The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-16
THE FLATHEAD VALLEY.
A Writer in a Sporting Paper De-
scribes This Rich and Grow
ing Region.
It Abounds in Game Of AL Kinds
and Has Numberless
Fish.
The Violations of the Game Law Make
Total determination Only II
Question of Time.

M~issonla county, tho fourth in size in TIN
state of Montnan, has an area of Is. DOC. squar,
miles, with a population of l4,oop. says
writer in the American Field. The British
possessions are its boundary on the north
ana q man living near the line, in order t.
reach Missoula-the county seat-woulc
travel ninety miles by land, sixty miles by
steamboat, and forty by rail. About one
hundred miles further he would reach the
southern county line. The Flathead reser-
Walton is occupied by the Flathead Indians,
together with the remnants of several other
tribes. and contains 1,300,000 acres. Less
than 1000 Indians claim this vast tract OF
magnificent country. and nowhere car
there be found such q combination OF fer
tile land, wonderful forests, lakes. streams,
and lofty mountains as here. The Indians
are supposed to be engaged in agriculture,
but there is very little evidence of it,. The
benefits Of the reservation are monopolizsd
by a few enterprising half breeds and
suuaw men, whose herds of horses and cat
tie have the exclusive range of the rich and
extensive reservation ~pasturage.
One hslf-breed in particular 10 q notable
example of enterprise and thrift. He has o
large and splendidly cultivated farm. with
substantial fences and elegant buildings;
he ia the possessor of immense herds of
horses and cattle; he also has q controlling
interest in the stage and steamboat lines
running across the reservation and con-
Meeting the settlements on the north with
Northern Pacific railway. Among his pos
sessions is 4 herd of some fifty domestic
Gated buffsloes, which roam the reservation
at their pleasure during the summer and
are rounded up and fed with the cattle
through the winter At the round up last
fall one of the young bulls broke away
from the herd and made a dash for liberty.
This was the opportunity for a bit OF rare
snort for the Indian herders. With a yell
Of delight each one put the quirs to his
horse and started after the runaway. Mile
after mile on u s~tralghtaway course the
terrified brute led the excited. yelling
crew, resisting every effort to turn him, and
finally, through fear and exhaustion. his
heart broke and he fell dead on the prairie.
The result of the chase was probably a loss
of over $500 to the animals owner, but
there is no doubt the Indians had more
than a 81, 600 worth of fun out of it.
The northern line of the reservation
crosses the Flathead lake about it's center.
The Flathead lake ia a beautiful sheet of
water, of unknown depth, and about thirty
five miles in length by fifteen miles wide.
The FIathsad river empties into it at its
northern extremity, and here is where the
white settlement of the Flathead valley
proper begins. The main valley is about
fifty by fifteen miles; several tributary val
leys have each a similar area. The scenery
is magnifcent-no pen can do Justice. The
resources are varied. and to the stranger
wonderful. Gold. silver, lead and copper
mountains; it is claimed she largest known
coal deposits in the United States are
found here; the foothills are covered with
dense forests of pine, spruce. fir, birch and
tamarsck, while the timber is 30 distri-
buted in the valley, that the majority
tract as they desire on their claims. From
the first settlement. there has never
been a failure Of crops; irriga-
ton is unknown, the rainfall
being about equal to that of
Iowa, doubtless caused by the constant
evaporation from the innumerable lakes
and streams. The altitude is about 2, 500
feet. Climate in the in~ter-mo1ntain region
is a matter of altitude more than latitude.
The residents of eastern or southern states
imagine that the climate of any portion of
the United States, that borders on British
America, must necessarily be very cold;
this is a mistaken idea. OF course, high up
the snow deep; in the sheltered valleys the
snowfall is only enough usually for fair
sleighing for about two months in mid
winter, and the cold is neither severe, nor
of long duration. While the newspapers
were reporting bitterly cold weather and
great storms all over the United States ut
various times during the past winter, in
this valley the mercury was only once be-
low twenty and with less than twelve inches
of snow for the entire season.. About the
middle of February the snow went off. and
the streams broke up. Quite q number of
mallards wintared here.
kalispell. the principal town, is located
on the line of the Great Northern and in
the geographical center of the VALLEY: on
the first of May, 1891. it's site was q raw
prairie. with hardly a house in sight: to-
day 1t has a population of over l, 900. There
IS not a doubt but that this number will be
Quadrupled this cominy summer. The rail
road has opened this heretofore almost in
accessible country to settlsment; thousands
OF home seekers and pleasure seekers will
visit this almost unknown country. and TO
all there awaits u surprise-surpriss that
hemmed all about by stupendous ranges of
mountains whose snowy peaks pierce the
clouds, there exists a vast and fertile coun-
try, watered by innumerable streams, and
dotted with lakes. with vast resources, and
every facility for developing them; with
gorgeous scenery, and an equable climate:
with a rich soil, untouched almost, as vet
ty the pillow, and with a market at every
"AhAhR so"o AZ buo Sbat0.
To the sportsman this section offers ON.
portunlties at the present time that In n
few years more will Danish forever. Here
is Whsre Tor many years the Indians of
many tribes on each side of the line had
their hunting grounds; even yet it is a
favorite spot, and hundreds of deer ara
killed by them both in and out of season.
10 an Indian the unborn young of a deer
Is an especial tidbit, and they indulge in
the luxury whenever they choose, the white
settler not caring to interfere, as he pener-
ally has q hide or two 'in the redn himself
hanging on the fence.
Ihe game and fish laws of the state of
Montana are good; not arbitrary, but fair
ana reasonable; but to the sportsman the
na2fant ana universal violation OF those
laws IN Ibis section is simply shocking.
Game OF every kind is killed out of season
The eggs of ducks and geese are unlawfullv
gathered by the bushel. parties being maae
up for the purpose. Trout are taken with
~Rrab.hooHs, nets and powder. There ia no
attempt at concealment. 1t is the custorn
of the country, and the individual that had
the courage to file an nformation would
probably be invited to leave tho conn
try"
But notwithstanding all this game of
various kinds Is very plentiful. Deer, both
black-tall and white-tail-espeoially the
iatter-are very numerous everywhere.
ducks and geese breed near the lakes. and
along the streams, by thousands. The
wood-duck. which is rarely seen in the
Rockies. is found here. The mallard. teal,
aud golden-eye are abundant. Jacksnipes
are fairly plenty, breeding in every patch
of sptingy ground. Chief among the up
land ~ar.n I'D - A.