The Billings herald. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1882-1885, 1882-12-14
THE MUssELsHELL ROAD.

McSSrS. Breuchaud and Burke accom-
panied by the editor of this paper, lef
Billings last Wednesday to look oyel
the improvements completed and con
templated upon the road to the Mussel
shell whence Billings will receive 8
large and constantly increasing trade
The road, even without the improve
ments which have been and are about
to be made, is an exceedingly good one
and after passing the first station, fifteen
miles from here, goes through the lake
flat which covers about $50 square miles,
where the finest hay can be cut and
where many cattle are now grazing
This vast area, if irrigated, would be
one of the finest wheat growing coun.
tries in the west, and the adjacent Bull
| mountains would furnish coal for fuel
and timber for building purposes. The
foothills of the Bull mountains are ex-
ceedingly good grazing land, and the
numerous springs will furnish the re-
Quisite water, While the coulees will af-
ford an ample supply of hay.
After passing over the Bull mountains,
the country, if anything, improves in
appearance, ranches are established in
the different couIees, and cattle Craze
on all the ranges. The largest is the
Big Couee, where the Montana Cattle
Co. have their headquarters. All these
coulees are well watered, and with the
ranges furnish the best grazing grounds
in eastern Montana, which it is admitted
is the finest grazing country in the
world. On the Musselshell river many
ranchers have already become establish
ed, and they are all enthusiastic IN their
views of the future prospects and pre- s.
ent prosperity Of their section of the
country.
The improvements which have al
ready been made upon the road, while
not sufficient to warrant its being called
a permanent highway, will nevertheless
meet the immediate demands of the
trade with the section of country drained
by the MussolShcll. Two bridges have
been completed, one across Big CouIee
creek and the other across Painted Robe
creek. Three other bridges exclusive of
the bridge across the Musselshell are
contemplated, and portions Of the ma
teildl tic diittuy ol tAc Siouiiu. Va
these three bridges the one most requir-
and Onehalf miles from Billings, the
other two are, one across the coulee
three miles this side of the Bull noun
tains. and the remaining one across
coulee three and half miles this side
of tie Rocky Butte station. The work
upon all of these bridges will be finished
in the course of month or six weeks;
there viii then remain, before the road
is completed, several heavy grades to
reduce, the work upon which was stop
ped on account of frost in the ground.
One heavy grade has already been re-
duced near Rocky Butte station, and
some work done upon several others.
North of Bull Mountain station the di-
rcctiOn Of the road will be changed SO
as 10 cut off ore milo in distance, be-
side avoiding several steep hills, and
from Painted Robe Creek to the Mussel-
shell a now road has been made, the
grading upon which will be done by
Messrs. Burke d Wilson at their own
expense. These parties have already
commenced operations upon the con-
strllc;iOn of q bridge across the MuSSel-
shell also at their own expense. b.
the new road it is about six miles from
Painted Robe to Musselshe!l, Burke &
Wilson's ranch), and from there to o.
den's is less than three miles, while the
distance from Painted Robe Creek by
the old road to Olden's IS nine miles, SO
that taking into consideration the fact
that tie new road crosses the river at
point which will lead direct to the
road which must eventually be used to
the Judith Gap, it is much the better of
the two. In this relation we might say
that during this trip we learnt that the
people who reside in the Judith Basin
country have written the mail con-
tractor frequently. signifying their will
ingness to repair the road to the Judith
Gap, provided the mail were carried by
that route, which would save in the dis
tance from here to Benton some forty
miles, and would naturally attract
hither the trade of that splendid section
Of country. There seems to be no rea
son why the mail to Benton should be
carried round by Martinsdale, when by
taking this cutoff road to the Gap so
many miles could be saved, and new
and wealthy district be opened up. The
time is not far distant when we shall
have daily mail service to Benton, and
then the necessity Of this saving in dis
tance will be even more apparent than
it is now.