New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-02

nnebt Wheob fupua IN DaKoto, Bull untoucneu anu
subject TO entry at the United States Land ofice
IN DEVILS Lake. AS the Manitoba road nears the
border, II reaches country which cannot be sur.
passed Tor Stock-rasIng, well MS for diversified
farming. About twenty miles west from James
town is the long line OF hills ard rnvines called
the Coteaux du Missouri. These lands are sup
posed 10 he unavailable for farming though
noticed ns pretty fields OF wheat there as else
where. The fact is. fancy. TINT they hive been
deprecated simply because the land beyond them
Is everywhere level and more easily worked. IN
the valleys between the coteauE there are thou
sands Of little lakes and ponds and, as the coteaux
grow thick, luxurinnt grass, they furnish the
best facilities for stock-farming.
West OF Bismarck and the river the country rs
generally level until the Bad Lands ore reached.
They are not had lands Mt all, but wonderful
lands They constitute one OF the most marvellous
physical appearances to be observed OH this con-
tincnt They are como upon suddenly and with
out any suggestion that the prairie level is to be
go strangely broken. All ut once numberlesS
peaks, Ms sharp in their formation IS the fingers
on your hand, rise straight from the Garth. an
army Of massive buttes They are OF sll con-
ceivable shapes some ure circular pyramids per-
feet in form. Others rise like quartz crystals,
with sides as smooth n board, and frequently
from one Of these straight and regular Duties
the petriGcd stumps Of enormous trees viii pro-
trudc silici6ed by the action OF the
same waters that gave figure TO the
buttes themselves ages md ages ago. The Lad
Lands begin about lOu miles west Of Bismarck
and follow the course, north and south, Of the
Little Missouri River. North OF the railroad
their finest scenic effects are on the eastern
side OF the Little Missouri, and no feat OF pen
or brush can give any fair conception Of tho
cxtravagnnt spendor OF these fantastic lands
They assume not only every conceivable appear
ancc but oil the appearances that might he at
tributcd TO the hand and the imagination OF q
race OF mental freaks. They twist themselves
INTO 0, 600 different coutortions They show you
devils, punging horses, wOlf.heads, old men, cut
and moulded by wind and water In clay ana
sand and limestone, or in the hrmer SuostaHc"
formed by petrihcatlon, shapes that sem oddly
harmonious with the natural IN that for so long
n time made these wild places their hhbitauon.
AZ every turn your mind Is newly startled. You
see devices not only In themselves VrotcSquc. but
standing forth, shooting out plunging down IN
such utterly novel and unnatural situntionSi
Enormous masses Of rock seem in tho distance
TO he hanging by single Silken thread. poised
over plain on which II hundred figures dressed
in white, blue, black, green, gray and yellow
arc dancing In glccful and thoughtlesS sport,
sprnging upwards, turning somersdultS and per-
forming all the tricks OF harlequin, The huttes
themselves, with some part clad IN the greeness
verdure elsewhere IN the black weaving OF n
vegetation that has turned 10 coal here In the
pink trimmings OF real terra Gotta which Ignite
Grcs have been slowly baking, there in the creamy
laces knitted by the winds through great deposits
Of alkali left upon the surface OF the SOIL by
tI,.t hn 10 hao drained -
the buttcs themselves, multiplied %, O0o times aud
cbisclcd into castles, domes, spires towers aud
monuments, present each It's separate picture Of
weird but magnificent disorder. Those wise fel
lows who know everything say tbot there WINS
once great lake here which WAS gradually
drained away through the two Missouris, and
that the waters, as they swept toward the sen,
cut and modelled the Bad Lands. Their name
Is an Indian legacy.
The white man. when lie came, soon found
use 20 which the Bad Lands could prohtnbly be
put and they are now supporting immense herds
OF sheep and cattle. The grays grows upon the
huttes, and on the level plains between them is
the best there Is on Garth. In winter the cattle
have plenty OF protection, and they take caro-
OF themselves. There is q sGficienoy OF wHter
After turning the herds loose, nothing remains
for men 20 do but 10 bring them together again
twice year, that the young may be properly
branded and the fat steers shipped 20 market
Some hay is put up 90 that there may be no
scarcity OF food in case OF heavy thll Of snow.
Bot heavy SHOWS are unusual in the Dad lands,
and unless the grass the ground IL actually
beyond reach the cattle much prefer IL to hay.
Many noted ranches are In the Bad lands, and
O few years ago-les> than hyc-the cowboys
Of this region were bad men from Bitter Creek
Al. ~
road train and make the conductor dance for
them. Occasionally they would go through the
cars and gather a few purses. How surely and
quickly all thnt sort Of thing Dies before Q tide
OF immigration The cowboys keep far away
from the towns and depots now, ami as you ride
through the Bad Lands to-day you can see tennis
courts chnlked out on the lawns Of tho houses
around depot sites and spruce young men and
pretty girE loving away with rackets aud bright
eyes In the most advanced Bar Hnrbor fashion.
-Four years ago, X man with o silk Int had
left the train at Medora the chances are even
TINT neither he nor the hat would ever have
been heard from again. Now, the English tourist
wnnders around and ogles through his eyeglass
and wobblas his :" RS and drawls his dawncher-
knaws7 all unmolestcd The svenrcr Is gone.
You must look elsewhere 20 find the old.tme
frontier.
In some parts OF Dakota the fuel question Ia .
serious ono. Within an marked by . radius
OF 200 miles not o stick OF natural timber rises
above the plains. Not a suggestion Of coal ap-
Tears under them All fuel, Of whatever nature,
must be fetched In by the railroads and tho
railroads don't give their services for nothing
with such long winter seasons the cost OF living
is heavily increased by the freight charges on
fuel In the course Of few years this situation
will be materially n'leviated. North and west OF
Bismarck, on both sides OF the river, are coal
fields OF such immense proportions ~ TO be
practically inexhaustlble. They extend In all d-
rections. running north almost 10 the international
line and west into the Bad Lands They run
deep into the earth Several veins have been
followed 10 depth Of 5000 feet without any
indication thst they intended TO give ont In
Bismarck and all along the line Of the Northern