
as good natured as ever, busy in improve
meuts. After a short stop | rode on to Sew
erance 6 Co.'S sheep ranch, about three
miles from the Gap, where Mr.. s. was break
ing up ground Tor seeding. This is one of
The best arranged sheep ranches in Montana,
and 5 & Go. are meeting with gratifying
success. They have also a few head OF very
fine horses, and work cattle.
One Of the best mountain roads | have
ever travelled on leads down from Severanc-'s
TO Merino, where the stage road from Maj
linsdale to Cuulson crosses the Musselshell.
Right here | wish to remark that parties 60
iug by stage from Benton to Coulson have
to run down from the Gap to Martinsdale,
80 miles, then down the Musselshell to Me-
ri 20, % miles, laying over at Martinsdale one
night, whereas, from the Gap to Merino is
only Is miles, thus making 81 miles of travel
which would be unnecessary were the route
laid from the Gap to Merino. But this would
leave this part of the Musselshell wiihou.
mail facilities. The best plan would be to
run the mail straight through from the Gap
to Merino, and a separate letting from Mar
tinsdale to Merino. At this place | stopped
for dinner with Messrs. Ballard & Some,
who have J. Fl. Rice's (of Murphy, Neel &
Co, Benton) band Of sheep. These sheep
got q touch of the scab last year and are not
entirely over it yet. The band numbers
about /, 600
Up the Musselshell from Merino, the first
place one reaches is g. Fi1zpatrick's. another
sheep man, who has 5000, bat who also is
out Of luck in the same way.
-Four or five miles further on a Mr.. Smart's
house is just seen through the willows on
the opposite side Of the river. Mr.. s.. has
about 5, 900 sheep on shares for Dr.. Parberry
AM the wether band, which was the only one
[ eaw, looked very we'll,
-Four miles above is the comfortable home
OF Hans Hansen, who moved here from
Beaverhead about three years ago and has
now got things very comfortable around him.
he has lately s I'D his cattle, and is now get
ting together a nice lot Of fine horses. Mr.
Il showed me around his premises and
pointed with pardonable pride to his fine
Black Hawk and Morgan stallion, a beauti-
iul blood bay, full of fire and life, but gentle
and playful as a kitten. Among other fine
animals | noticed here was a large half ely
desdale blood mare. Mr.. FL. has stacks and
stacks Of fencing ready to haul and set up
across the river where, 10 connection with r.
Clendenin, of Martinsdale, he has taken up a
large nay ranch.
Three or four miles from here | crossed
the river and as nights s mbre curtain was
slowly falling | drew up at the pleasant
home of Geo. Lyons and met with a most
cordial welcome from Mr.. Lyons and his
charming wife. MIR. Lyons has cattle on a
thousand hills, is one of the phone rs Of the
Musselshel valley and among the most pros
porous.
A short distance back is the home of z. J.
Morse, another cattle king, but who, with his
brother, Sanford. has just sold his band to-
the Iowa cattle Co. at $22 per head all round.
Near Lyons Al. VanCamp has a hrln
new home, and about a mile above Judge }.
e. Murray is improving his homestead.
After \ pleasant chat with the Judge |
rode without stopping until the forks of the
Musselshell were reached. Here I found a
good many Improvements since my visit last
fall. A Mr.. Halbut has Il neat new home, q
blacksmith shop is running, and \ fine large
Lew barn has been erected. Frank Coleman
is running the saloon and stable, end MI. A.
E. Pound, : very pleasant gentleman, has
charge of Kleinschmidt g. Bros business at
this point. Mr.. s. F. Morse is running the
hotel here and sets an excellent table. Across
the river about q half mile from here is the
postofice of Martinsdale, presided over by
| Mr.. Richard Clendenin, who does = good
general merchandising business, keeps .
hotel and a good stable. Here also is jolly
Henry Lands, who keeps wet goods for sale
and seems 70 be having 8 good run of Gus.
ON.
About five miles from Martinsdale, on the