Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1886-01-06
sTOCK.RANGEs AND STOCK.
EmmOns County Better Than Mon.
tana and Western Dakota for
Small Herds.

T. MnOnS county better Ih0n iNOns
tana and Western Dakota for
Small Herds.
GLENCOE, Jan. s.
10 the Editor of the RECORD:
Shortly after returning from my trip
through parts of Montana, last fall 1 prom
ised the RECORD that I would give its
readers an account of the journey, and
the conclusions arrived at as to the advis-
ability of citizen OF this county, with a
few hundred head of cattle, or less, pull.
ing up stakes and going further west. 1
would have written sooner could have
found time; but, "Bctter late than
never"
left Bismarck on Sept. 30, by rail-
and arrived at Custer Junction at o'clock
next day. Having some business to at
tend to, staid over until the following
day. Custer Junction is freighting
point for Fort Custer, Fort Maglnnls, and
the Maiden mines. At 4:30 next morning
| took the train west, running up the
valley of the Yellowstone river passing
through Billings and Livingston, where
the railraad leaves the river. We went
through the tunnel and on to Bozeman,
one of the oldest towns in Montana
Here IS where the great Missouri takes its
rise, the headwaters being the Gallatin.
Madison and Jefferson. The Gallatin
valley, between Bozeman and Helena, is
a pretty country, running along the foot
hills. Here they resort to irrigation, OBJ
tanning water from the mountain streams
through bitches. Arrived at Helena at Z
p. M, and put up at the Cosmopolitan
Hotel. Took in the town as far as
could see by the electric lights with which
the town is lighted. There are stores
here which would compare favorably
with those of st. Paul or Minneapolis
Took the stage next morning for Fort
Benton, 40 miles distant. We started
out at Z a. m, with five passengers besides
myself--two soldiers Zone for Fort Shaw
and the other for Assinabolnc), Bob Ford,
wife and child. Ford is IL cattle man.
and has a ranch on Sun river. He was on
his way home from Chicago, where he
had made sale of $50 head of lat cattle.
The first days ride was through the noun
lains, down canons and over ridges.
night, we came to the Sun River region,
the great cattle country of Montana.
Here Mr.. Ford and the soldiers for Shaw
left us, at what is known as the lcaviugs oi
Sun river. Among the passengers taken on
board were Judge Wade, Of Montana, ana
Peter Spencer, of Washington, inspector
af National Banks and Boats bOun, for
Fort Benton. We arrived al Benton
about 4p. M, aud Iput up at the Over
llid Hotel, kept by an old friend OF
mine named Charles Rowe, that had not
seen for twenty years. When lie looked
over the register and saw my name he
saId "Great Jerusalem, Can that be Don
Stevenson from Osakis?" lin Minnesota.
my old home). Well, can assure you, We
talked some that night Next morn
route lay down the Missouri. We crossed
the Teton and Marlas rivers, journeyiny
near the river until we reached the Coal
Banks. This is as far as the steamboats,
can come up at that time of the. year.
A company of soldiers. is kept here to
guard government freight. Leaving the
Coal Banks, we struck across the country
for Assinaboine. Along the Big SANDY
there is a beautiful country, level us far
as the eye can reach. In the distance you
can see the Sweet Grass Hills, about SU
miles to the northwest. We arrived al
Assinaboine at 6 p. m. This postis beau
tifuny situated on Milk river at tue foot
of the Bcar.Paw mountains. 1t is built
of brick, is twelve-company post, and is
about forty-ive miles from the British
line. Here met my old partner, Il. Nc
Mutt, and we transacted our business I'm
yiilntinp n a UnnH m trun will, ,n,
traders, Broadwater g. McClough The
contract was for 1,50O cords of wood, at
$1OO5 per cord. The wood is procured
at the Bear-Paw mountains, twenty eight
miles distant. and is hauled with long
teams (tcn yoke of oxen ON three Wagons,
traileu one after another). The wood is
cut and yarded out, SO that the long
teams can get at it. We started next
morning on our homeward trip, with Me-
Nuts team, that he came across from
junction with. We hired guide to take
US over the Bear-Paw mountains. We
passed by the old mining ground which
was prospected a few years ago. We
camped one night iu the mountains, and,
although it WAS only the 5th Of October
and warm in the valley. we suffered from
on the creeks. This is IL splendid coun-
try for cattle, with its mountain streams
running down into the valleys; but it is
ON the Assinaboine reservation, and
therefore cannot be settled. Our mex!
point Of interest was the Little rockies.
When we first saw them it was about
O'Clock in the afternoon, and we thought
we would camp at the foothills that
night. But we did not reach them until
l o'clock next day. Here l met an old
acquaintance who gave me small mug
get of gold that he had taken out Of the
mines. These mines are paying about $6
ken up in the locality of the paying
mines. Our next point was Broadwuter's
Landing. We arrived at the old Missouri
at Z o'clock in the evening and crossed
over at Rocky Point. Here there are two
-stoMs and six saloons. Here the freight
for Maginnis and the great cattle ranges
OF the Box Elder and ntighboring regions