New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-26
EXPLORING MONTANA
WITH THE NORTHERN TRANsCONTNENTAL
SURVEY.

FLATHEAD AGENCY, Jocko Valley, Mon, July
25-In few weeks this beautiful valley VIII DO only
I'VE six days from NewYork for just at the foot OF
the mountains which around It's ffy square miles
smooth praries station the Northern Pacic nameu
Arlee after old Flahead Chief But the unfortunate
people who get their first glimpse Of 1t from car WIN
dow will realize how fair is the prospect offers
to who, having followed lonely Indian trail Tor
days at last rides out Of the timber the crest OF one Oh
the ridges which wall 1t in and suddenly sees below
him the white buildings OF the agency gittering ~
the green line OF foliage along the creek which hurres
through toward the north to meet the clear waters OF
the Jocko. Tho bands o. sleek cattle and ponies the
snug log houses OF the who nhabit them the we'll
fenced squares OF growing grain the long, straight WIN
drows Of freshy-cured hay and the moving macn'ho'
cutting their way through the altogether
picture of pastoral most refreshing 10 inc ego
which has become famarized with the rugged scenery
Of the unrecaimed mountain wilderness sboutit whether
Indians this happy valley will be made happier anu
better now that and electricity have brought them
into more immediate contact with the restless and resist
less forces of highly organized society, remains
to be Thefe now 1900 OF them scattered over
the 800 600 OF thereservaton-manyo
homes of their own, surrounded by unmistaKaDle e'
dences not of comfort ony-:or the most thress are
sereney comforable-but OF an acquired hhDt OIL ooh
ing forward of working, earning and saving
on THE HIGH PLAINS.
The railroad has rudey broken IN upon the quiet and
seclusion OF the valley, but only few miles from 'ne
lie stretches OF forest and plain yet practically
unknown to white men. 1t has lately been the good
OF your correspondent to traverse one OF these
regions with exploring party OF che Northern l"hs
continental Survey Setting out from Logans kahch
the Little Blackfoo the route lay through snowshoe
Gulch to the Valley OF Nevada Creek, by way
OF a decayed village known as Blackfoot CITY,
across the Big Backfoot. and It's North FORK
TO the valley OF the Cottonwood, thence over the
Divide to the hich the Jocko and down the
South Fork OF this river to the agency. For two days
the packlrain followed wagon road through country
which would be pronounced well settled according to
the Montana standard. This means that the ranches
only three miles apart By many OF the log
houses stand tall agstafs. from which an ensign IL uh-
urled at dinner time that the men whoaie not st"oA
too far away to SEQ and ride home to their
MONDAY meal The altitude OF the broad plains here Is
5000 feet ana above this level rise great rolling
hills whose bro wn sides, notified with tufts oil gray
bunch grass generally as smooth as the plain Inc
wate-courses In the valleys marked by lines OF cot
tonwood willows aders and the delicate foliage OF the
Western birch For the the land is treeless save
where procession OF yellow pines or red frs In single
flo climb mp some gully on the hillsides. few
miles away can be seen higher ridges, which are
well mbcred they rise into moster air and beyond
these tower the snowy submits OF si pitier rnnges
Following general Of the waters toward tho
west north the mountains slowly close In upon the
road fades away into Indian trail the typographical
maps bring the ranges together with the flowing
between them through long Corgcs But IA reality here
are thousand square miles OF open plain which sToh
more beautiful and fertile the elevation decreases.
Tie OF the long grass shows that II is snow
covered winter that stock cannot shit For Itself 10
the bands OF cattle and horses do m other parts of the
Territory, The snow blows away and itaVc- tue
grass the hills os wiu'er pasture But abound
in= water makes irritation cay ia every NHii'y hn hy
gathered III every bottom ~ tie last cabin on
the trail "a sunhIONucd man. with shrewd, doNncnst
face was sheatng hl' mock oil 900 sheep ana INC eccs
averaged eight pounds each. He considered himself AN
old settler, having held his outpost of civilization for
nne months aud wasalreadl looking forward 10 another
remove lie bad heard that some one had filed claim
for a homestead within few milc- ~ bis ranch ard bo
"didnt Ike Ia have any ona ero~dln OF MIN lie viii
hardly nnd land OF iaircr promise In unseed part
BackfOot where the begin cluster in frequent
groups and reach noble growth TO the timber tho
tile soil vita abundant wood and water which In this
country must insure prosperous future for agricul-
turSl enterprise
An INDIAN TRAIL
The trail strikes timber few hours beyond the shep
herds cabin for nity miles continuous
forest At first there occasional meadow spuccs In
old lake bottoms aud fair asursee In TIE opeu roll
Ing woodland But tue ground grows moro rugged until
finally trail winds along prccipous slopes and
steep ages IN beautiful lakes which feed the Iocko
OF course an Indian thin * OF removing
Gle from his rath II Is easier :or any given Journey
wind around tree that blown gcro,. bis track than
TO cut through IT, and the next look
himself AS cOnseq1encc an Indian trail becomes
less obvious and devious the longer II has been
travelled This particular one has been In for prob
ahly 1000 years AMI It has therefore reached AL
yanced stage OF crookedness and obscurity II Ia
neither difficult dangerous. mule. fired with
ambition make shipwreos Of his pack. can nui oppor
tunities to roll down into many river with load Of
bedding or scatter the fragments OF camp kitchen
along The pIecirltou4 sides OF many deep canon
How longthe trail orauy part Il would Be II stretched
an, into something like rectitidc. is problem which
baGles mathematics. But measuring by Time. II Il GER
tain that for the three days the explorers foloN Ell
I, No human being or sigu Of human babitatou
ern II nad plainly been usel NJ no distant day 10y
anJ Of Indians the mead OF Nh elk, with The horns
md tail. of several deer lett haukng hY the ashes OF
their can fires showed That they ana MOI travel nun
grv Game be taken In abundance by css sklifn
hners The deer tame thatfho general ciJmor
and caiter made BY dozen horsoncn and pack tram
OF az many animals not 20 speak OF ire spec al c1hoa
~ addressed 10 the mules did not frghrn them al TO
cover aud and then wolf wond loe SLOWLY away |
into the deep woods Bears o. several Aiiu' ana "biie
goats abound In the mountains Ire game !, not pro-
feced In the reservation by the lawH which are made
for the of the Territory bui tue Indians orig XIII
What they aud are not such Wahlrn muidrrers AS
white spotsIncn Nevtrhele' VINE" Inc cnrca,s OF no
buck be bought for doar OF two ana "heh IOooo
drcr-sEins he collected by Two or three traders IN
hcnd Lake ast winter. II VIII take only lew ycaIs to
work their practical determination Before reaching
fLcy had al last OyertakcD the troGt belt which had
been fleeing before them for 200 miles: But Major
founders in the river us beyond or In the JOckO al
er season. and the explorers gathered up their tackle
"cc more 10 pursue this phantom fish in waters stu
moro remote.
FOREST WEALTH.
Along the entire route from the rolling plains of the
upper Backloo region TO the narrow valley near this
point into which cascade drops from the SHOWS 1000
fee, above the ever-vayng scenery is continual de-
Iiobt The banks Of the frequent streams all Dor
dercd with a uxuriant growth OF bircfes, mountain ma
pies aders and willows. their deep frightened by
the snowy white flowers Of western lhilacphus In
,uu bloom and the waters transparent that the
rich color red and green sncs aud quarlze which
farm their beds are clearly visible where horse can
fIrn,.L I'M hn