New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-22
MONTANA SKETCHES.
THE HILLS AND WATERS NEAR BOHEMIAN.
PLANTS THAT ARE STRANGE AND TROUT THAT ARE
STRANGER, ESPECIALLY TO THE HOOK.

TOOK "a Oauu Oh explorers o'h0is
whose atsnments were not so burdensome as to inter-
fere with their appetes comfort. Bozeman, which
lies good mile above sea level and some 100 miles
beyond st. Paul the line of the Northern Pacific road
not OF those towns Of yesterday which sprang out
OF the ground In front OF the railroad construction
trains Twenty years prospecors and miners began
TO drift toward the rich gold diggngs in the northwest
ern part OF MOntana,-it then Dakota,-and the
same season forward-ooking ranchman set mp his
cabin upon this spacious plain. In 1864 1t was evident
that this to he the trading centre OF the rich valley
and the town OF Bozeman started with six substantial
houses. Refugee COnfedeTates from Missouri,-known
locally still as Prices Left Wing,"-men who had %
better stomach for the pes OF the frontier than for civ
iized fighting, throngng here the bushwhack-
ing warfare at home made life unpleasant In 1857
Fort Ellis located in the valley and with this add-
tona reinforcement against the Indians who had stub
bornly contested every foot OF ground with the new
cOmers the settlement grew rapidly; and the railroad
which reached here in March last found thriving city
of 5000 inhabitants, with schools, churches, news
papers, large mercantile houses weappointed whskey
saloons gambling hes and other evidences of advanced
Christian civilization.
Mountains piled up confusedly in every direction
about the BOzeman Valley the SUBMITS Of the higher
peaks glitterng with snow The challenge to climb 10
not TO be resisted. Only eight miles away towers MI.
Brdger at the extremity Of spur from the great Belt
range II rises nearly 5000 feet above he level OF the
plain, and despite its rugged look the ascent Is CON-
paratively easy. But TO gather Alpine flowers from
among its and return before nigfal would oc-
cupy all the hous OF busy day even here at the north
where summer days long. Myrtle Lake, which lies
fourteen miles away in the Galatn range and is said TO
const OF trout and in equal proportions, Is there
fore selected the point to attain, and party OF half
Dozen with guide IA galopping toward the foot
hills. II is seven miles TO the mountain trail The
noble sky line OF the mountain ranges and the grand
nj OF Freedom and enlarge
under the spacious sky the eIhilaratng motion
through the upper air. all combine to make such ride
memorable TO those whose senses have been schooled
under strangely different influences In the East and Is
small wonder that the Wild delights OF this new expert
ence find expression In uncivilized shouts and GEES
lures.
THE FLORA OF THE MOUNTAINS.
II only the larger features OF the scene which
are novel The vegetation. from the grasses on which
the herds of feeding the dark forests which
cothe the TANKS Of the mountain, belongs TO nora
whose forms are new and strange. The plain s bright
with larkspurs and upins. gillardias and phlo1es'
geraniuns risss and forget-mo nots but the flowers
are not those known at the East. Even the roses,
white and pink. which bloom among the shrubs along
the gues have an unfamiliar look. At the base OF the
mountain stands stuned red cedar which makes itself
nj home both sces OF the continent The note CT the
ila song-sparrOv also be heard In the chorus OF
alien bird music But the familiar sights and SOUNDS
are few that they only TO remind one how Tar
away he Ia from the things he knows best ana prizes
most.
Up the narrow trail in single lie the stout little horses
begin TO climb The broncho blood enables them 10 pick
their way with footed over fallen timber and
slippery rocks OF science whose lighting weight
Is els pounds light burden for the stocky roam
pony under him. and the summit OF the first divide Is
gained with hardly rest. IL isn't much OF hI for
Montana but II is good thousand feet higher than the
FL ,sf.. hiatus
the batemcnted cliffs OF Bozeman Canon and the wider
prospect along the plain 10 the endless mountain belt
beyond all beloved Ike troubled into snowy peaks
ana ridges memories forever TO any one whose good
fortune has been them through the clear morn
ing air.
