The Billings herald. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1882-1885, 1883-03-08

Descending again into the valley
we enter region in which, in som,
places desolation reigns supreme
Vegetation sometimes almos
ceases, the road leads across barre1
and rocky flats, with only here ant
, there the pale, green leaves of tn,
gnarled and withered sage brush
and the inevitable prickly pear, tt
relieve the gloomy tinge which thu
peculiar reddish color of the sol
everywhere lends to the landscape
The country here often partakes O
the nature of the manvaises-terres
or bad-lands, the lofty bills through
which the great river finds its way
are bare and sterile, though it's i'm.
mediate banks are at intervals
fringed with a low and stunted
growth of cottonwoods, which by
their evident struggle for existence
rather add to than relieve the gener.
al air Of desolation.
AS we 60 on, however, the char
acter of both the upland and valley
lands gradually improves, one Of
the noticeable changes being in the
much more plentiful growth of sage
and the extraordinary light weight
and size to which it here attains,
being magnified from a shrub into
a tree, which grows in little groves
like mineature forests of oaks.
From Emigrant Gulch to the
lower canyon of the Yellowstone,
on both sides of the river, there is
a fine stock range upon which
thousands Of cattle and horses
browse in plentiful and fat abun-
dance. Emigrant Gulch, the most
important placer mine of the upper
Yellowstone region, lies on the east
side of the river in rugged, broken
hills, and the great unsightly caves
upon its banks, long stretches of
denuded bedrock and interminable
strings of fumes and sluices attest
the paying returns of the mines
both past and present.
Trail creek drains a part of the
divide which separates the Yellow
stone and Gallatin basins, and
empties into the former Immediate
ly above the lower canyon. Its
bottoms contains some excellent
lands and a number of ranches
have been taken in the vicinity.
The lower canyon, the portal of
the upper Yellowstone basin, pre-
sents some wild and picturesque
scenery, the river tearing madly on
its course through confined rocky
walls, and the road through the
great gorge winding along rugged
slopes, pine clad ridges and beneath
jutting crags. The most important
agricultural section of the upper
valley are the bottoms of Big and
Little Timber creeks, the Sweet
Grass and the Saltwater. The val
ley of Shields river contains some
good lands, but the country drained
by it is chiefly valuable for it's pine
timber, of which there are great
quantities in the lofty hills at its
head. The Big and Little Timber
creeks and the Sweet Grass derive
their principle sources from the
Crazy mountains. A plateau of un-
even table lands separates them
from the Musselshell, and the whole
area drained by them is vast
pasture, rich in bunch and buffalo
grasses. This part of the basin is
generally notable for its pine TIM
Der and grazing lands, the arabic
portions being confined to some
what narrow valleys of the tribu-
taries. In the hills upon the south
side limestone abounds, and coal
can be found everywhere through
out the bad-lands in inexhaustible
quantities. Much of the land of
this region could be made produc-
tive by means of thorough irriga-
ton, and when this is accomplish
ed, the agricultural area can be in
creased four fold. Some of the
soil of this district which appears
sterile and useless, with water can
be made wondrously fruitful, as
has been frequently tested in q
small way.
The Saltwater on the south side
Trains fine region, the country at
is source being rich in timber and
and its valley contains
some splendid land. On the north
side opposite its mouth, is broad
'ich bottom nearly all occupied
BY actual settlers.
The road from here leads over
broken hills to the upper end Of
Ilark's Fork bottom.
ITO BE CONTINUED