The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1884-12-03
THE UPPER MARIAS.


THE UPPER MARIAs.
Something About the Several Stockmen
Who Have Interests in That Section.
Some of the leading cattle owners of
Northern Montana are now located on
the Marias, above and below Fort Con-
rad. The opening of the reservation
an event we hope soon to have occasion
to chronicle-will remove the center of
stockholm a long ways east and render
their positions on this stream important
ones. The circle outfit Benton & st.
Louis Cattle company were the first to
locate permanently on the Marias, some
twenty-five miles below Fort Conrad.
w. z. Turner & Son, breeders of thor
oughbred as we'll as range cattle, soon
followed, as also Messrs. Auchard &
Nichols. During the past season the
I'll and ST outfits montana Cattle COM
pany and Sands & Taylor have removed
their vast herds, in the main, to the
Marias and have located ranches above
Fort Conrad a few miles, where a mum
Der Of cowboys are headquartered look
ing after the interests Of these compa-
MES.
Willow Rounds, the headquarters of
Sol. Abbott and Henry Powell, is some
twenty miles above Fort Conrad. This
is one of the finest bottoms on the river,
and a location that nature has done
much for. Mr.. J. D. Weatherwax had
a trading post here at one time, and see
ing its great advantages as a stock range,
he became interested with Sol. Abbott
in this business.
Henry Powell is located in the lower
part of the valley and is every year add
ing to the improvements on his ranch.
When the RIVER PRESS man stopped
to see him he was busily engaged in the
erection of a new house, which he hopes
to have completed this year. Mr.. Pow
ell has a good band of horses and also a
few head Of cattle on the range, so hat
he is in a fair way to grow into a COM
petence.
Sol. Abbott's fine ranch is just above
coal4.ts, o4l .-~ ,t.u, -
ways sought for by every one who visits
that portion of Choteau county, Mr..
Abbott being an old-timer with an un-
limited number of friends. Between
himself and Mr.. Weatherwax they have
about $50 head of cattle, as fine speci-
mems of the bovine as can be found in
Montana.
Just above, Mr.. Pierce of Deer Lodge
has located and driven in three hundred
head Of cattle and a band of horses. At |
the time of our visit Mr.. Pierce was at
Helena, serving as a u. S. grand juror, !
so that we did not have the pleasure of
making his acquaintance.
These three parties-Abbott, Pierce !
and Powell-together with Joseph Kipp,
an exclusive range, and it cannot
be excelled in the west. On three sides
nature has fenced it in by cut banks as
as man could have done.
The range thus included is extensive
enough to maintain several thousand
head, but at present there is less than
one thousand upon it. The cattle range
generally on the reservation side, and
by a little care in seeing that they do
not wander too far from the river, and
that regular range cattle are kept apart
from them, the cattle are kept separated
and under the eyes of their owners,
trouble and expense Of round
ing up is saved. Three hundred head
of cattle at this place are worth as much
to a man as double the number on the
general range. Mr.. Abbott informed us
that during the several years he has
been there he has not lost a single ami
NAL by reason of severe weather or diff
ficulty of the herd securing feed. His
only losses have been by accidents or
what the starving Piegans may have
That portion of the county
seems specially favored. as the snow
does not stay long and the grass is most
1t is in the "chinook belt"
and from what we can learn the good
of that genial wind are felt to a
extent than in almost any other
of the territory.