II early spring at this altitude, and near the few re-
naming snow patches the beautiful Western dog-Iooth
violet Is swinging it, yellow BELLS strange aqueglas aud
yolets are opening, and the delicate twn-hower Il
breathing It's spicy fragrance. An amelanobior belong
Ing to the Pacific fora. which fruiting In the valley at
this altitude Is just unfolding ts white bloom Lower
down the ue bird cherry and the red beried elder are
In full flower Is the mountain ash. here only small
shrub but plainly beautiful than the foreign
variety common IN Eastern gardens. All the way up
the slope from which the original forest has been swept
away by fire stands dense thcket Of PinW huTdvnHd'
the least valuable OF the pines The fire which Killed the
hope Of nobler growth only 10 open the tough
variety and scatters seeds over the charcd
ground which in turn seems To extend a peculiarly
ho-pitabc welcome sowing OF this kind And here
ia onother example OF what seems 10 the general
under which the quycrca poplar al the NORTH the Ola
field pine AT the SOUTH and other less dcsinnc trce
take possession OF tho laud from which the better WOOD
has been burned.
AMoNG TIE coNTERs.
From the ridge the trail leads down the face OF u
steep incline TO the bottom OF gorge through which
foams and tumblcs title stream fed by the melting
snows above The water Is ice cold now, but II Will be
i.af,v a.
ney OF $500 miles through the Galatn, Missouri and
M.sis,ppi rivers 20 the Gulf Of Mexico. Then comes
another ascent after which tho trail leads through one
OF the evergreen forests Of this region The trees are
mainly red nr. but among them ARE found scattering
groups OF Fbuw geTs and Ab'es snbdipid, with fere
aud there white spruce. The timberi not OF great
size but some OF the red frs have attained 10 noble pro-
portions The borders OF tho wood are bright with tho
rcnre flowers Of the painted cup, and the snowy bloom
OF "A Western ,ubus which here takes the place Of the
lilac colorcd flower well known ON Eastern NOUN
tanA Roses red and white abound, and clenatls win
large blue bells chambers over shrubs Of mcnAesia ana
variety OF bucklebcrry with delicate cfehI-cooiou now
In the gloomy depths Of the wood there is little under
crnwtn and II must be confessed that conitcTous forest
S,hcn obsrryed from within without sadly lacks the
interest variety. There IA an unNurylhg fepelton OF
the same forms and cOor- and arrangements. In Tue
best OF these forests there IA grandeur In inc trees
whose trunks rise on every mana stthlknt anu hl III
trry Of the forest depths most impressive But al
ms becomes wcarsOmc and oppressive at last Tor want
OF relief and shaug When seen ut some distance WIN
the spry tors the trees ri-ng rank above n ME an
army with banners climbing the broad HANKS OF
mountain in endless procession, the DARK wO0us pro
fonndly impress bchOlder with feeling Of their nm
itr.s extent ana the conqucng force with winch they
sweep over and possess the land Perhaps In region Oh
lowering heights aud distances forest OF this Kind
/, hotter adapted to give emphasis ana unity 10 me
grandeur OF the scenery than the brighter f0age ana
more varied forms OF dcciduOus wood But after All
one cannot help longing for the glory or the oaks ana
bccchcs aud naples of the East.
THE MYSTIC TROUT OF MYSTIC LAKE.
The wood comes to an end ut last on the descending
slope OF another mountain aud the party one by one
gallon out into open another striking prospect bursts
into view In front the grassy slope falls TO snow-ied
brook which sparhles through the ragne Beyond this
rises mountain whose steep ascent is forest clad to the
pase Of perpendicular elm which crowns Its summit
Nenr the bottom OF this mountain the forest opens into
several parklke spaces OF few acres In extent which
seem like abodcs OF peace rs one looks down into then