The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-10-05

Dakota proper extend ever come
twenty-five square mills. Although
these are oullei Bad Lands. they are
not SO lad as ! had been led to expect
from their lame. While there are many
bare clay ard sand but,es. and deep
anu perpendicular canyons. cut by the
streams In rainy seasons. there are
alao a g.eat many fevd. grassy and
'bear.Tul valleys with few trees and
shru'os. We found but little water
here. The tops OF a great many OF the
bI..es are red and overs;rewn with
what Is called volvanic scoc!a, which
arises fiom the burning of the Ignite,
found In beds. Here is where the sub
'terianean fires are st!ll burning, and
where forests have been petrificd, and
s'.rata OF blue clay converted into
| scoI.u.
Cedar Creek Is the mos. interesting
locality. and, perhaps, are here found
the most extensive of the subtcrranean
fires or this entire region. This IL a
locality for hunting. az large game has
not been exterininated. For cattle
raising this section has no superior
anywhere In the west. 1t Is covered
with q growth Of short bunch grass,
which cures on the stalk into excel
lent hay for winter feed. 1t Is so nu-
s.all-fed oxen. Over most of this Sec
tlon there is nothing but this grass
and the bibter. grayish. green sage
bush. which gives the landscape a look
OF grim desolation, and loneliness.
Bellies Its Real Character.
The forbbddlng aspect OF this land
however. completely bellies its real
character for grazing. The cliffs and
| IaV.gN NlS..n ltAxt .
shelter to the animals in winter. The
randhmen claim that the loss of cattle
during the severest weather In winter
Is very slight. Even "half-starved pill
grims' placed on the ranch late In the
fall. come out in spring as sleek as
the best. The rainfall Is slight and the
scantiness of the waiter supply causes
the cattle to keep near'the rivers. creeks
| and large WAGER lloles during the sum-
| mer, while In winter they roam owe,
The back country. where they have not
before grazed. which affords them ex-
| cellen't winter feed, though they Otter
dig for 1t beneath tine snow, as they
slake their thirst when the ponds and
streams are closed with ice. Cattle
never starve, but thrive where they cal
find this bunch grass. in either sum
mer or winter. Immense herds of cat
tie were seen in the valleys and uplands
here.
At Little Missouri. across the river
from Medora on the bluffs, Is a coal
mine in active operation. A mile dis
tant Is an abandoned military post
For sixteen miles westward the coun-
try becomes less rough, although the
railroad passes through many cuts and
ravines. Soon the landscape is that of
broad rolling prairie, marked here
and there by isolated buttes, Senti-
mel Butte being the most prominent
and on clear days can be seen for thirty
miles, but looks only to be about three
miles away, so deceptive Is the lumi-
nous atmosphere. This region abounds
In moss agates. Specimens found at
the foot of the buttes, that we obtained,
are Of great size and beauty. We We're
reliably informed that this butte was
formerly favorte resort for buffalos
and the bones of these animals lie in
heaps at the foot of the pren'pice, whit
ened by the weather. they having been
crowded over the brink IN their wild
rambles. The large piles of bones Of
various animals for shipment near the
station afforded sufficient proof of the
fact.
The Passing Of the Buffalo.
For many years up to and including
the winter of 1881 and 1882 this was the
finest buffalo hunting country on the
continent, but the slaughter that sea-
son was enormous. Think of it? Over
250.0O0 hides were shipped east, mainly
from Miles City. Few have been seen
here since that time. and save the fifty
or sixty forming the herd In Yellow
stone National park (Which the law
prOtects). SO far as United States is
concerned, the buffalo is practically ex-
tinct. In the park they are safe from
the hunters deadly repeater and will
multiply rapidly.
A primitive boundary mark one mile
westward marks the boundary be-
tween Dakota and Montana. 1t is a
tall pole upon which Is nailed a fine
pair Of antlers. The elevation is 2.840
fee above sea level For the next thir-
ty miles is a beautiful prairie plateau.
we'll watered with rivulets forming the
divide between the Little Missouri and
the Yellowstone rivers. descending into
the valley of Glendive Greek, reaching
the Yellowstone river at the town Of
Glendive.
Travelling Through Montana.
The Northern Pacific railway has
now traversed Dakota 1916 miles, we
are now to travel not less than 500
miles through Montana; the luxurious
appointments of our train, together
with attentive officers, render weariness
well-nigh impossible and the trip hour
ly becomes more interesting, enjoyable
and also instructive. Its "land grant"
embraces alternate mile square Sec
ttons for a distance of fifty miles on
each side of the track. covering some
5000, 900 acres. Of uniform fertility and
very productive for diversified farming.
especially adapted for grazing pur-
poses.
Glendive Is the first place of any
prominence In Montana, situated on
the south bank of the Yellowstone river
ninety miles south of Fort Buford and
it's junction with the Missouri. Glen
dive occupies a broad plain about a
mile wide sloping to the river. 1t is
surrounded by curiously shaped clay
buttes, which rise abruptly to height
OF 800 feet above the river bed. The
soil here Is rich sandy loan. II Is
an important point for shipment of cat
tie and sheep to eastern markets. 1t
is a county seat, with a population OF
1900 1t Is the beginning of the yell
lowstone division of the railroad. which
extends to Billings, a distance OF 22s
miles.
Here Is our first introduction to the
Yellowstone Valley and river of the
same name, wtl!ch extends westward
up to this valley $40 miles to Livingston
and thence due south for over 100 miles
through Yellowstone park and Yellow
stone lake. The railroad follows 1t
closely and crosses 1t occasionally. IN
its characteristics this river closely re-
sembles the Delaware and Susquehan-
ma. It's waters, unlike those OF the Mis-
souri,, are bright and clear. running
over bed Of gravel and among
numerous beautiful islards covered
with heavy timber. The absolute crys-
tai clearness was more and more notice