River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-08-28
MONTANA LETTER.
UREr. MoNrASA. June s. 1890.

| those second class cars Tor the Cal
was minus decorations and soft seats
| soon saw that the seats could all be
transformed into hunks. Above the
seat was another bunk which consist
ed OF a kind of hinged door that, when
down, would scarcely allow one to sit
up straight.
We left st. Paul at Ais P. NJ. and
long before night came on we could
gaze out upon the level prairies which
seemed to stretch out farther than
one could see. We were by no means
off from that same level piece of
ground when night shut in our view.
We soon after arranged our sleeping
contriyances, spreading our blankets
and overcoats 50 as to make the hard
wood below us less oppressive, or to
some extent less impressive. The
| man selling mattresses, or rather
| loaning them out for money, came
around to us for the last time to make
a sale and we were soon asleep.
awoke only once or twice during the
night and as soon as / could think
where was was fast asleep again.
| We awoke at early dawn to see that
we were on that same prairie yet. We
| passed the day looking at large farms
and many fine looking villages and
cities. When night came on again we
could just SEE before it grew dark, the
waters of the Yellowstone rejecting
the last rays of twilight. 1t was a
region that seemed very thinly settled
at least along the bottom lands of the
river. We found ourselves in Bill
| lings, Montana, on awaking next
morning. 1t was not late that morn
ing when we noticed that the land be-
came very poor and barren.
Along the edges of ponds and in
places where water had dried
up, the ground looked as if it were
covered with thin layer of snow.
c., my travelling companion, in
formed me that it was alkali, and no
longer wondered how the water ac-
quired a slight mineral taste. The
| farms and settlements grew few and
far between. Soon strange sights met
our view. The land was no longer
| level and you could see scarcely "a
| green grass blade or leaf. Queer look
ing hills seemed to spring up from the
surrounding plain, which hills seemed
| to try TO excel one another in taking
odd forms. Some looked like i'm
mense piles of ashes, some fiat as pan
| cakes, while others looked like the
tops of steep Volcanoes. Some re-
minded me of huge hay stacks and
others of large tables. After travel
ing for hours through these lands we
noticed that we were going down
grade for long stretches. You could
ride for hours and not see a single
| tree. 1t was not long before we came
| to little settlements after these bar.
rens and then only few houses APP
parently walled in on all sides by cliffs
of solid rock. We got out of these
terrible lands by and by and saw more
level and greener plains. Soon a
Chinaman made his appearance in our
car as some assistant. Groups of cat
tie could now be seen, though the
houses were still many miles apart.
In the far distance could now be seen
blue mountains and before travelling
long my eyes were fixed on some snow
covered peaks towering above others.
Swift running streams of pure water
| were beside us and from them long
trenches were dug across the plain
as means of irrigation. 1t was most
surely good specimen of Montana
large level plains, mountains in sight
selected near some mountain stream
that the people can direct its water
over their lands to take the place OF
rain, the air pure and rather cold and
the sky seldom DISTRACTED by clouds.
We were soon winding along right
in among the mountains. They were
to be sure, not very high, but to one
nnaccustomed to mountain scenery,
they looked grand indeed. Later Oh
we went along very slowly, being on
rather heavy up grade. All at once
| it grew intensely dark. Not thing
could be seen except an occasional
lamp light. 1t was just about five
minutes before we could see daylight
again. when we found ourselves com
ing out of long mountain tunnel
Around us were small patches o.
snow and the train moved on with in
creased speed down the mountain val
lev. Later on we came to stream o.
rather muddy water which turned on
TO be the Missouri. We were sooI
out upon an open and level plaiI
where we could see Helena at dis
lance.
We arrived at the depot at $40 P
NJ. and had been there but shor
time when the first class passenge
also came along. We stepped GU
among a crowd and were surprised T.
see the city, not on account of its size
but for the lack of it. We soon foun'
out though that we were not in tn
! main part of the city but had to enjo
a mile and a half walk first. We wen
the dusty road looking like traveller
indeed. We found where my cousil
lived without much difficulty, whicl
residence, as luck always makes il
was on the opposite side of the cit
: about as far out as anybody lived
They received us kindly and we mad
their fathers house our home for sey
eral days. We did not allow niue
|, time to be lost until we inquired fo
work. We hunted up the county ST
!, perintendent and found out from he
that the schools in the county we a
in session or spoken for. That {
course meant that we were not needle