The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1882-08-24
LETTER FROM MONTANA.

MILES CITY, NJ. r.. Aug. II, 81.
Editor Northern Pacific Farmer:
Since my last have been up and
down tho track from Miles City to
Forsyth. have permeated the fasti
nesses Of the bad lands hard by. and
have succeeded in seeing consider
able portion OF the beautiful, valley
known as Tongue River l0tt0ln. adj
jacent to these bare hillswaiich. upon
looking at them during il beautiful
sunset, seem to tumble Ger ON the
other, to rise and roll like billowy
sea, till, with the gradual closing Of
the day, and while the night steals
OIL, they seem to be quieted. and to.
cease their surging, not unlike the
outgoing tide. 'Tis dark, the train
draws up and stops, the brakeman
calls ''Forsyth,' a4l l climb wearilv
out. cramped 10y my ride in Il crowded
car for SO many miles. 'Ere's yer
'ot meals; best place in town for clean
grub; right this ere way for your 'ot
vittles,; greeted my ears in astound
ing proximity. My small grip was
seized, and l followed after my man
whose emissary was crying BEST
place in town for clean grub" will
not weary your patience With my ex-
perience as an epicure; suffice 1T t"
say that our provender consisted OF
dried buffalo and dried bread and cof-
I fee. The country surrounding there
is very beautiful to look upon, and
am told that successful farming has
besn carried on some distance south
from there for five years without ir
rigation, but the current notion in the
east that farming cannot he made i
success of without irrigation is, l
think, correct. True, there are many
prosperous ranches scattered along
between Glendive and the Big Horn
river. In this interval heavy rains
occur until about the first of July, and
sufficient moisture ;.ccrues in the low
valleys to secure good crops and for
general purposes of farming during
the remainder of the season. Shacks
are the common dwellings of the val
ley. A shack is i one-story hut, usu-
ally built vf logs and dirt, the roof
being interviewer with willows; the
floor is of hard earth, and the sides Of
hunters shach is adorned with an
tiers, robes, and other trophies of the
chase. But Forsyth is novel town.
quite unlike her sister burgs, except
in the consumption Of bad whisky and
the everlasting and increasing rage
for ..faro'' and ':stud peker.' 1t is
composed of tents and shacks. port
able saloons and gaming halls. and
everybody carries their own bed, to I.
certain extent. The weary traveller
when he strikes Forsyth is eyed with
suspicion and conjecturings rs to the
fullness of his purse are in vogue: +
person is not unfrequently ''rolled''
for all he may have, and any resist
ance will be reciprocated by an ounce
of lead. This last not unfrequently
happens, and of all the graves whose
newly turned earth describes their
whereabouts. only one ''died with hlA
boots off, Forsyth, when think
of it, and again when l listen to the
Thoughts of others who speak
quite freely their convictions
concerning the place, the unanimous
verdict is hardest hole on earth.
But with all this, the Northern Paci-
tic are erecting car and machine shops.
and by the time another year rolls
round where now stands low brOthels
and dance houses. neat dwellings will
occupy their stead. Glend;ve is evil
IDENTITY the pet of the Northern Pac'ti tic.
that worthy company having entirely
ignored Miles City, with ten times
the amount of business and natural
advantages. and selected GlendlVs to
erect car shops and to build An elegant
hotel, capable Of accommodating 100
persons with rooms: consequently
Glendive is happy, while her neigh
bors are boiling over with envy. With
1.-THE advent of the railroad in July,
1881, Glendive was worse even than
FORSYTH is at the present day. All
the scum of the western towns, jacks,
nichthawks and vultayes we're gath
cred here. and did not hesitate to
"break the tendcrfoot in.'' as they
called it, on his arrival, But thls' to
certain extent, has passed away. and
instead we see Il: bright, lively little
town, filed with energetic and push
ing men, fully alive: to their own a.
, terests and are looking: out for No. 1.
q So tho tide rolls on. More are CON-
ing, few are going, and before Ions:
Montana, the great cattle country OF
4 the world, will be one Of the most
y providing and beautiful States IN ths
! iIn;on 49,. J, E. S.