The Helena independent., 1893-08-20
a Strange and Uncanny But at the
Same Time a Fascinating
Sight
Impressions OF q Visitor Who
Stopped at Medora, de
Mores' Town.
Some Problems beyond tho Depth Of
4 &clcnce-About do Moros-An I'm.
dcrworld Of Fire.
Especial Correspont1encc.l

MEDorsA, N. D., Aug. 15.-This strange
nncanny town is situated in the very hear
of tho Mauvaises Terres, or Bad Lands,
weird and wonderful strip of territory ant
ono that has no counterpart on our planet
It lies in the northeast corner of North Da
kota and Is 80 miles in length by 10 il
width.
circumstances lately called me here, ant
4 will try to transcribe my impressions OF
the infinitely fearful yet fascinating scenery
by which am surrounded.
boarded a Northern Pacific train at St
Paul as sundown was splashing the sky
with scarlet splendor and was soon being
whirled through the sylvan scenery of Min
nesota. Night drifted in, and when day.
break pearled in peerless light we were far
out on tho plains Of North Dakota. On,
on, on thundered the train over leagues,
leagues and leagues Of prairie. On, on, OF,
thundered the train for hours, hours and
hours through timberless land--a land
without a hill, valley or forest to break the
monotony Of tho view. On, on, on, until
suddenly the scene underwent a trans
formation so unreal, grotesque and uncan-
my that gave start and stared out of the
car window. wondering if I had become the
victim Of an optical illusion.
My awe and amazement grew the longer
p gazed upon the view unfolding before nv
vision as the train went spinning through
the sunlight.
Todescribe the marvellous scenery-to de
pict its miracle combinations of form, col
or and suggestion-would require an inspi-
ration denied to finite man.
To paint it would throw Dore into de-
spair.
To picture it with the pen would cause a
Ruskin to reel from the task,
Buttes from so to $50 feet high tower on
every hand, huddlcd together like freaks
that seek the sympathetic society of fellow
freaks, full knowing they have nothing in |
common with the common world. These |
bnttes are formed of argillaceous lime
stone, Ignite, scoriaa, friable sandstone and |
raw clay-some possessing all of these e!e-
ments. some possessing four, three, two or |
only one.
Many Of the mounds are striped with |
varying dyes. Here is one that is blue,
brown and gray. There looms one that is
golden at the base, its primrose tint chang
ing to bright white higher up, while its
summit is scarlet as your blood. Yonder
is one that looks like vast pyramid of
tspotless snow, while farther on is anoth-
Ier green with grass Hundreds, thousands.
triple trine thousands of these unspeakable
Nominations stretch off, off and off till they
fade in the opal sky line and are lost in lone
some space.
Between the buttes are great gulches
spread with bunch and buffalo grasses and
ground juniper. Trees are few, but stray
cedars can be seen on the margins of the
streams that wind their wimpling way to
the Little Missouri.
"And this is Medora" thought to nv
self as I walked up the silent, solitary
street of the little hamlet-a hamlet of in |
fternational renown-a hamlet suggesting a
"Reminiscences at every step. 1t is situated
on plain Of several acres in area and is |
cinctnred by commanding buttes. 1t was
founded by the Marquis de Mores, was |
christened in honor of his young dashing,
beautiful American wife, and had popu- |
lation of 500 in it's palmy days, when the
French nobleman held court in that hand
some villa ON yonder beautiful plateau
overlooking the Little Missouri.
And this is Medoran'
J Not sound broke the silence, nor song
OF bird, nor hum of bee, nor clirp of cricket
nor lowing of hertls-nothing. Not a foot
step on the sidewalks save nv own, and
the windows of every house passed were
Boarded up.
strolled on, looking for sign of life.
How silent it was! l shivered, though
the air was the air Of July. II could only
hear the trill or buzz Or chirp of a sentient
thing! 1t only dog would run out and
bark at mel But, no! Silence like that of
the dead moon rolling through space.
walked on a feeling of terror beginning
to clutch at my heart. All, here was an
open door at last, end an old man doing
out astick of candy to d kid! ! sauntereG
IN and was soon in converse with the soil
tary tradesman left in the town-a fine gen
tleman, one of the good old type
After resting myself and recruiting nv
scanty store of knowledge from the utter
ances OF my new acquaintance requested
him to direct me to the home of Mr.. James
W. Foley, who superintends the immense
american properties of the Marquis de
Mores. He pointed out substantial brick
house few blocks off-ths finest residence
dn the place barring the one that was for
merly the home of the French nobleman
himself.
l had a delightful reception at the hands
OF Mr.. Foley, and ne impressed Inc as
man OF native talent, supplemented by ex