, 1886-06-29

The Garden spot of This Territory. Rich
Valleys and Wonderful Scenery.
From Gen. Jas. Brisbin's letter to the Omaha

FORT NIoBRARA, Neb., June "a
Leaving Crazy Woman's fork we cross a
large level bottom covered with sweet
grass, and from which exhales a delicious
odor. This is the grass which the Indians
gather and dry to scent themselves with.
In early times they used to come long dis.
tances to get it, as it is not very plentiful
on the Western plains. 1t has quite a
long blade like timothy, is striped and
when dried smells Ike sweet myrrh. Leav-
ing the valley we find ourselves among
the sand hills. which extend in conical
shaped cones on every hand. Some of
these hills are quite high, rising 200 and
even 300 feet above the level Of the plain.
Beyond the sand hills we come to a
high, rolling prairie, which extends for
six miles to Browns springs. These are
two pools OF brackish water, hardly fit for
use. For eleven miles we now pass over
prairie country, devoid of timber, and
then come to Clear Fork of Powder river.
This is a beautiful mountain stream, fed
by innumerable springs, and flows through
some rich lands. To the left are the Big
Horn mountains, and only about fifteen
miles distant. The heads OF the Clear
fork are said to be large ard beautiful
springs of pure, clear and icy cold water.
The stream is well timbered, and a mile
down its bank we encamp for the night in
a grove of hard wood.
Wild plum trees grow all along the
Powder, and were loaded down with large
and delicious yellow and red wild plums.
Wild grapes, curlants and gooseberries
also were found, but not so abundant as
the plums. The greEGii about the plum
groves was well trampled up by bears and
some of the tracks were eleven inches
long. | have never lost any bears, and
did not look for these, but the guide told
me there were millions of them" in the
mountains near by. They are of the
grizzly and cinnamon species, and the
largest and most ferocious in the Rocky
mountains, often weighing 1000 and even
1000 pounds when dressed. | saw the
skin of one of these beasts, and when
spread out it completely covered the floor
of my tent, which was nine by eleven
feet.
We found in the Powder river golden
mountain trout. They are the finest in
the west and almost equal in flesh to the
red speckled trout of New York and
Pennsylvania. The meat of the Rocky
mountain golden trout is ~yellowish. but
very sweet and nutritious. The Powder
and its branches seemed full of them, and
it was only necessary to cast a line to get
a bite, and a dozen could readily be caught
in a few minutes. The fish were not large.
generally ranging from six to eight and
ten inches long, and in weight from halfa
pound to a pound and a half.
All the land along the Clear fork of
Powder river seemed to be good agricul-
tural land and capable of producing any
thing planted in it. Every two or three
miles a stream flowed Into the main river,
and up these little streams stretched
beautiful valleys, well tirubered and with
rich lands. In the little valleys the grass
was up to our horses bellies. and | could
not help thinking that these rich little val
leys with their picturesque surroundings,
were natural homes for farmers.
Having eaten heartily Of trout, we left
Clear fork and iourneyed over a hilly and
sandy region, twelve miles to Connor's
springs, which are sometimes also called
Browns springs, after Capt, Frederick
Brown, who fell on Massacre Ridge, near
Fort Phil Kearney, in 1867.
Connor's springs, as we shall prefer to
call them, are merely pools of brackish
water, unfit for drinking, and they are
surrounded by black mire. so that 1t is
dangerous at most seasons of the year for
stock to approach them. There are high
hills near the springs. and ascending these,
you get a fine view of the country east
and north for a distance of twelve miles.
The outline Of the sharp banks of the
Powder river can be seen for a long dis
lance toward the Big Horn mountains,
lying north and west. Again we go for
ward over the hills and rolling plains and
after eight miles come to Rock creek, a
small stream which takes its name from
tie nature of the bed over which it flows.
The waters are shallow, but flow with
great rapidity over the black rocks. This
stream rushes out Of the Big Horn noun
tains and for six miles has a rapid descent.
The rocks in the channel of the stream
look almost as black as if they had been
painted, but this is not caused by the
water, nor are the rocks black. Upon
examination we find them covered with
small lichen, to which millions upon mil
lions of small black animalcule adhere.
The rocks when taken out and broken
are found to be composed of gray granite.
The coating on them is easily peeled of,
and leaves the rock in sheets as large as a
mans hand. 1t is black. about the thick
ness of muslin and completely coated with
animalcula for trout food. These black
bottomed streams are sure to be good
trout streams, aud when you come across
one Of them in the Powder river or Big
Horn region, get out your fishing tackle
and you will be sure of n fine mess oftrout
for supper.
But we have wandered enough for the
present. Up the road eight miles is Dry
creek. called bv the Sioux "Niobt river -