The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1883-07-04

ulIS plhCc. KNOW AltcIWNIu 10 cfsScS
bottom, the Indians made some threat
ening maneuvers, but few rounds OF
shell dispersed them.
IL CHAPTER XIV.
EXPLORATION OF THE NATIONAL PARK
O'HARE AND HIS sCARE.-INbrAN WHISKY
AND.ITs RESULTS.
Capt. Jones, of the Engineer Corps,
headed an exploring expedition to the
National Park this season, with him were
topographers, geologists and other scien-
fists. The party took m escort from
Camp Brown on Little Wind river, which
consisted of thirty soldiers, of the Second
Cavalry, forty Shoshone Indians and two
sheepeater guides. To transport his
supplies he had a pack train of forty
mules. His course lay along the wagon
road made by the Big Horn expedition
of 1870, till he arrived at the Sinking
Water river. He went up the north fork
of this stream, for sixty miles on large
elk trail that leads through a pass in the
high range between this river and the
Yellowstone.
From the summit of this pass can be
seen one of the most facinating views in
America. The writer saw it first through
the clear and yet hazy appearing air, one
quiet morning in July, just as the sun
was rising At ten miles distance in an
air line, and three thousand feet below
lies the beautiful Yellowstone lake. 1t
had the shape of q hand, with the palm
turned up; the thumb was on the oppo-
site side from me, and the fingers were
outspread, near the middle of the palm
were three islands covered with vegata-
ton. On its shining surface were tiny,
moving specks of white, which after
ward found to be pelicans. From its
edge at several places the steam from the
hot springs rose straight in the air; on
the side nearest me, jets Of steam from
the Steamboat springs arose and fell.
Over the lake and far to the west a heavy
column of steam from the Fire Hole
geysers, arose as cloud. could see the
creeks as bright threads winding their
way through the dense timber to the
lake On each side were tall sharp cut
peaks with their SUBMITS warmly tinged
by the Ito me) hidden sun, and in my
rapture l thought, this is the grandest
scene on earth.
The high range through which this
trail runs and which extends to the ex-
treme head of the Yellowstone, was ap-
propriately named by Captain Jones, the
Sierra ShOsllone. From here the party
went to the lake, falls and geysers, and
when returning to camp Brown went up
the Yellowstone to its head, and across
to and down Wind river. The measure
ments of heights and depths and alti-
tudes, taksn in the park by Jones' party
can be accepted as the most reliable
given by any explorer, and the maps
made by his topographen are substanti-
ally correct.
~ A few weeks before this expedition
came to Sinking water; Nelson Yarnall
and E. s. Topping started from Bozeman
to prospect that stream for gold. They
went up the Yellowstone to and by the
Clarke's Fork mines, where they were
joined by Pat O'Aare and the three went
down Clarke's Fork to the prairie. At
their first camp below the mountains on
q stream, which ever since has been
called O'Hare creek Pat O'Hare, who
was near sighted, thought he saw Indi-
ans; the other two had seen the same,
and it was but band Of antelope, that
were running swiftly along the brow of
q hill, which hid all Of them but their
bobbing heads. O'Hare could not be
persuaded twas antelope, even after he
was shown the tracks made by them; at
dark he saddled and packed up and took
the back trail to the mines. Six days
afterward he arrived at the miners
cabins afoot, hungry and worn out. His
story ran, that he l,adridden into a large
party of Indians, who commenced firing
at him, and he left his horses, and run
ming to rayine near by, pulled off his
boots and sneaked up It till he found a
good hidine place, where he hid all the
next day that night he pursued his
journey and had a hard time with hum
ger and his bare feet till the next even
ing, when he luckily shot and killed an
elk. He wrapped his feet in pieces Of i:s
skin, and hobbled to his destination. He
said also that he had heard heavy firing
from where the other boys were camped,
and that, probably. they were dead. Ten
tminers volunteered to 60 down and see,
and bury them if necessary they did
30, guided by OHare, and found at the
camp, just the relics Of a fire, and no
signs Of Indiais having been there.
O'Hare's horses and the scattered pack
and saddles were found and the relief
party concluded that the scare came from
10 too highly excited imagination. The
evidence forced O'TIare to believe the
same, and he declared his intention,
never more to 60 into an Indian country
which resolution he has kept.
Yarnall and Topping had gone across
the divide to Singing water; near the
forks Of that stream they were chased by
. war party of Arrapahoes for two miles
the boys found good position and stop
ped; the Arrapohoes also stopped and
went back. From here the gold hunters
travelled up the north fork. prospecting as
they went, to the pass across the Sierra
Shoshone, then came back; when about
half Of the wav down to the forks, and
while in camp they saw Captain Jones'
Shoshones coming, and thinking them
Arrapohoes, prepared for fight; hav-
ing good position they had no fears as
| to the result, still were relieved when the
soldiers came in sight. Af9er months
prospecting on the south fork ofStinkinp
water without finding ray !; the two went
over to the Yellowstone lake and down
to settlements.
Amos Benson and Dan Naileieh built
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