The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1885-11-11
THE "ROCKIES,"
An Old Hi8hlaId0T'S Interesting
Account
Of a Grand Hunt in the Rocky
Mountains,
And Graphic Description OF the COun,
try at the Same Time.
THE ROCKIES -
Special Correspondence to tbo News.
BILLINGS, MONTANA.


BILLINGS, MONTANA.
Ipromised would give you a short de-
soripuon Of our trip into the Rockys.
Billings is on the Northern Pacific r. r. in
the rich valley Of the Yellowstone river.
! George, Charley, and 1, started southwest
toward the Clark's Fork Range for a hunt.
We had q wagon and team and a two horse
blackboard, a grub-boE we'll filed, q good
wall tent l2xl4, a good fOur-hole sheet iron
stove, and plenty Of bedding, clothes, etc.
We each had 45 oalibre Winchester re-
peating rife, plenty of ammunition, and
fishing tackle, also musket trap gun, and a
1886 rifle trap gun to set for bear.
The frst night in camp caught trout
in Rocky Ford of Clark's river; all these
mountain streams are clear as crystal and
chuck full Of fish, mostly trout. They are
beautiful, speokled, flesh firm and white,
yet tender and JUICY. You don't know
what good fish are until you have eaten
trout from q mountain stream.
We continued on up ''Rocky" and passed
trough beautiful undulating country, ris-
ing rapidly toward the mountains. The
streams flow so swiftly, you can hear them
for a long distance. Cooked fish and
prairie chickens for dinner. 1 had the
chickens cooking when George came from
the creek with fish. Camped that night
where the grass was knee high to the
horses, and good and sweet. There was o
fine vein OF coal in the bank of the creek,
but as we were not hunting coal we did not
prospect it any.
Started next morning early and went
over one Of the worst roads 1 ever saw.
George and Charley are both old noun
taineers and I am no spring chicken, but
they "caved in" on this road being the
worst they ever pulled a wagon across. We
came down one place on the mountain side
about as far as from tour house to the
creek" where we used about all our iuge-
nuity to get along without upsetting. /
found long tee pee" pole (used by the
Indians in setting up their teepoe's) made a
pry or lever, and one man rode on that, on
the upper side of the wagon, rough locked
both hind wheels, and ono of US held on
the lower side at a wheel, and another hung
on and drove. Where we three can't take
a team and wagon the other boys needn't
go. We made about five miles in hall
a day. Just before camping, Charley shot
three sage hens, which we fried for dinner
Passed a mans ranch Dilworth) It was
on postal route (horsebaCk) and mailed
a letter. Soon we passed the mountain line
into Wyoming Territory. All this time
along the foot Of, and among the mountains
Saw any amount of antelope this afternoon
! At night we camped at Bennett creek. NJ
vegetation excepting sage. An old hunter
told US, away up the creek there was gooC
grass, so next morning without feed o.
breakfast we started up the creek, and haC
, just got fairly started when to our lef
about 700 yards, we saw a splendid BIZ
bull elk; presume he must have weighe,
; 700 or 800 pounds, with great big horns
. should think about FIVE or six feet long
We looked at him through a field glass.
took the horses and George and Charley Ii
out for shot Soon they had the win
and in five minutes would have shot him
he had come within 400 or even 500 yard
(for they are both dead shot, but h
winded me and made himself scarce. Wen
on up the creek and found cabin, I
which we had been directed when over on
{ hundred and fifty miles away, by tn
z hunter who built it. Here We found goo
r grass and went into camp and got ou
: breakfast, George and Charley starte
down the creek to fish, and up the cree
: into the mountains to hunt This is
e beautiful stream. When you come {
where the canyon is impossible the waite
comes lsaping down over stones, anon
pine and fir trees, for, I presume, owe
1000 feet, at from 10 to 100 feet in a lear
and you can hear it for long way. I wa
away up, close to perpetual snow. Prett
soon was all in the shadow, the sun bein
behind the mountains. just wandere
around and gazad, and capped, and looked
all the time keeping my eyes open for any
thing that might come along. There wei
mountain jay birds about the shape of th
blue jay, though not 80 large, color, daI
blue. The magpie, little larger than Ii
blue jay, with tail feathers about ten inch
long, They are great meat thieves.
you kill deer or antelope and leave it q
day they will have from five to ten poun,
eaten away. tried to shoot two antelop
but failed to get a shot. II grew late al
1 started for camp Saw plenty Of be
tracks, and some mountain lion track
= Found the boys had caught thirty-sev,
! splendid trout. We fried three pans fu
ate one pan FULL drank two cups Of COTE
a753 had a smoke, rolled up in my blankets, al
. slept the sleep Of q tired hunter.
n Next morning we broke camp and START
= south, Struck Pat O'Hair creek and we