The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1884-11-26
The Little Rockies.
Yellowstone 10 urnal.

l~1elICWSUoue J0uIndLJ
An interview was had yesterday with
MI. v. Van Buren, who has recently
returned from the mouth Of He'll creek
on the Missouri, and he brings some
very interesting information relative to
the Little Rockies where fully three
hundred men will winter amid the
placers Of that region which during the
past year has attracted SO many of the
venturesome fortune seekers to its con
fines. Most of the miners are making
big wages he claims; sometimes, three
Of them working together, taking out as
high as one hundred dollars per day !;
while it has been no uncommon thing
for people to pick up nuggets worth SIG
to ST. so each. Mansfield, on the Little
Rocky creek, is a place of some promise.
Tom O'Hanlon has a general store here,
and is twenty-four miles from Rocky
Point. Near there a vein of rich gold
bearing quartz three feet thick has been
struck.
Our informant does not regrrd Milk
river as a practicable stream for cattle
men, as it is very muddy with bad
banks, While along it's bed, at times,
there is no water procurable for the dis
lance OF five, ten or twenty miles. AT
Belknap, Gros Ventres and A%ssinaboine
Indians are largely scattered around,
and they extend out twenty-five miles
beyond to the eastward. They come
into the agency frequently in small
bands. They are living comfortably in
huts, all Of them being engaged in farm
ing. Major Lincoln, their agent, is a
gentleman highly regarded by both
Indians and whites. In farming and
gardening they make a very creditable
showing, especially o potatoes, twenty
three Of which weighed sixty-five
pounds. They have just cribbed some
squaW corn, as it is termed, and the
same ran from IS to 40 bushels to the
acre. Oyer sever thousand bushel of
potatoes have been stored for winter use.
Their camp extends to Clear creek, and
they all live in comfortable log houses.
Good corrals exist for stock which they
and regularity as do the farmers of the
east. They have between four and five
hundred head of states cattle on the
agency grounds, together with some
very fine mich cows. The success of
the Indians in their farming exploits
have been SO great, that during the past
three months it has been Unnecessary to
issue them anything in the eating or
drinking line outside Of tea, coffee, sugar
and some other like d~elicacies.
During his journey Mr.. Van Buren,
made a trip over TO Fo1t Assinaboine
which he found nicely built up with
brick and a copious water supply taken
from Bears Paw mountains, five miles
distant. Well constructed hydrants
spurted %copiously forth the sparkling
fluid in its purity. In the vicinity Of
the fort, especially for five miles around
it a fine crop Of vegetables was observed,
and the ranchmen claim that a very ex-
t%raordinary season has just been closed
which is very favorably to them finan-
cially and otherwise. Agent Lincoln
says this fact is very encouraging in
view Of the fact that in past years the
ranchmen have not been SO kindly
favored.
The Poplar Creek Indians are quite
restless and very much dissatisfied with
the idea of being christianized and civil
lied too quickly. The methods adopted
seem so be rather to previous for their
comprehension. However, in time,
they will kindly succumb as many
others have done before them.
The cattle men are not suffering any
this year from Indian d~epredations.
Lang, Scott & Co.. hold forth In this
section, and others whom we shall speak
of in another article, are close at hand
intending that their fortunes shall
spread out as this promising section of
the country developes.
Mr.. Van Buren, is strongly of the
opinion that the country above spoken
OF has a grand future before it, and that
it is destined to be opened up quite
speedily. He is firm in the belief that a
road ought to be constructed from Miles
City to He'll creek, as this will be a short
cut into a rich and inviting section of
country. This, he claims, ought to be
speedily done so that Glendive may not
get in ahead of our people when the lat
ter have really the better route than
the n would be to the point just
named. It is 10 be hoped that our peo-
pie will properly interest themselves in
this important direction.
His heart was full of burning desire
TO say something not only compliment
airy, but brilliantly suggestive, SO after
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