The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1883-10-10

| The bodies were found but a short dis
tance below and were taken up the river.
Thompson had been great favOrite with
Mr.. Story, and the body was brought to
Bozeman and a neat monument now
stands over his resting place. Steve Gage
was buried by the side of his father (who
had died at Benson's Landing the year
before) atethe ranch at Duck creek,
which ranch was the lowest on the river
from 1873 to rs.
In the early days and to 1873, buffalo
were plenty on the lower river. Clarke
IN 1906 speaks of having to lay over for
a long time to allow herd to cross the
river The writer has often seen miles
of prairie dotted black with them and
when they moved to feeding grounds or
were disturbed by Indian hunters they
went in great masses and behind them
strip of country miles in width would be
scanned with trails and cut up by their
hoofs. The Indians depended on them
for food and the white wolfers poisoned
their carcasses for wolf bats, yet all
together not more in number than the
natural yearly increase was killed.
In the winter of 1890, the Sioux
were kept quite close to their agencies
and white hunters commenced making a
business of killing the buffalo for their
pelts. Miles City (Which had had a faster
growth than any other and vas the lead
ing town of the Yellowstone) had mo-
nopoly of the robe trade and 5000 were
marketed there that season. During the
winter of l8SO-S1, more hunters were out
on the buffalo ranges than the season
before, and the output was in round
numbers 5000 pelts. But the most sue
cessful season for the skin hunters was
1SSl-82Avhen at different places along
the line of the Northern Pacific railroad
the traders bought 100000 skins. As
many hunters were out the winter of
1898, but either from the amount of
that game being shortened, or their going
to different feeding grounds, the number
of robes taken fell to 5000. Here we
have in four years time 255,0OO robes
sent to market. At an average of 800
pounds of meat for each buffalo killed,
there would be total of 76,50OO0O
pounds of meat; probably not more than
one-tenth Of this was hauled to market
and the remainder rotted on the prairie.
What text for sermon from philan-
thropist. But there's another side. As
these animals 60, the space that they
occupied is filled with domestic cattle,
and the absence of buffalo insures a ces-
sation of Indian wars; and will gradually
force the savages to till the land and with
the rest of mankind, earn their bread by
the sweat of their brow. When that
time comes, and not till then, will the
Indian question be solved.
All of the country bordering the Yel-
lowstone on the south, from Reservation
creek Ia small water course between
Rosebud and Big Horn) to the cast fork
of the Yellowstone, was included in the
Crow reservation and settlers were not
allowed thereon. In 1882 the Crows, for
compensation, ceded to the government
all that part of their domain lying above
the Boulder; in which part lay the min
ing districts of Boulder, Emigrant gulch,
Bear and Creviee gulches, and Clarke's
Fork, and a treaty is now in progress by
which the Crows take in severalty that
part OF their country lying on the waters
Of the Big and Little Horn and stated
sum of money yearly and give back to
! the government all of the remainder;
which treaty, if concluded, will open to
the public many fertile creek and river
bottoms and cattle range, large in are;.
and second in quality to none in the
world.
The headquarters and main resort of
the frontiersmen of the upper river was,
for several years, at Bebson's Landing
Here the trappers brought their furs and
here the traders came to buy; there(a (alas)
for poor whiskey, was spent great por-
tion of the money for which they had
imperiled their lives.
When the railroad was defnately To-
Gated, all could see, that where it crossed
and left the river, four miles above Ben
sons Landing, was natural location Tor
town, and there, early in the spring of
1882, people commenced to build. The
town, which was called Clarke City, had
| not been surveyed and but temporary
buildings were put up. 1t grew fast, and
as the railroad track came nearer, all of
the rough gang that precede the making
Of a western road came and stopped there
the winter of 1928 and made it hard
town.
In January of 1883 the railroad COM
pany completed the survey of a town
adjoining Clarke City, which was named
Livingston. The lots, though high in
price, sold readily and'when spring came
nearly all of the residents of Clarke City,
and many new comers. put upgood build
ings in the new town. The rough element
went on with the railroad track, and the
town settled down to prosperous career.
Situated at the gate Of the mountains,
Just where the Park branch roads joins
the main line and having tributary to it
J, considerable farming and grazing country
as well as coal, limestone and silver and
irn ores, it bids fair to be, in the nea,
future, town OF great importance. II
has now population Of 1000 people and
supports daily and two weekly papers
, When the Crow reservation is given
; back to the public domain Billings will
receive great impetus, for it is situated
, at the natural outlet for the most Of that
, country and when the big ditch, which
is in course Of completion, brings suffi
cient water to irrigate the fertile valley in
, which it is located, its population will bt
r trcbled
Within fifty miles of this town, nearly
: 5000 head of cattle range. This lis tht
e outfitting and shipping point for the cat
$ tie men and their trade, with that Of thu
e farmers and the freighters to the Magin
e mis- mines, make quite lively business
| ~ ~ s.v,