The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1900, 1889-09-01
LBTTERSfronl thePE0PLE
Fine Horses, Fine Ranch and Fine
improvements.
Montana on the Lead-Judge Erskine
Ties the Golden Cord.
Bad Boys Break Bounds Of Good
Breeding and get Bit.

Bad Boys Break Bounds Of Good
Breeding and get Bit.
Lieut.. Hill, a gentleman personally &C.
quainted with the Milk River country, of
which the lying Wilkeson wrote so vici-
ously, sends the subjoined letter to the
Helena Journal. The lieutenant is q
member of the United States army, a
forcible writer and, as will be seen, knows
whereof he speaks:
Being familiar with the Milk river
section attacked, I want to offer pro-
testing reply to one Wilkeson's allega-
tions. The salient features of "The
Tines article are violent attack on the
northwestern system of railroads, and es-
pecially on the Montana division of the
Manitoba; and an equally violent attack
on the great mesa lying east of the Rocky
mountains, and especially on the Milk
river valley. I do not care to touch on
his attack on the railroad except to say
that, although many ridiculous things
have been written about the country by
over-zealous reporters, as is generally the
case, their most glowing reports show
more knowledge Of the country and more
nearly approach the truth than the arti-
Gle in question. Having derived pleas
ure from some of Mr.. Wilkeson's writ
ings,I can but feel reluctant to brand this
attack on the Milk river country as
gross Misrepresentation, and have no mo-
tive in doing so except desire to defend
a section which he has grossly maligned.
The statements in his article are in gen
eral vague. He gives copy of his journ-
III for three days made at point on Milk
river some 200 miles above where the
Manitoba railway leaves the valley. He
does not furnish his notes on the beauti-
full Gut Bank and Marias country only
twenty-five miles to the south, or on the
St. Mary's country less distance to the
north. These notes are Of as much value
in forming an estimate of the greater por-
ton of the basin, as would those of man
lost in the Alps in judging the beautiful
valley of the Po. They are as valueless
as they are unfair. could give notes on
portion of the Indian territory, made at
points above on the streams flowing
through Oklahoma, not written in quite
such despairing tones, but equally damn
ing, which would prove nothing about
the country below. Oklahoma has been
over estimated, but is fine country, and
would not try to damn it by notes con
cerning country distant from it.
In normal years the Milk river itself
not only flows good sire am but at least
thirty of its tributaries do the same and
even in this dry year, when not running
they stand in pools of clear, pure and
cool water. Iustead of the grass "being
gnawed close to the ground" enormous
stacks of hay are going up all over the
section, being cut both from the bottoms
and bench lands, and there are broae
acres of fine grazing lands all the wa.
from the international boundary to tn
Bad Lands of the Missouri, continual.
improving towards the highlands of tn
basin. All the gardens and fields l hav
seen are doing fairly we'll, and those no
too early very we'll. The expressions
"sirocco-blasted and blizzard-cursed," a
applied to the section are simply misrep
resentations. The days in summer ar
hot, but are nothing to the steaming, e&
hausting heat Of the central MISSISSIPPI
basin, Sometimes the winds are severe
disagreeably strong, but usually refresh
: ing and rarely hot. The blizzard Of Afr
;. ca is unknown here. When very colt
there is as rule no wind. The drynes
Of the air prevents the intense cold fro'
being felt out of doors, and the abune
J, ance of coal solves the problem Of lack
l. heating fuel which vexes the farmer
d Dakota and the other inhabitants
= q portion of the great drift belt. Poop
have doubtless come to this country fro1
the east during the past year who wei
untitled through temperament, lack
courage, industry, capital or other pre-r
ouisite, to adapt themselves to the chan
- ed conditions Of climate and soil.
have seen none but half-breeds
/. gagged in the industry of gathering butfa
bones. The people who come here
stay ore too busy for that. Reasonl1
people would naturally ask how tt
~ buffalo, travelling in such great hero
ID manage to live in a desert without wat
or grass, and this section was one OF tt
n great haunts of the buffalo. Their trai
N. furrow the country everywhere, and Il
old-timer tells many wondrous tales
them.
Between the Sweet Grass Hills and Il
IS, Rocky Mountains, the upper Milk riv
l,e ae occupies a narrow basin between Il
water sheds of the Missouri al
1t. Saskatchewan. The basin broadens ne
$50 the Sweet Grass country, which is ii
one, and the river here receives sol
tributaries. Then it narrows again I
} about eighty miles, to the mouth OF t
IL Sandy and Sage creek. Below this
receives many tributaries from the Be
Paw. the Little Rockies and Woo
Mountains and Cypress Hills. Alo
nix the valley of Milk river are many fl
. locations, but the best lie back along
mountainous streams.
There are some bad lands, and o