The Billings herald. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1882-1885, 1882-07-27
UP TO MAGINNIS,
Notes Of Trip Just Made by Citizen
Of Billings.
Cattle Oh Thousand Hills The Gold and
Silver at the Mines.
Average Yield Of Placer Mines per Day
A New Mine Discovered.
The Northern Pacific,

country well adapted for a cattle range
two long flats Of much the same nature
bring you to the 'sBull Mountain" Station
on the mail road to Martinsdale, there
again is a small spring of alkali water, and
two log shacks for the accommodation (?)
of travellers and the mail drivers. After
descending from the second ridge Of Bull
Mountains, we soon reached Painted Robe
Creek, along the banks Of which were scat
tered some I 900 head of cattle fresh from
the roundup, all in splendid condition and
affording good evidence Of tue effect of the
excellent natural grasses in that vicinity.
Some eight miles over d rolling country
which must be very holding in the winter
months, brought us To the Musselshcll,
which at this point runs through a canyon.
though near the stage station, there is
small Hat about two miles in length by
half mile iii breadth Oldham's ranch
and store are situated near the river, the
immediate vicinity of which is thickly COW
cred by brush, which affords excellent
shelter to sheep in winter The Mussel-
shell, which is about one-thirl of the
breadth of the Yellowstone at the Coulson
ferry, carries good head Of water but can /
be fOrded easily except during about week I
or ten days in the early summer Ascend |
ing steep bluff, good view is obtainable |
of the Snow Mountains. and the Judith |
| Gap away to the left beyond which the
Crazes and Belt Mountain come into view.
long, steady ascent brings you to the
point of another range Of bluffs, the cotln-
try between which and the Mussclshcll was
thickly covered with cattle all in the best
condition. From this point the Bad Lands
extend to the Judith Gap, where a few scat
tered buffalo bulls were to be seen at inter
walls. Traces of coal and limestone were
apparent on either side as we went along.
but the groupings were very thin and of
rather poor quality. The first creek with
really good water is called Swimming
Woman Creek, and it was quite refreshing
to see stream of really pure water after
the akali we had become accustomed to.
There is sheep ranch located about a mile
and half above the crossing, whose owner
might have carried on quite u brisk trade
had he located lower down. as the numer-
GUS traces of camp fires show how much
the road is used. Another long ascent and
you are on large, slightly rolling plateau,
where there are plenty of antelope AL
this part Of the country Is admirably
adapted for cattle raising, and sheep 90 well
nearer the foot hills. Two creeks with ex- r
cellent water, and some brushwood along
the banks intersect this plateau, and there I
are three or four large sheep ranches Oh it.
Near the northwest corner of the Snowies, |;
the road runs in amongst the foot hills and e.
is rather rough and very hilly. The small $
flats would be excellent locations for h
ranches were it not for the absence of water ?
all the creeks being dry. Leaving the a.
town of Ubet about five miles on the left n
hand, the road joins that from Martinsdale n
10 Maiden, after following which for mile @,
or 50, Grcgory's ranch is reached, mail O
station. This is the most comfortable tt
house on the whole road, with most hos p
pitablc host and hostess, who anticipate it
every want and keep table which would Il
10 honor to first-class hotel. Gregory re
is a first rate hunter and is glad to CT
show sport during the season to anyone Vi
who pays him a visit. An excellent trout I,
trcam called Buffalo Creek and which is m
ull of fish, runs down from the Snowics al
~ the ranch, and would afford good irri- eli
'ation to the pasture lands Just below. of
Climber Of fine quality is here in abundance, Il,
nd can be purchased at from SD to s25 per in
hOusand a drive along the foot of the ii,
nowies in a northeasterly direction of in
hirty-iiyc miles brings you to Maiden, pas to
ing on the way several creeks the princi- va
al of which. Warm Spring Geek, is thick he
Y settled by halfbrecds, and there are num- DC
rous ranches along the whole line of road. H
III of this part of the Judith Basin is mag o.,
ificent for cattle raising, and as far as we br
ould judge there were from 5000 to ~, 900 Or
cad of cattle in sight, and two bands Of =.
heep. The drive up the gulch to Maiden tr;
about five miles is rather pretty scenery aft
nd several ranches lie along the banks of "
ne creek Potatoes were extensively raised sa,
here as well as a small breadth Of oats, but th
e were sorry to see that they had been fol
amaged somewhat by the frost. Nc fic
dow's saw-mill about three miles below tir
laden at Andersonvile, seemed to be do Ca
,g brisk trade as well as the store oppo- thi
tie. About a mile higher up lies Alpine see
ity, which was entirely deserted until the
Ill. At length we reached Maiden which
,emed very dull, there being only about
My people there with accommodations
II about twenty times that number. The inf
ason given was that the holders of claims IN,
aving done the necessary amount of work C,,
1907 required by law, had gone elsewhere oil
prospect etc. is no use giving any mas
,tailed account of the different mines, as ,,r,
nearly all of them the conditions are ,,h,
cntical. OF ore there is, undoubtedly a :,
eat quantity, but it is of low grade and ho,
gh up on the mountains. Large capital 49,,
i'll therefore be required to work them, and -,
the present holders are lacking in that "
ry requisite article, all they can do is to "'
down and wait for capital to come along. "
he latest strike, the Northern Pacific. bids ie''
ir to turn out well, the lead showing a wy
irty-onc foot face The Chollar and con
ontana mines should also prove good in giv'
stments, and we saw some excellent Is
ecmens of ore from the War Eagle, but me'
the shaft in the latter is only down about bill
feet, it is difiicnlt at present to give a II
finite opinion as to its future. The pla- tim
r mines are of very limited extent and son
fer from lack Of water. The gold is cs
Dstly found in small nuggets, and aver If
es, we were told, about $15 per day per turn
IN. After leaving Maiden, we drove it
wn between the Moccassin Mountains hou
lere we found good water and grass, and it g
e cattle in the same sleek condition and IT it
ner than those in the Bad Lands. At CON
g foot of the Big Mocassin we passed q any
ge ranch with slaughter houses, etc., be-
lging to well known association Of cat II
men, most or whom were absent on the ~, - y
md up. The country between this point c;v;
d the canyon of the Judith, is high ior