Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-08-06
A part of Custer County Having
Plenty OF Rainfall and Timber
with Growing Settlements.
Faulty Mail Facilities-A Survey
Needed and a School House
Wanted Badly.
A GARDEN SPOT.


Valley in Custer County.
From Mr.. III. Beckerdyke, Of the
Little Missouri, who has been 10 town
for two days past, we learned some
interesting particulars concerning the
settlement where he lives. II 10 locat-
ed on the Little Missouri, forty miles
below Alzads, and thirty.fye miles
east OF Ekalaks, bordering on ths ter
riiorial line. The valley Of the Little
Missouri in this locality is from FIVE
tn eight miles wide, while countless
tributaries heading up In the pine
hills open up still larger stretches Of
country. MIR. Beckerdyke describes
II a. the richest agricultural region In
Montana, and supports his assertion
by statement tnat since he has been In
the country, dating from 1884, he has
never failed OF crop. This season 1t
has rained there continuously and all
crops are yielding profusely. The
settlers, Of whom there are some forty
or fifty families, are strung out along
the Little Missouri for about 35 miles.
They are mostly Americans and are
all in a prosperous condition, each
having land under cultivation and
littlelbunch of horses or cattle grow
ing up around them. There are enough
children to warrant the establishment
Of n school district aud steps are now
being taken to secure this needful ad-
junct. Though residents Of Montana
they are through faulty mail facilities,
practically thrown on to Dakota for
business aud mail connections. Camp
Crook, OAK, IL miles east Of the line,
10 their nearest postoffice and market
town, aud the mail from Miles City TO
this point has to 60 to Spearnsh and
thence around by Minnesota to Camp
Crook. which with the delays at dis
iributipg offices enroute, consumes
nearly two weeks. While In town
Mr.. Beckerdyke has had q petition
prepared for an extension Of the mail
route that now ends at Ekalaka. II
this can be accomplished. rs under the
circumstances II ought to, the settle
ment will be put IN easy communities
tion with Miles City, aud result In
large trade being opened with the set
tiers. Another thing that has been q
great hardship TO this community is
the lack Of surveys, none having ever
been made In that section. Some two
years ago a petition for surveys WAS
signed by Al actual settlers and sent
to the surveyor general OF Montana,
but ss yet no result has been expert
enced. At the same time the Dakota
neigbbors sent in a like petition aud
succeeded iD having twenty -one town.
ships surveyed. This promptness on
the part of Dakota and lax.ty in the
Montana officials tends TO create
grievance against Montana In the
minds OF the settlers and preference
for Dakota. and hence the trade that
should come to Miles City is diverted.
We are glad to say, however, that as
socL as the appropriations for surveys
arc certified to our surveyor general, a
st ong effort will be made 10 secure a
po, ton Of the fund for work 10 this
d., trict.
Among the resources OF this favored
IL an abundance OF good
Pine hills thickly covered
with large trees are abundant every
where, and there are now two saw
10 lie In operation turning out the best
caslity Of rough lumber and shingles,
lumber being sold at from $40 TO SIG.
aud shingles at $3.50.
Settlers from Dakota have been
coming 10 for several years past but
Ills year promises to beat all previous
Ispords. The severe drought In Da-
Il bta has sent many prospectors west
io look up new locations, and In each
Instance, Gays Mr.. Beckerdyke. as
SION N striking the Little Missouri
valley, they have only waited long
. lough TO stick their stakes and lay .
Iog foundation on their claims. before
,ey started back TO get their families.
One party OF Scandinavian prospectorr
Who bad not experienced good rain
for seven years, arrived there q short
time since. They were there three
sys, during which time IL raipsd In
cessantly. II 10 unnecessary 10 say
that they made up their minds 70 To-
GATE, and will BE- back before fall With
lhsIr bslonginss. Mr.. Bscksrdyks
estimates that from 10 10 so families
will locate there this fall. Mr.. Beck