The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-10-19

| nrst enters savage gorge OF weatner-
worn rock or palisades, remindfui OF
| those on the Hudson river They show
stains of iron and copper, and rise hun
dreds of feet above the track on both
sides, the swift clear current of the
| Missouri flowing between. The seen
cry here is among the widest on the
| road. Passing three stations amid a
| series of bald, barren bluffs on the one
| side and large natural mustard fields ON
the left we reach Townsend, l.l22 miles
from st. Paul. an important trading
post and depot for visitors TO the White
| Sulphur Springs. renowned in Montana
for their curative properties. Also, a
center of gold and silver mines which
| yield high grade of ore. This is the
celebrated Neihart silver camp and ST.
| Louis district. Here. too, Is another
large irTigsting canal. costing $l50.Ooo.
which will bring under cultivation 40,-
900 acres Of fine lands.
Reginnins OF the Canyons.
From Townsend comes series of
| deep golges or canyons. ON the sum
nit of the first Is a gigantic le!Se OF
| lime rock, The alnlosl. vertical sides,
! partly smooth and partly scanned. from
! top To. bottom, form narrow gorSeS OF
! fantastic shape. First is Avalanche
Canyon. noted for its snows!,des and
avalanches, where are rich and en-
| tens,ve placer mines. Next Is Hell GAZE
! Caryca. .wo miles far.har on, which
! while having peculiarly suggestive
! name. amply merits the appellatlon. 1t
| Is said there Is no spot In Montana
where there is as much ruSsed wild
ness and natural beauty in so small n
| place. The gates of this canyon rise
| to Il surprising height, and within It's
walls q silyery stream flows, forming
| a cs 4 tnrDiIrh series ~
oates cut in very high walls. These
| gates are so narrow that q man can
span their width nearly with extended
arms. on each side of the gorge are
smooth iissures, called Devils Slides
ana every nook ia filled with bright
moses and llcHers. This scene can be-
better imagined chan described
Six miles distant are Castle Mountain
and Crystal Cave, the latter a cavern
of great extent, having twcntythree
separate chambers. full Of curious and
beautiful stalactitic and stalagmitic
| formations. From here 20 Helena, thir-
| ~ miles, we traverse mainly the broad
/ and rich Missouri Valley, which is from
ten 10 twenty miles wide. The country
Is covered with sage, brush and bunch
grass, a dry, barren waste apparently,
! but under Irrigation the richest of land.
From the car windows We see several
I HslNtl SO'it III bNft dNi'll sAllN
some abandoned. An occasional smelter
was also seen. But what interested US
the most was the cattle ranches and
, the 'cattie on a thousand hills" ex-
tending up the mountain sides, down
the gulches and on the river bank. as
fat and sleek as the corn-fed of the east.
Western Stock Raising.
While Montana possesses an immense
area of very rich agricultural land and
stands fiiIh In the United states in the
production of gold and silver. this
great barren state" has as great a
reputation for its stock raising as Da-
kuta has for IT'S wheat. The Red River
Valley of the North has justly
OF our Country" and as justly
can the Yellowstone ard Ms
souri, Valleys of Montana be called
the great resort for the grazier and COW
boy and metropolis, even, OF the stock
raising interest of the Great West. The
traveller can find much food for refiec-
tion, much to interest and instruct him
aside from viewing the eVer-changing
panaroml OF grand scenery. In the ar
rangements at the stations for holding
and caring for and shipping the i'm
mense droves of cattle sheep. etc,
found at the stations along the line,
and that roam the country miles back
in the hills and the mountains out OF
sight.
From the train II Is no uncommon
sight to see herds of sleek looking cattle
grazing on these russet hills, Some
time droves of a thousand or two are
noticed coming In broad column from
the distant mountains on their way To
the railroad station for shipment: many
have marched, may be, hundreds OF
| g. h..fr
are CONTROLLED d by the famous COWBOYS" ="
p!cturesquely dressed in gray shirts,
leather breeches. called "chapps." "
broad brimmed hats, each man mount
ed on a fast steed, armed with revol-
Yer. bowie-knlfe and rawhide whip. ac-
c0mpanied by a large band of ponies,
which carry the camp equlppage and
supplies and serve az "remounts" for
the cowboys. To keep the widest and
straying members of the drove In line.
often requires the greatest skill and
keeps the powers of both
driver and beast strained 20
their utmJst tension. These boys
are large. brawny and clear-eyed fell
lows, and polite TO answor all civil
questions. but quick to resent inslnua
tions.
How stock Rnising i Conducted.
n DIbtI ueSCIlDtiDH ti now SIOUX TflS-
ing Is carried on in Montana may be
of interest. The customary way Is 10
brand the cattle and turn them out
loose on the prairie. The more careful
system Is to employ herders tcowboys),
who can manage a thousand head or
more while on the range, except at the
'round-up' In the spring when q few
extra men are required. They always
go mounted, and ride at q speed which
sends terror to the straylng creatures.
No human being dare go among the
cattle on foot for he would be gored
or trampIed to death at once. as the
sight of person on foot instantly
causes rush towards the strange WIS.,
itor. Well Informed cattlemen es.l-
mate the average profit OF stock rails
ing In Montana for the last few years
at 30 per cent. per anumn on the money
investment. 1t Is said that the grazing
interests of the west are moving stead
lily toward eastern Mantana, for SO
rapidly do cattle thrive on the nutri-
tious grasses OF these northern valleys
that a yearllng steer is worth from 81
to $40 more In Montana than In Texas
Why. a single acre of bunch grass Is
fully equal to three acres of average
buffalo grass, in actual sustenance. for
cattle. and II Is unexcelled by the bes,
of cultivated timothy or clover.
The Iicrding Of Sheep.
Sheep must be herded summer and
winter in separate fiocks OF one or more
thousand each. and must be corralled
every night and guarded against the
depredations of dogs and wild animals.
Hay must be provided for them while
the ground Is covered with snow, and
sheds must be erected to protect them
from severe storms. They must be
raised by themselves. for cattle and
sheep cannot live together on the same
range. The sheep not only eat down
the grass so closely that nothing Is left
for the cattle, but they also leave an
odor which Is very offensive to cattle
| for a lha OF fWn aaa enna altar npa