The Billings herald. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1882-1885, 1883-02-15
THE SURROUNDING COUNTRY.
Second of Series of Articles on
the Country Surrounding and
Tributary to Billings.
THE CROW RESERVATION.

THE CROW RESERVATION.
Stretching over $50 miles along
the southern bank of the Yellow.
stone, and thence southwark to the
Wyoming line, an average distance
: ofscventy miles, lies the great Crow
Reservation. Its total area, at the
lowest estimate, is 100000 acres
a region greater in extent than any
Of the New England States, with
the single exception of Maine. No
district of equal extent i'll Montana
is worthy Of comparison with this
great Indian Reservation. 1t is
rich in mineral wealth, abounds
with game, comprises excellent cat
tie ranges, and large proportion
of it's area is easily reclaimable and
fertile farming land. White men
murmur, and justly: at the devotion
of this magnificent country to the
wants of less than three thousand
Indians, who utilize it only as a
camping ground and as pasturage
for their ponies.
In accordance with the existing
feeling, a strong and promising
effort is now being made to secure
the rctrocession of that part of the
reservation lying west of the Big
Horn rivera tract of country
100 miles in length and averaging
seventy miles in width. The Big
Horn range Of mountains with its
system of spurs, foothills and
counter-ranges, makes a great belt
of rugged country across the south
ern boundary of this part of the
Reservation. In the extreme west
ern portion of this chain of mount
aims are the Clark's Fork gold and
silver mines, and the mineral bear
ing district extends eastward within
the Indian country, and, it is said,
offers prospects more promising
than the already encouraging dis
coveries in the Clark's Fork region.
The perpetually snow-covered Big
Horn range gives birth to numerous
creeks and streams, which, flowing
northward to join the Yellowstone,
renders the Reservation the best
watered portion of Montana. of
these the Big Horn is the greatest,
as it is the most important tributary
Of the Yellowstone.
The Big Horn, with its system OF
branches and feeders, is no insight
ficant river, and drains a basin of
unsurpassed beauty and fertility.
Beauvais Creek flowing southeast
to join the main stream eighteen
miles above Fort Custer, is the prin-
cipal tributary from the West.
Pryors Creek flows out of a gap or
canyon in the mountains and hur-
ries away through beautiful val
ley to join the Yellowstone sixty
five miles away, and at a point ten
miles below Billings. In the never
freezing springs about the source of
this river, ducks in great numbers
may be found throughout the win
ter; and this locality is also a IA
vorite winter resort for white tailed
deer and other large game.
Duck Creek, which joins the Vel
lowstonc river eight miles above
Billings, is also peculiar from the
fact that it remains clear Of ice
throughout the year. 1t has its
source in warm mountain springs,
flows rapidly throughout it's course,
and consequently never freezes.
This feature will be of great future
value to the stockman who is fortu-
nate enough to secure the adjacent
range.
From the magnitude of the
stream itself and the extent, beauty
and fertility of the country which
it drains, the Clark's Fork is the
most important tributary of the
upper Yellowstone. Rising in the
mountains and receiving numerous
small feeders, it flows nearly one
hundred miles through a valley
which is destined to support large
farming population.
Rock Creek, flowing into the
Fork twelve miles above its conhu-
ence with the Yellowstone, waters
o country which will eventually be-
come valuable from the existence of
coal in large quantities and of an
; excellant quality.
The Three Boulder creeks, which
join and form the western boundary
of the reservation, have their source
in a district rich in gold bearing