The Dillon tribune., 1883-11-17
Western Ramblings.
Special Correspondence.


Leaving Pocatello aboard the Utah an,
Northern railway, branch Of the Cnioi
Pacific, We went due north through ra,h
er uninsiting country, with the exception
off here and there narrow valleys Of tilabl;
land. For hundred miles or more ".
travelled through Idaho north Of Pocatello
until We struck the Rocky mountain range
that is the dividing line between Idaho and
Montana, where through Beaver Canyon
we entered into the last named Territory
and found a splendid country in the Bea.
verhead Valley. Dillon, the principal town
is place supported by the farming inter.
ests Of the valley. It Is situated some for.
~ or fifty miles west Of Virginia City, a
range Of snow.capped mountains being be.
tween.
Passing along through canyons and mar.
row valleys along the Big Hole river, a
higher elevation was noticeable; in some
places the SHOWS that covered the noun.
tains came down into the valleys, and
along west Of Butte City, famous mining
camp, and through the Deer Lodge Valley
We noticed much Of the small grain vet
standing in The field and some vet to be
harvested. Crops were very good, such as
wheat and oats. also potatoes and some
other vegetables; no corn Is raised. The
soil is rich black loan: farming is done BY
irrigation.
Deer Lodge is a fine town and the coun-
ty seat Of Deer Lodge county. Fourteen
miles further north Is station called Gar.
rison. where the Utah and Northern road
connects with the Northern Pacific, some
sixty miles west Of Helena, and severity.
five miles cast of Missoala. The Union
Pacific company have only quite recently
completed their road to this juncture with
the Northern Pacific, consequently CARR.
son Is one Of those new towns ~ hard to
describe. Both companies have car fitted
up for IN Office; the cars are anchored on
piles Of railroad ties, about fifty feet apart;
the express Office Il q board shanty with
canvas cover; two lunch rooms in tents,
two board shanty restaurants, one saloon
IN tent and one In 4 board .hanty, make
up the town; one other board shanty was
In course Of construction. Just west a
mile and hail. the Northern Pacific com.
pany had laid out town and already spent
considerable money expecting It to be the
juncture Of the Union Pacific, but the lat.
ter company could not see II in that light,
hence there IL considerable rivalry and not
much accommodation by the N. p. fello rs
at the real Junction, but they will have to
come to It, and let their little pet scheme
die and the U. P.'s scheme thrive without
doubt. Already the Studebaker Bros, Of
South Bend, Ind, have bought twenty five
acres Of land Al the Junction and will erect
large buildings ~ carriage and wagon de.
pository from whence to supply the west
with their goods. The junction Is formed
where there is fine level prairie In be.
tween the streams along which the U. p.
road runs and the bluffs along which the
n. P. courses its way. At this three weels
old town We were compelled to lay over
twenty hours. Being the first to apply for
quarters at one Of the board hotels, we 20.
got good bed tut had to 20 out 10 give
room to set the tables. About dusk mum.
her Of Indians of the Shoshone tribe came
down out Of the hills and seemed to look
on with wonder and surprise ut the sudden
activity Of this heretofore quiet spot.
While waiting in the station car, Willing
away the long tedious hours, we overheard
many queer conversation. Says the
agent, young, spooney, Boston youth.
II have only been west six weeks, but l
was not long in catching onto the racket,
and am no longer = tcnderflot, but tell
you, boys, you would have had fun IL you
seen me the first day landed and went to
work at an out.of.the. way station as opera.
tor. When went to supper the first thing
the fat, old, greasy hash singer did was to
shove an old tin pan under my nose, give
me an iron knife and fork, ard nv coffee
in an old battered tin cup. Thinks /, have
got to get used 10 this music? l did not
eat much supper. did some better for break
fast, and by noon my appetite was such
wv "0s S"sS uOW ubC BguO Cdi1Ics OUu !
am broke In long ago, and now can sit and
laugh all night at tcnderioot." Said an.
other fellow: "Down at Cosmos, in Idaho,
l got splendid grub at place where they
fed horses in one stall and the people In the
very next stall, and the man who curried
the horses did the cooking" Then those
same young men got to talking about their
homes way down East. One said he would
just like TO see old Boston and get piece |
Df ginger bread and a pint Of pea nuts and !
sit down and enjoy the scenes Of real East.
ern life,
Morning came and so did the train about |
10 O'Clock. We made out, after desperate
effort, to crawl aboard the train, after pitch.
ing our trunk aboard without checking il.
One man got his baggage aboard but got
eft, as he failed to catch on in time. \
'un Of four miles brought US to Independ.
nee Creek, where the last spike on the n.
7. r. r. was driven few weeks ago. The
,reen arbors and seats were yet to be seen