Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-01
ALONG THE CENTRAL.
SOME FEATURES or THE SCENERY
BETWEEN HERE AND HELENA.
what Is to BE Seen ON Trip Here Over
the Montana Central Through Priclly
Pear Canyon and the BouIder-A Few
Of the Many Attractive Features No
finax1

lover the Montana Central between Butte
and Helena win give an idea to many OF tn.
i magnificent scenery to be Witnessed on thii
trip, which is well worth making, just fol
cnriosity. Montana scenery has charac
teristics peculiarly its own, and that along
the line Of the Montana Central from Butte
to Helena is the most presentable. The
Iread, for new one just completed, is in
Remarkably good running condition. Com.
ling ont Of Helena the engineer sent the train
| lying aloZa at i.iri lsisss 70
hour. heavy storm seemed imminent,
and the dust vas raised in clouds, necessi-
ltating the closing of the windows. Pres
Iently the road had passed erthe expanse
Iof prairie after leaving the Capital City, aud
began the accent of the Canyon of the
Prickly Pear Before reaching this, thesite
| ia passed where the Helena smelter is TO be
situated, which is busy with teams. The
| road passes old placer workings, with grass
covered hills beyond, broken by canyons,
producing a constantly varying outline.
THE SCENERY
very good, range beyond range OF hills
rising and receding from view and making
an eyer-changiDg picture for the eye. The
cars seem to glide along on oiled rails, SO
smooth is their motion and 30 complete
the absence of jolt. As they pass the
Prickly Pear creek itself comes to the front
from its sedgy lair ard stands revealed in
it's naked deformity. 1t is an essentially
unromantically dirty stream with an air of
slovenliness about it in contrast with the
scenery it passes through. 1t is positively
ugly in it's discoloration and general SLOUGH
/ inc md un rybo tho f,f
the early pioneere comes IN at having
crossed it before the Christian era COM
menced. II they had any apprehension of
the beautiful. let alone the picturesque,
they ought to have given it . wide berth
and omitted a reference to it as an early
landmark. But let it pass-that is, the
dingy creek The Alhambra Springs are a
pretty spot in the route before reaching the
divide. The buildings with their. gardens
and luxuriant greenery about them look
very neat and inviting. There are many
inviting bits OF scenery along the road like
this. where gardens have been laid out and
very fine-looking results obtained The soil
is q rich black mould that responds freely
TO cultivation. The
CLIMB OVER THE HILL
is about the most interesting part of the
trip. At present and until the road runs
through the Wickes tunnel, it crosses the
range by the overhead line OF the Helena,
Boulder & Butte road. This is really
series OF loops and curves. There is no
switchback, though it seems to an unpro-
fessional that some of the many curves
could have been avoided thus. Back and
forth the line curves and turns until all ef-
fort to remember which way one is gong
fails utterly An engine and one car make
pretty fair time going up the steep ascent.
And what magnificent panoramas every
new turn the road unfolds. The hills are
peculiarly clean looking, with graceful out
lines-no sharp crags or peaks. Ii the char
acteristies OF Spanish mo lntains had been
name for mountain never would have
been ssierra"-saa toothed in shape It
would have been something to express
outline. From the summit
view of the Boulder valley
is obtained. The lofty ranges gradually
subside into
THE GENTLE DECLIvITIES
that form the valley, rolling away to the
east and west. In coming down, the cars
Just glide of their own momentum checked
by the application of brakes. Just before
running on to the switch that connects the |
H., B. & B. with the NJ. C. track, the |
mouth OF the tunnel is passed. A line of
electric lights stretches away into it. The |
work is carried on day and night without |
cessation. All the force is at work that |
,an find room to turn round. The bore
will be finished at the present rate OF pro-
yress about the first of October. 1t will be |
one OF the great tunnels of the world when |
completed. 1t is 6, 100 feet and over in |
ength. No accidents have happened SO |
ar to mar the success attending its exca-
vation. The summit is reached about 6 |
o'clock, an hour and half after leaving |
Helena. When the tunnel is finished the |
train will be near Boulder at that time. |
The run to Boulder is through succession |
Of the same park like scenery to the left |
bounded by wooded hills. The two roads |
run very close together all the way from |
Wickes. Boulder is pleasantly situated |
town, not unlike Missoula 8 situation. The |
Mills about the latter are wider and grander. |
Those about
BOULDER
are OF low size. The town has a thrifty |
10 * fro M the road. The stations of the |
two roads are about hundred yards |
green fields about Boulder station that are |
d
road almost Immediately enters the rocky |
canyon of Boulder creek. Here nature is /
n it's widest mood. The evidences OF vol |
canic action at some early period are visi- |
Bile on every hand. Strange shaped boul- |
lers seem ready to topple over on the
cars. One wonders what keeps them from
being shaken down hill by the passage OF
the train. At the same time the land |
along the creek is fair bottom land, and is
cultivated here and there. Generally,
however it is covered by an apparently |
nextricable thicket of rank vegetation.
Presently the canyon widens and high |
round topped hills run up apparently to |
the clouds. A fine stage road ruus along |
by he track, appearing and disappearing.
The hills close in again and d steep wall of
rocks rises sheer from the edge of the track |
ON the right, with a similar wall on the |
other side of the creek on the left. Then
the canyon opens out wide and presently |
the train enters tunnel of short duration.
The hills come forward and recedei in
FANTASTIC VARIETY
and every now and then a river OF rocks
seems to have been suddenly arrested on
their sides. There is an abundance OF
tim Der here with the usual result OF an
enormous waste OF it. Charred and burned
ogs line the track in places and defaee the
landscape. Then the Northern Pacific
track that has been playing hide and seek
comes up along the Montana Central for
some distance and the canyon opens into
i series of low hills with fat pieces OF
prairie between and below them. Coming
uto Basin the creek has deep orange
appearance which comes from the crush
ngs at the mill above. Lots of prospect
holes are now apparent, showing where the
hardy pioneer has made a venture. The
scenery after leaving Basin varies greatly
and rapidly Before reaching Bernice the
canyon, that has closed in SO that the
two tracks again run alongside, having
Iiverged before reaching Basin, opens out
nto wide grassy plain fanked by pleas
ant hills The road then begins to climb
md the hills take on enormous proper.
ions, covered to their summit with timber,
Mostly a small growth OF pine. The
censry is grand here, deep canyons OPEN
ng up among the mountains on the left
md giving sudden glimpses OF
FINE yIsTAs.
The amount of timber cut among the trees
ives one sad feeling for the trees that add
% much to the attractiveness of the land
oa,,o srhs road grad dnaliv climbs the side