The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1893-08-24
no, FOR TIKI WONDERLAND
THE 'BURG'S PARTY ON THE WAY
TO THE NATIONAL PARK.
The Mails Correspondent Writes a Short
md Interesting Letter From Madison
County, Montana 1--WE Are All
Kaving Il jolly Good Time.''
IHExToN's RANCH, Madison Co.,


Monday August IA, 1893. {
We are located to-day at the above
ranch, about - miles from Virginia City,
Will remain here all day for the purpose
of resting up our horses, as we'll as our
selves.
The trip so far has been one of not
extraordinary enjoyment. The country
we passed through so far has not been
very inviting--at least the greater part
of it. Feed for the horses has been
pretty scarce, and we have had to make
long drives at times to reach a place
anything like fit camping place.
The first day we were out we made
Silver Bow and camped near there; the
second Mccarthy Mountain, where we
laid up for the nj. ht This was by far
the most desolate and uninviting section
Of country through which we traversed,
the only living thing which we saw for
miles while going up the canyon being
large. fat, black crickets, which infested
the coulltry in thousands. Our third
night found us at the foot of Alder gulch
about nine miles from Virginia City.
The next morning we rode into that
famous old town and made our necessary
purchases in the way Of supplies. We
found nicer looking place than your
imagination had pictured, and from what
number of It's people we inferred that
than it had many other Montana towns.
The principal production is Of course
gold, but there is undoubtedly a num-
Der of good silver mines in the vicinity.
One, the Easton, is said to be one Of the
,4c+, III
located below town, though it is like
most other silver mills in the west-in
state of s'lnnocuous desuetude,o as the
emperor Of Buzzard's bay would express
it.
We started out from Virginia short
time before noon to make a twelve-m mile
drive to Ennis, but before doing so tried
to find Editor Kaiser, of the Madisonian,
but were unsuccessful after having in-
quired at all the churches and at such
other places as one would naturally look
to find newspaper man. Before we
left, however, we learned that the gen
tleman in question was out on his ranch,
probably moving hay,it being his custom
to go out Saturday evening and return
Monday morning. Iucky man these
times to own a ranch.
At any rate we started for Ennis, and
when within six or seyen miles
from there we were misdirected by team
ster and we took another road leading at
right angle with the one which we were
travelling on. just about as we got
started on it terrible wind came up
and almost carried the party with it, but
as it was blowing on our backs it did
nothing more than accelerate our speed.
We finally reached the Thexton ranch,
which comprises about 1000 acres of
good land, about six miles south of En-
MIS- Thomas Uhexton kindly invited us
to make ourselves comfortable at his
place, drove our horses into his field to
Craze, gave us the privilege of using his
hayloft for our boudoir, and in every
way possible extended us such courtesies
as were in his power, and it is needless
to say that all were thankfully accepted.
The hurricane lasted until late IN the
night, we were told the next morning,
but no one lost any sleep out of curiosity
to know when it ended.
G. 0. Reed made a photograph of a
bucking horse the next day at the ranch,
with a bronco rider on It, but it was the
hardest job of all to get Reed to leave
that haYloft. He wanted to stay right
with it and said that if there was any
one thing superior to another it was
hayloft bed over one of greasewood, such
as we slept on the night before. He was
finally prevailed upon to continue the
journey after each one of the party
promising to eat slice Of the bread he
baked the day before. He wanted to
take the hayloft with him, though.
We remain at Thexton's to-day (Mon-
day. and will start on our journey to-
morrow morning, and will endeayor to
reach Henry Lake as soon as possible.
as it is said to be alive with fish and
game.
The fish and game are pretty plentiful
now all along the road. Fred Dankowski
ard E. r. Thompson are the fishermen
and hunters and get almost every thing
thev go after G. @. Reed is the chief
cook. "Chicago" Fred is also good one,
while Thompson is showing the advan-
taOac of havinor t:haoha1n IN vcoro cyopo