Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-07-04
North and West.
I'LL.

| 4>oi w CSt.
III,
/ One mile west of Sentinel Butte i
: the division line of Dakota and Mon
tana, marked by high pole at the to-
: of which is nailed Il fine pair of antlers
Here again we stopped for some tifteel
minutes, and, to the amusement of tn
ladies, we all (men) took a game of bas
ball, one half being in Dakota Will
the other portion were in Montana
We were eager enough to get out into
the fresh air on the prairie and partici
pate in any sport after having ridder
some 1900 milesfrom our starting point
Even Superintendent Ainsley and Mr.
Williams and Wood, Assistants, took
part in the game, with as much zest as
the younger portion of our league
Think of it, men in SO high positions
socially and financially, taking part in
a game of base ball on the plains of the
wild west, composed of none but men
of different professions. On the prairie
all around us the wild flowers grew and
were in full bloom in grea: profusion
The road for the next thirty miles
passes over fine prairie plateau, W hich
is watered by many small running
streams. 1t then traverses sixty miles
of broken country, which forms the
divide between the Little Missouri and
Yellowstone rivers, after which it de-
scends into the beautiful valley of
Glendive, twelve miles distant.
One to read the description I am en-
deavoring to give from observation and
points gathered along the route from
my di ary, would think I never slept,
but allow me to say right here that,
strange as it is, darkness never is ap-
parent before ten o'clock at night, and
/ then the horizon is radiant with the
reflected rays from some point, I can
not say where. Light comes in the
morning as early as 3 O'Clock for all.
We at this point are just one hour slow
to that in the home land, which doubt
less would puzzle anyone travelling to
find their watches an hour fast as |
was. The time changesat jamestown,
Dakota, first, and then again at Bis
marck, Dakota-so from the luminous
condition of the atmosphere and not
retiring before eleven and twelve
O'Clock you can readily see we had
long day to view the surrounding coun-
try as We passed through it, and wax
ing at $3.50 or in the morning.
According to the maps Montana
stretches through II degrees of longi-
tude, from 10i degrees to 116 degrees
west of Greenwich, and lies for the
most part between the 45th and 49th
parallels of north latitude; its southern
boundary is in about the latitude Of St.
Paul, Mimi. and its north ern line joins
with the British possessions. The
height of Montana above the sea level
is about 1000 feet; the greatest eleva-
ton among the mountain peaks is
about II 900. The State covers So ,000,-
600 acres; about two-flfths is said to be
and the Pacific Oceans, the main chain
of Rockies, traverses the western por-
ton of the State in course a little
west of north. Among the great noun
tains are valleys along the banks of
streams, surrounded by high bluffs,
which renders the country extremely |
Livingston being in one
of these romantic valleys, but sur
by thousands of acres of roll
ing prairie before the mountains are
reached. One of the most 3 liking and
scenes in the State is the
great cataract of the Missouri river
thirty miles north of Fort Benton, with
a vertical fall of about 100 feet, and
truly it is a grand sight to see the
volumes of water leap from that height
and fall into the basin below, foaming
and dancing as though in childish de-
light to be freed from the channel
above.
THE YELLOWSTONE VALLEY.
The railroad follows up the valley
rom Glendive to Livingston. dist
,nce of $50 miles. The waters of the
liver are bright and clear, except when
liscolored by freshets. The stream
'uns over bed of gravel and among
thousands ofbeautiful islands, covered
With heavy timber. After leaving
the first tributary of import
.nce to this stream is the Powder river,
70 named from its inky black water,
10 caused by running through the al
uvial soil.
The Yellowstone winds from side to