The Livingston enterprise., 1889-12-25
BETWEEN THE CANYONS.
':Yhe E'amed Paradise Valley OF the Inner
Yellowstone.
: kts Nvs,nslerdul Fertility OF soil.-Histor,

'''sSASAAAOeAS.
Lying between the lower and middle
canyons of the Yellowstone river, to the
south of Livingston, is valley that, for
productiveness, uniformity of climate,
fertility of soil and wonderful natural re-
sources, has no compeer in Montana.
We refer to Paradise Valley, a portion
Of the Yellowstone valley, SO called from
the evidences Of prosperity and pleasing
picture Of contentment on every hand.
A single instance has yet to be recorded
Of the traveller through the valley failing
to express admiration at it's wonderful
beauty. The sublime in nature is ex-
pressed BY the awe-inspiring scenery Of
the Upper Yellowstone more fully to the
on-looker than ever brush or pen por-
trayed it. Thanking the valley on the
east the tall, serrated peaks Of the snowy
range rear their heads, cleaving the low
lying clouds as like wedge, an impassa-
ble barrier, and seeming to guard the Sc
clusion of the valley like huge sentinels,
grim and vigilant. To the west stretches
the rounded heights Of the Belt noun
tains, less imposing than the Snowies,
bnt not less interesting from a geological
point Of view. These ranges, after run
ming parallel north and south for thirty
five miles, gradually trend toward each
other, until they almost meet, forming
the lower and middle canyons of the
Yellowstone, and. enclosing the valley,
that hesin an oval shaped basin,-thirty-
five miles in length. and from two to
eleven. i'm width, between them.
The general topography of the valley
is level. in its nature. The alluvial de-
posits along. the river form the bottom
lands proper. These are fanked on each
sidelhy bench rising about forty feet
high, which slopes gently upward until
it merges into the steep ascent of the
mountains. Here and there an isolated
butte rises ,npward from these bench
lands. This bench land is. ribbed every
few miles with strips of timber that fol-
low the course Of the Yeuowstone's tr,b-
ntary streams as they rnsh down from
their mountain source. creating, by ero-
sion, little valleys that intersect the
bench lands at right angles with the gen
eral course of the valley. These streams
furnish, throughout the summer, abun-
dant quantities Of water.for purposes of
irrigation. Rising, as they do, in the
snow fields 6 the surrounding noun
tains, they are steadily fed by the melt
ing SHOWS Through the months of June,
July and August, the time when plenty
OF water for growing cropsis most needed
by ranchers The topography of the
valley also renders irrigation an easy
matter. A few days work sutfices to run
ditch or hume from the creek to the
top of the bench Land near the noun
tains, and from thence to any desired
point by means OF a shallow ditch--,usu-
ally plowed furrow.
Heavy forests OF timber cover the
mountain sides above the valley, and are
easily accessible to the ranchman. This
timber is tall and straight and comprises
the different varieties Of pine, fir and
cedar. The day is not far distant when
Paradise valley will number as one of her
most important industries the cutting
and saving of these nexhanstible forests
of timber; in fact, considerable progress
has been made in this direction already,
the demand for. lumber in Livingston
creating q profitable market for the pro-
duct. II ie early history af Paradise val
icy for the first fifteen years Of it's settle
ment is virtually the early history Of
eastern Montana for that period of time,
as it was settled in parts by thriving
community long before any other portion
was considered desirable. -
Following, the discovery of gold in EN-
lgrant Gulch by party of emigrants in
1863, Yellowstone City was founded and
i1ourished for a time, but threatened
Indian attack shortly after drove them
up the gulch into the recess of the noun
talns, where they established the town of
Chico. The old ruins of Yellowstone
city still stand, silent monuments OF the
hrst settlement of the Yellowstone valley.
1t was NOT until s0mo voare hod noeood