Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-02-28

MIssouLA, Feb. 1s, 1883.

miles long and four to ten miles wide,
and we'll settled all through. The
FIRST place we came to of interest Was
Fort Owens, aud the Catholic Mission
twenty eight miles up the valley.
They were established about forty
years ago, the fort by Maj. Owens
and the Mission by Missionaries.
Fort Owens is built of adobe and is
in good state of preservation Near
by is an old Touring mill, the first one
built in Montana. The mission is
still supplied with Priest, and few
scattering Indians are still around,
and thev still live in their tepes and
have their ponies as Of old. The In
dians are of the Fiathead tribe, and
at one time held the valley as reser-
vation, but it is now thrown open to
settlement and the Indians removed
all except what chose to take land
in severalty. Quite number OF
them took advantage of the terms of
fered and took land instead of going
to the Jacko reservation at Flathead
Lake. In going up the valley we
passed several large numbering es-
adjustments. They send out long
train loads of lumber and timbers for
the mines of Butte and Helena ev-
cry day. 1t is supposed the railroad
will soon be continued ON to the head
of the valley to the mines of Mineral
Hill District, part of which is in Mon
tana and part in Idaho. There are
signs Of great business activity all
through the valley. New towns are
springing up all along the line of the
railroad. The valley is large and
very fertile. In one place we motto
ed an orchard of 10000 trees. AL
kinds of fruit and berries seem to dc
very well.
Four miles below Missoula the
He'll Gate and Bitter Root rivers join
and from there down for about one
hundred miles it Is called Missouls
River.
At 2:20 P. NJ. 18th, we took th'
cars on the Northern Pacific railroad
for Wallula Junction, w. T. Fare
$40 95. The road, by many crook
. and turns, and by passing over tres
tie bridge 216 feet high, reaches tn
headwaters of the FIathead River
down which stream it follows abou
one hundred miles. where it join
. with the Missoula and then become
the Pend d Oreille River, and cor
tinues so down to the lakes of til
same name. The country from Mi:
soula to the lakes is wild and rugget
No local business. The train got
dashing along through the wild, rock
canyons. Nothing is heard but tt
j. rattling of the train and the shrek
!. the engine whistle. The next plat
:. we come to is Heron, the last town
!, Montana, and the end of the Montar
!. Division and a place of some impo
.r tance. All railroad business. Fro
"A Heron the road follows down Il
,f Pend d. Oreille River to the lake
ct the same name, and passes around t
n north and west side OF the lake. +
Y. next town is Rathdrum, supply poi
50 for the Crur d Alene mines; b
" seems to be small plaee-only
e shipping or transfer point for t
n, mines. The next point Of importan
ed is Spokane Falls, place of grs
he business activity, and improving We
d. rapidly. From here the road pas:
over rocky sagebrush plain and /
little signs of life until We come
a. Sprague, which is town of seve
n hundred inhabitants. The next pls
ay is Palouse Junction, where bran
as, roads turn off for Moscow, Colt
he and Pennington. The next place
7as Pasco Junction, where the Taco
he branch of the road turns off only
Ia short run from here, and we are
Us Wallula Junction, where we arrive
The s 4. NJ. after q run of twenty no
tn from Mlssoula. From here bral
out roads turn off for Dayton, Va
Walla and other points in WASH
ill ton Territory. Here all have to 5
- ply themselves with new tickets.
-. Northern Pacific railroad ends b
ua and the o. r. & n. begins We
>, tickets from here to Huntington,
-, Western end of the Oregon 81
- Line. Fare from Wallula to HI
a.. ington, SO 50. We arrived at
,e,s latter place about 9 A. NJ, next
.ar, after Iay-over of fourteen he
The lines make poor connection,