The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-09-02
MISSOURT'S SOURCE
IT rs REALLY sHOsHONE LAKE IN
THE YELLOWSTONE PARK.
Branch of the Great Riyer-The
Falls and the Canyon.

a. NJ Williams, In New York Evening Post.
Since the time when Lewis and Clarke
assembled the Missouri river in a rowboat,
occupying the better part of the years
1so1-2-3. for the purpose of exploring the
country along and at the source of the
Missouri river. the stream has become IA
miliar as far as the head of navigation.
Fort Benton, Mont. Beyond that point it
is yet comparatively unknown.
The great muddy loses it's peculiar
characteristic feature above Fort Benton,
and the water becomes as clear, cold and
sparkling as a mountain trout stream.
Flowing directly from it's mountain source,
over a r~ock-paved bed, but little of the
soil of the valleys is carried by the water
IN the form of sediment, except minute
particles of sand which quickly finds it's
way TO the bottom. At sharp bends of the
river this sand has often found obstruc-
tons. so that during the ages of accumu-
lation immense sandbars have been formed,
nearly every one of which is rich in flour
gold of such extreme fneness that the pure
yellow metal is susceptible of suspension i'm
clear water. For many years past these
bars have been worked by nomadic miners,
who have brought to bear the acquired
placer mining knowledge of the past thirty
years, but so far without astonishing suc-
cess. the gold being so light and fine that
Ii has been found almost impossible to save
1t in sufficient quantities to make the work
profitable. 1t can almost be said that on
the banks of the upper Missouri one
breathes an atmosphere laden with gold
dust. and miners declare that respecta-
bic assays of the yellow metal can be OBJ
tanned by gathering the leaves from the
trees along the banks of the stream. So
hne is this gold, however, that some 2O0,-
wv particles of it are required to make
the value of a cent. Some day, when sci
efce shall have discovered a method TO
save this gold. a bountiful harvest may be
the result.
Without rejecting on the work accom-
plished by Lewis and Clarke, under the
difficulties which beset them at the time,
1t is a fact that it was fruitful of but lit
tie benefit to the United States in a min
eralogical or scientific sense. Geographical
~. they published the course of the river,
discovered the great falls Of the stream.
ana Followed the river TO its source, where
the Jefferson. Madison and Gallatin unite,
at what is now known as the town of Three
Forks. They also kept correct and profuse
data concerning the size and quality of
mosquitoes they encountered, which seemed
10 be then. as now, plentiful and ferocious.
PICTURESQUE REGION.
Ascending the Missouri from Fort Ben
ton, the river flows for about one hundred
miles through extensive plains, often
broken into rough high table-lands a short
distance back from the stream. These
plains were once the favorite feeding
grounds for countless numbers of the big
game Of America, including the buffalo
and the elk. Before leaving the main range
Of the Rocky mountains, whose outlines
form the background for a series Of ma
lures most beautiful pictures, the river
plunges over a series of falls. three In num-
Der. any one of which is second only in
Importance to Niagara. For twenty miles
or more at this point the upper Missouri
plunges down a series of rocky stairs to
the plains below, lashing itself into foam.
boiling, SURFING and plunging, forming a
The lower of the falls of the Missouri,
known as the Great falls, is a perpen-
at this point is estimated TO contain a vol
ume of water about three times greater
immense volume is here confined between
rocky walls on either side from 200 to 500
feet in height, and about 300 yards, in
width. Next to the right bank nearly half
the stream descends vertically. with such
terrific force as to send continuous and
times 2O feet or more in the air. These
gorgeous columns are often dissolved into
a thousand fantastic shapes, bent down
and up. by the whirling masses of snow
white foam, the whole under searching
shafts f6 btsu Of golden gSonesa,h s'rnl liz toI being enhan red
other side OF the river Is precipitated over
successive lodges of from ten to twenty
feet, forming a magnificent view, some
two hundred yards in breadth, and ninety
rect In perpendicular elevation. a vast
basin of surging, foaming waters succeed
below. their deep green color and commo-
tion betray1ng a prodigous volume and
depth.
falls. fifty feet in perpendicular descent.
The entire river. here 200 feet wide. hurls
ular in its outline as a work of art, into a
vast rock-bound amphitheater, where the
roar and commotion OF the water make a
fascinating scene.
Another four miles 70 stream and the
roar Of the Black Eagle falls is heard.
plunge OF twenty-six. feet. In midstream
is a little rocky island upon which an anti
aus s1biec Eo OK dtriaTic eagle long since
the remaining days of a ripe old age I'm an
eternal Fourth of July.
The river where these falls are located
hows through a grand natural canyon, not
SO long. SO deep or so picturesque as that
the volume of, water is far greater and the
surrounding plains susceptible of a higher
snow-c OF cultivation; girt about with huge
whose sides flow little arteries which form
thu life blood of the ranches, fed by melt
ing snow often above timber line. The
river in its ceaseless flow has cut n path
for itself through the rock Of the plains.
sometimes to a depth of $50 feet. and the
scene.
The river here flows directly north until.
in the vicinity. of Fort Assinaboine. it
reaches its northernmost limit 3 few miles
from the British possessions, where il
turns east and southeast. South of the
Great falls some sixty or seventy miles
the stream bursts through it's Rocky noun
tain barrie-. at once freeing itself from
the mountains. gliding out into the sun
light of the plains, a condition which
steedily prevails until il finally Joins the
Mississippi
THE HEADQUARTERS.
From the falls south are the proper head
waters Of the Missouri. The point where
the river bursts through the mountains is
known as the Gate of the Mountains" a
spot which, for beauty and grandeur of
scenery, is unsurpassed in the United
States. The entire volume of the river
is here for a distance of about five miles
confined TO an average width of less than
three hundred fee;, the mountain walls on
either side rising perpendicularly for much
of the distance more than one thousand
feet, and in one or two instances leaning
far out over the channeI. The stream.
generally so swift. is here as placid as the
surface Of a sheltered inland lake, making
a polished mirror for the heights. and for
the graceful pines which spring from every
crevice. The water is clear and cold.
swarming with fish. and is from ten 10
twenty feet deep throughout the entire
canyon. The grayish granite walls are
turreted aud pinnacled in a striking man.
washed foundations, with only a dainty
strip Of heavens blue visible. Occasionally
a gigantic needle rears itself, through sse
pierced eyelet of which the blue sky be
yond can be seen. forming a setting OF
rarest turquoise. The echoes of the canyon