The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1884-04-23
TETON TALK.
A Trip up this Beautiful Valley as far as
@t5 Choteau. *

A Trip up this Beautiful Valley as far as
.t Choteau. A
Soon after leaving Fort Benton on
Friday morning the lowering clouds
disappeared, and / had a pleasant trip
in bright sunshine along the bench,
only descending to the Teton fiat at
Weatherwax's old place, fifteen miles
from town. Here the road again runs
up on the bench. leaving no convenient
opportunity for calling on the settlers.
The first ranch I came to was that OF ID.
G. Wilkins, formerlyof Smile springs,
but who is now engaged quite extern
sively in the horse business. Adjoining
him above lives his son-in-law, a recent
arrival from Minnesota. [ stopped for
the night with Mr.. Wilkins, and in the
morning, in company with that gentle
man, started IN toward Old Agency.
After crossing the river we again as
cended to the bluff, from which point
we had a fine view of 1.-The Knees"
Again descending to the bottom we
came to the ranches of Tranam and
Blackaby, and next to Henry Ken
nerly's. Henry was just recovering
from an attack OF rheumatism, but
proposed going to Benton in a few
days. He has one of the prettiest loca-
tons on the Teton, and can take out
water from the creek by a ditch less
than a mile long that will irrigate his
entire ranch. He is putting in a crop
of about % acres this year, and also
going quite extensively into turkey
raising, having a prize bred ''bronze
gobblern and two dozen hens. He has
two Indians working for him, and he
says the trouble is to keep them from
over eyartinp themselves.
A petition is being circulated to locate
a road from Fort Benton to- Choteau,
the present road never having been &C
cepted by the county. Ranchers are
settling up the valley quite thlckly, and
fencing in the road, so that it Is fully
time the road was definitely located,
and a little money expended IN lmproV-
ing portions of it. M r
Richter &c Hunt, the we'll known
wool growers, are located four miles
above Kennerly's, where they have
every convenience for their business.
But Notwithstanding their preparations
and experience, they lost a goodly NUM-
Der of sheep during the past severe
winter. zs j
Fifteen miles above we come to the
Muddy, where Mcdonald has every
thing ready to embark in the sheep
business, but is not living there at pres
ent. He expects to- drive in a band Of
sheep this spring. 5*sf
Above the Muddy there is scarcely a
cabin on the creek, although there seems
to be as good bottoms as any taken up.
Journeying on, towards dusk we We're
overtaken by a heavy rain storm, the
roads became heavy and sticky, and
darkness came upon lis with the wind
h ~,,. -<r .1o1t n 80 nj =, 10 mr. h ntnrannfc
generally as unpleasant as they well
could be. W. had to get out and walk
ahead to keep the trail, but finally the
situation became so distressing that we
camped for the night under the wagon
and got thoroughly chilled through.
About two o'clock the rain let up, and
as there was light enough to see the
road we at once resumed journey,
reaching Taylor's about four O'Clock,
where our every want was provided.
Mr.. Taylor has a section of fine bottom
land on Spring creek and the Teton,
but does not raise any crops yend
what he wants for his W use. He has
a large band of horses and one of the
finest Clydesdale stations in the u
try also a large herd of cattle. Mr. I.
has a good word to say of Fort Benton.
but he thinks our merchants are not
wide-awake enough, as they let those of
Helena and other points outstrip them
in many ways. He says the past win
ter, in point Of length, was the hardest
since 1870. The horses are scattered all
ever the country and there has been a
considerable loss of cattle. The grass is
very backward, and owing to cold
weather is not coming on at all.
The horse roundup on the Teton and
north fork of Sun river, starts on
Wednesday, the 10th.
The town of Choteau has had q dull
winter, but is expecting a continuation
of last years boom. Lots are held at
SI5O each by Mr.. HaZlett, the owner OF
the tow nsite.
Silverman & Cohen, from the Dear
born, are running a general merchan-
dising store in a tent at present. but have
bought property adjoining Richards
hotel and will put up a fine store build
ing this season.
A new school house will be erected
this year.
Tri-weekly mail between Sun River
| and Choteau started April 1st, and one
q week from here to Blackfoot agency
on Sunday.
Hamilton & Hazlett repo t a fair trade
during the winter, and of course expect
it to grow rapidly in the future.
Garrett & Gibson have q saloon and
| billiard hall and are doing a brisk trade.
| Theirnew house is almost completed and
is one Of the finest buildings in town.
Above the saloon they have a public
| hall 25x40 feet in size. !
The lumber comes from JOS. Kipp's
| mill on Dupuyer. A large hotel and
livery stable are to be erected this year,
the former by John Jackson and the