The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-08-23
A. A-valley of tho Missouri river.
Is. E-Vnllcy OF tho White river.
&, C-Vallcy Of the Bad river.
ID, D-Valley of tho Cheyenne.

Gouri river. being more sandy loan and less
susceptible to drOuths. which have been the
rule there for several years. The valley of
the White river for abOut ten miles from the
mouth is quite wide. nnd so far as cultivated
1t hns been found veiy fertile. even under
such careless, hap hazard cultivation rs an
Indian or squuw man gives the land.
This valley of the White perhaps offers us
good opportunities for farming US any pnrt
OF the reservation, being fur enough south
to lie within the corn producing belt nnd
having warm. rich soil, with open subsoil,
retaining moisture well.
Scattered along from the mouth Of the
river 10 ttR source are groves OF timber
Cottonwood lis the principal variety, though
there a:e occasional groves Of elm. nnd in
cedar. Within about fifty mica Of the con-
tiuencc with the Missouri the valley widens
to about five or six miles, forming great
meadow Of nearly two thousand acres. This
is the largest piece Of land lying in one body
to be found on the river. This produces
must excellent graRa, ia well watcred by two
small creeks, which in wet seaRons flow into
the White river Just above this. in as-
cending tho river, one finds the character Of
the country changing, the land becoming
more broken md hiily, the hills more abrupt.
while the streams flowing into the White are
more numerous Continuing up the river
for nearly hundred miles above the forks
where the Little White river joins with the
river from tho south, the country
is found to 10 adapted 20 ely
to grazing purposes, being much broken by
abrupt hills covered with II short hut very
nutritious grass. called by the stocknrn
who have graxed their herds upon it alkali
grass or bunch grass. Unfortunately Cat
Tic grazing upon this grass fnttens very rap
idly, being made ready for maj keith August
or September. large numbers ore yeary
shipped from this region. Near the head
waters OF tho White river the Bad Land. be-
gin, strange formation Of Eillt, bare
Of vegetation, tnterspersed with deep
canyons md ravines. through which iun
smail streams, the water strongly impreg-
mated with alkalL Cattle feeding upon the
grass along tho margin Of these streams are
frequently stricken with u mysterious dis
case which Causes death very soon after at
tack. Dissection shows the inner coating
Of the stomach burned out by the action of
tho alkolL Stock men arc careful not 10
have ther cattle range through this region
unless there are some lIrevcntivea at hand In
tho shape Of salt licks, salt having been
found q preventive Of alkali poisoning by
ncn,rAlixing the effect Of the poison and
making the alkuli salts distasteful
MANY FERTILE sTRETcHEs.
Taken as whole the White river presents
these features 10 the settler. For hundred
niies or more following the valley from the
mouth. there are fertile stretches of bottom
luhO Oh petn6psn fnlie IN extent, ny nulL
that distance In width These bottom lands,
so far as tried. produce splendid crops Of
corn and oats. Back of the valley are ranges
OF hills more or less elevated. well
covered, however, with grass. Beyond
the forks of the river for perhaps q
hundred miles, the same condition exists,
though the bluffs are here much more pre-
ciptOus and the valleys narrower. The
country back from the river on the north il
much broken. being u series Of table lands
furrowed by ravines and separated from
ench other BY deep gulchea In the bends OF
the river msy DO found timber In small guam.
titles Further from tho mouth the timber
becomes heavier and In greater abundance
In the Bad Lands tho prevailing kind "a pine
and cedar, with an occasional elm and cot