The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-05-02

Nature and Location OF Dakota had
Lands.

The peculiar formation OF the bad
lands. undoubtedly dates back 10 the
glacial period. for 10 no other cause
can scientists attribute the immense
buttes and wonderful Impressions that
are salient features o. the country.
The buttes or hills OF which the bad
lands are mainly composed are of ir-
regular size. varying from one acre &,
1000 acres on the summit and from
100 To $50 feet in height. The tops o.
these buttes arc on level w.,h tho
prairie 10 tho cast and west. Hers ;he
soil Is good and tho grass cxccllcat.
but along tho sides and In the dcpros-
sions the soil Is mixture OF ciag and
sand. with occasional ouicroppings OF
sandstone. For "A long time people
thought that the Dad lands were jus.
what their namc implied. but thcre
mover existed mora erroneous impress
sion.
Tho cattlemcr wcrc the FIRST 10 mako
the discovery. rney argued that Z.
the bad lands afforded 2 good winter
shelter for the deer ck. mountain
sheep. antelope AMI boar that every
whore aboundcd .hcn the hard Te can
cattlc could certainly ind subsisL,' CO
there also. The experiment was :. "a
and proved IN unqualified success. I'D
from that time on the bal lands OF
Dakota wcrc baG 10 then In name
only. In point Of fact there Is no be-
ter country In the west for the fatten-
ing OF cattle than out In the famous
bad lands. which to-day have natlol-
Il reputation among stockmen.
The bad lands are ful OF Ignite.
which as everybody knows. is the
crudest rmaiion OF coal used to
work u mice mile or 80 from Medora
and supplied the town with fuel nj -
ton; II st me 90 cents 90 mine H.
This ignite coal makes good fire and
burns to white ash, as wood does
strikes n vein imprcgnntt with sui
phur. One OF the chief points OF inter-
est in the bad lands il what Is known
rs the burning coal mine situated
about eight miles southwest OF Modora.
This mine has been burning for over u
century, II the reports OF the Indians
are TO be believed They used % tell
the trappers that the old mon OF their
tribe said the mine was BURNING when
they first came into the country. and
those who were with Lewis and Clark
report seeing IL. The vein Is OF extra
ordinary thickness and burns so slowly
that 10 may last another hundred years
yet. used 10 work n mine that was
on fire at tho opposite end. but | Ind
every aperture we'll banked. and The
vein burned so slowly that IL never
bothered mo in the least How those
deposits catch fire 1t is difficult 10 ell.
unless perhaps by a stroke Of lightning
or by some fire left by careless cam
camper.
General Sheridan once said the bad
lands looked like hell with the fire pus
out, but Little Philn had very faint
conception OF the beautiful and roman
tic scenery In the interior. About
four miles south OF Mc1ora there ire
whole acres OF petriiled tree. that are
prone on the ground. whore they have
undoubtedly been lying for centuries.
The work OF forming new butics Is
constantly going on as the rains wash
away the soft, spongy soil that rolls
down into the Little Missouri and is
carried of TO find lolgcmcnt else
where.
In the spring especially. there IS a
series OF constant washouts that very
quickly change the whole aspect Of the
bad lands. Sometimes M immense
ravine will form during the night
directly across Il road which has bacn
In continual use with the hunters and
ranchers. II may be fifty feet wide
and fifty feet deep. and may neccssi-
tate IA detour OF several miles In order
TO reach ones destination.
Buffalo berries and wild plums grow
In abundance along the Little Missouri.
and have seen the game SO thick thvt
II has been n common occurrence fof
me 90 shoot four deer In one afternoon.
In fact, the country is a hunters para
disc The buitcs OF which the bad
lands are largely composed ARE placed
In no more order than II shot cat OF n
gun. One might just rs we'll attempt
TO follow the trail OF bullet through
the air as the one left by man who
took the slightest pains 70 cover his
tracks through the country. II was
his that made The locality 50 popular
among horse thieves between 1852 and
1881 At that time Little Missouri
was merely collection Of shantics
but the place bore the reputation OF
Doing tho toughest town in the United
states.