The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1884-07-04

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of miles into the wilderness, whittier they
could be transported only on pack-horses or
in barges, slo WY cordeled against the muddy
current of the Missouri and Yellowstone.
Lewis and Clarke had been almost given
up as lost, and their return, in September,
1906, with the news of the country around
the headwaters Of the Missouri, created the
most intense excitement. Early the next
spring Emmanuel Lisa, who had hitherto
traded on the upper Mississippi, assembled
with a large party the Missouri and Yellow
stone, and built trading post on the latter
river, at the mouth Of the Bghorn, which
was kept up a number of years and becam e
known throughout the Northwest as Man
ueI Lisa's Fort" Golfer had probably re-
turned with him and entered the mountains
on trapping expedition from this post when
taken by the Blackfset, as related above.
But Lisa wished TO extend the scope Of his
operations still further west, and returning
TO St. Louis, he with eleven others formed
the Missouri Fur Company, with a capital Of
forty Thousand dollars, and the year 1909
found him again ascending the Yellowstone.
Crossing the Belt range over the Bozeman
Pass, he established post at the confluence
OF the "Three Forks" of the Missouri, at the
lower end Of the Galiatin valley. But few
years ago the remains of his stockade might
still be seen OH the banks of the Madison,
but have now been washed away by the en-.
croachments of the river. This was a very
favorable point, as many trails emerged mere
from all points Of the compass; but its draw
backs were still greater, for past 1t led the
high road over which the Blackfeet war par
ties travelled on their marauding excursions
az ainst the Shoshones, the Bannacks, aud
the Crows. The valleys along the Three
Forks have not within historical times been
the home of any Indiaa tribe, although a
remarkable "kitchen hidden" in the Gala
tin valley indicates that here was at one time
the site Of a permanent village. The region
was debatable ground. War parties of all
the surrounding tribes secured 1t, and al
though the Blackfeet claimed it and were the
scourge and dread of the neighborlng tribes
and the white trappers Gas within our own
memory Of the first miners and farmers OF
Montana,) yet their real home lay farther
north on the Teton and Marias rivers, and
they never remained here long But they
came too often for the success of Manuel
Lisa. His stock was stolen, his hunting and
trapping parties harrassed and killed, and
even the fort itself attacked. The enterprise
proved q failure. Lisa himself with the
greater number of his men went down the
Missouri with their small collection of furs,
leaving his associate, Henry, to hold the fort.
But 1t soon became untenable, and TO save
the lives of himself aud bis men, Henry was
forced TO abandon 1t and retreat up the Mad
ison and across the mountains TO Snake
river. Here he built the first American ira
ding post on the Pacific slope, and his name
Is deservedly perpetuated in Henry's Lake
and Henry's fork of Snake river.
The story of Astor's futile attempt to gain
control of the fur trade ON the Columbia is
familiar to all through Irving's fascinating
work, "Astoria." He had sent out land par
ties as we'll as ships, and, after the failure Of
his Pacific establishment, he continued the
trade on the upper Missouri aud in the
Rocky Mountains. His company was the
North American, and it was the only associ-
alton engaged in the western trade which
was not controlled In St. Louis. The Brit
ish fur traders had also long owned estab-
lisEments within the territory of the United
States, but were expelled from the country
east Of the mountains in 1915 by an act Of
Congress.
The expeditions heretofore referred to had
all passed north and west of the National
Park; but the St. Louis merchants had grad
ually extended their operations up the Ar
kansas and Platte rivers, and after Ashley's
successful trading ventures (ls23-27), reach
ing across the Rocky Mountains into central
Utah, the yearly rendezvous and center of
the fur trade became for a number Of years
established on the Sweet Water branch Of
the Platte and on Green liver, the source of
the Colorado. In 1927 the Rocky Mountain
Fur Company bought out Ashley, and under
its leaders, Sublette, Smith and Jackson, and
later, Bridger and Fitzpatrick, bands of trap
pers secured the entire country surrounding
the Park. But somehow, as before remark
ed, all trails seem to have led around the
enchanted land, which was only entered ac-
cidentally by q very few.
have been unable to find any published
account indicating an earlier visit by white
men to the geyser basins than the year 1880.
This Is in q volume published in 1871, but
copyrighted In 1869, and therefore before the
date of the Washburn. Doane expedition, by
which the region In question became first
generally known. The book Is q history Of
the fur trade and the settlement of Oregon,
especially as bearing on the life Of Joseph
Meek, q trapper 10 the employ Of the Rocky
Mountain Fur Company, from whose per-
sonal relation of bis life It purports TO be
written. Meek and his party were surprised
by the Blackfeet in the Gallatin Mountains,
In the western part of what is now the Park.
In the confusion he was separated from bis
companions, and after wandering several
days had a remarkable experience:
N'ou tuC FSiJ ttoon
and windy one, having breakfasted on his
remaining piece of mutton, being desirous
to learn something Of the progress he had
made, he assembled q low mountain In the
neigbborhood of his camp, and behold! the
whole country beyond was smoking with the
vapor from boiling springs, and burning with |
gases issuing from small craters, each of
which was emitting sharp, whistling sound.
"When the first surprise Of this astonish-
Ing scene had passed, Joe began to admire irs
effect In an artistic point Of view. The |
morning being clear, with q sharp frost, he
thought himself reminded of the city of
Pittsburg, as he had beheld 1t on winter |
morning, a couple Of years before. This,
however, related only TO the rising smoke
and vapor; for the extent Of the volcanic |
region was immense, reaching far out Of
sight. The general face Of the country was
smooth and rolling, being level plain, dot
ted with cone shaped mounds. On the sum