West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-07-24
THE BAD LANDS"
Marvellous Volcanic Formations of
Surprising Beauty.
Sketch of the Strange Region OF the
mauvaises Terres, Called Also
Pyramid Park-A Rival of
Yellowstone Park.

Some of the strangest and most inter
esting scenes on the North American
continent are 10 lie found in the won
derful Bad Lands of Dakota. | ques-
tlon whether the marvels of the Yellow
stone National Park are equal and they
certainly are not superior to the won
ders OF this romantic region of peculiar
butte formations. Here for ages past
the mighty forces of water and fire.
hcrccly battling, have wrought "A scene
oi strange confusion. This chaos of
buttes, so curious and fantastic in form.
80 beautiful! and varied in color lies al
most entirely in Dakota near the boun-
dary line Of Montana, on both sides of
the Little Missouri River, which flows
through II from south to north. The
ul-Jricl IS about twenty-five miles wide
irOm east To west, but has a length i'm
inc opposite direction of nearly three
times It's width. The early French
NOyageurs, who came into the country
during the last century on hunting or
trapping expeditions TO trade with the
natives for furs, pelts and skins. de-
scrlbcd the region as "mauvaiscs
,e res with our happy go-lucky care
leS>neSs Amer cans translated this To
mean bad Lands and the Northern
Pacific Railroad Company have since
namcl it Pyramid Park. The name
Bad Land,' is certainly n msnomrr.
Tor Pyramid Park is really one OF the
most fertile spots in the Northwest ard
was at one time the home of thousands
OF buffalo and other herbivorous game
animals. There is a legend of the Bad
Ian Is told by Red Bird, an old clief of
the Mandan Indians (whose tribe il is
SAID, afterwards lived among the pile of
wonderful buttcs composing this sec
tom which has been handed down
from chief to chief until we find IL to-
day part of the unwrittcn history of
this once powerful and great nation:
MANY hundred years ago what is
now the Bad Lands was high plain or
table lanl. covered with rich pasture,
and forest, abounding i'm all kinds of
game They were the flvorite hunting
grounds of all the tribes who annually
came TO participate i'm tn chase and
procure the winter supply os meat-thc
cllumct grounds, where all could meet
IN common and the blood hatchet wa,
buried rs IN the famous Pipestone Val
lev in Minnesota, where ali nations of
the red men could meet with no enemy
TO modest or make them afraid. But
finally fierce mountain tribe of many
thousands took po session of these
famed hunting grounds, driving and
Keeping all other people out. Many
iutle attempts were made TO dislodyc
them without avail. Many lives being
In q ina tho
covcry a great council of all the tribes
on The plains was called and their med
icinc men ordered TO invoke the Great
Spirit in their behalf After fasting
many days and suffering se'f-iptlictod
torturcs, as directed by the medicine
men, the Great Spirit heard their cry
and shook the earth with his wrath
The earth became darkened smoke
and fire bclched forth from the Oround
vivid Lightning flashed and terrible
thunder role !, the mountains sank and
the valleys upheavcd TO the sky The
earth rose and fell like the heavinU of a
stOrm-tosscd ocean burying all i'm one
common grave Towering buttes and
dcsOlation marked the spot where once
stood the fertile plains Not one
buck, squaw or pappOose was left 10
tell the tale Of the naughty tribe Of the
mountains who had incurred the anger
OF the Great Spirit leaving these Bad
Lands "a monument Of his wrath.
There is little doubt but that the Bad
Lands were, i'm remote ages the bed of
some great lake or pond that covered
the country for miles round about for
among the foss remains are oyster.
CLAIMS and crlstacean- Before or after
wards "a stately forest grew i'm the bed
OF this lake. Mammoth tree trunks
turned to stone crop out from the sides
oil the cong. .Ommcratc mounds and ap-
pear all through the valley Pctrifac-
tiOns are 10 be- found on an sides that
are susceptible Of finer polish than
marble. while others have the appear
ancc Of being made Of heavy yellowish
clay Some hunters tell % story Of find
ing in the depths Of the Bad Lands an
uneNpIored canyon. upon riding into
which they saw q prairie dog village.
and ut the mouth Of each mound one
Ot the little animals sitting ON ife
launches with paws folded across the
breast in q perfectly natural manner
Contrary 10 their usual custom the
dogs did not dive into Their houses at
thc approach Of The strange visitors. 10
the great surprise of the latter they re-
manedmotionless Investigation showed
that every one Of them was stone
dead The whole village Of dogs had
been evidently killed at the same mo-
mnnt By some unknown power ages
ago. and then pctrhed. Stranger stll.
the hunters found scattered among the
dogs and in the same condition the owls
anil snake, which are known to share
tlcir home
Tue patrifactIOu. found in ihe Bad
Lands arc mary oIDu1 Ntrrns of t.ofrf