Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-06-07

blue, or brown, Or gray, Or else vary
from dazzling white It their summit
10 : sober dark gray 1t their base. The
writer observed number Of buttss the
tops Of which were fiery red, the inter-
mediate being girdles Of pure white aud
the bases . distinct and positive yellow.
Some again were completely red, but Of
different shades from top to bottom.
There are great many bare clay and
sand buttes, and also number that are
composed Of very hard vitreous or pot
tcry-likc Stag, either green or brown
or else dsrk-rcddish color like IRON
stains.
ACRES OF BURNING COAL.
While the actual composition Of the
buttes appear to be . crumbling, vol
canic scoria, yet there is little doubt
but that their present condition was
brought about by fires which ragged
through the country in days gone by.
In fact, some fires are still burning in
the Bad Lands, one Of which, when seen
at night from the Northern Pacific
train which passes near, has the APP
pearance Of volcano in active eruption.
There is another fire farther back in the
Bad Lands which has been smouldering
ever since the country was known to
the whites. and, according to Indian
tradition, from the time when the Great
Spirit upheaved the land with an
earthquake. The truth Of the matter
is the Bad Lands are one vast bed Of lig-
mite coal which runs through the buttes
and hills in solid veins from four to ten
feet thick. This Ignite was probably
ignited by fires that sometimes pre-
vailed over the plains, set by Indians,
and the coal, being in continuous veins,
has been burning, no doubt, uninter-
ruptedly beneath the surface for years.
Perhaps long ago dense forests existed
in these Bad Lands, which accounts for
the extensive beds Of Ignite found here.
There are certainly evidences Of prim-
eval growth in the endless petrifactions
Of tree stumps, and Mr.. Winser speaks
of fine specimens Of fossil leaves of the
Pliocene age, changed by the heat Of
the burning Ignite into brilliant scar
let, but retaining their reticulations
perfect.
The various round-topped mounds
made up Of ink black clay, argillaceous
limestone, friable or pulverized sand
stones, raw and pottery clay, and veins
Of impure lignites, the burning ofwhich
has fused and mixed their materials in
one confused Stag, are to be seen on
every hand in every conceivable form.
Between the mounds are ravines,
gulches, and meadows, many of the lat
ter carpeted with the rich, nutritious
bunch-grass, so much sought out by the
bison when they dwe.t among the
buttes and roamed over the valleys.
The soil Of the Bad Lands
possesses fertilizing properties in ex-
cess. As before remarked, the name
Bad Lands is misnomer, for the coun-
try is well watered by numerous
treams-although barren of trout and
tainted with alkali-grows numerous
and luxuriant grasses (some thirty
three varieties have been classified,
and is veritable paradise for stock
raising and sheep-growing. Cattlemen
were not long in finding out the true
worth Of the Bad Lands as a grazing
region. Soon after the conquest Of
Sitting Bull and the opening up Of the
country to the whites it began to dawn
on the minds of stockmen that sec
ten once sought by the buffalo as
favorite stamping-ground must be good
pasture-felds for herds of cattle and
sheep.
The Marquis de Mores, young and
enterprising French nobleman, was the
first to seize the opportunity by turning
loose thousands of cattle and sheep
among the multitude of buttes border
ing the Little Missouri, and his example
and success has caused many other
wise and learned stockmen to do like
wise. The cattle shifting for themselves
have done well (the alkali answering the
purpose Of salt) and without care or feed
ing have come out each season in fine, fat
condition, ready for market. Thus we
see Pyramid Park, the grandest and
sublimest spot on the American conti-
nent, not excepting the Yellowstone
National Park, turned into a grazing
field for the raising Of cattle and herd
ing of sheep. 1t is great pity that
the Government has never taken steps
to preserve this region Of natural won
ders from destruction.