The Dickinson press., 1896-07-25
Western Letter.

We left our party last week en-
route west from Livingston in the
early morning.
The train begins to climb very
soon after pulling out and sthe puff.
puff of the engines tell the hard work
they are doing. We rise more than
a thousand feet in some fifteen miles
and ut the Bozeman tunnel are 5.565
feet above the sea and at the summit
of the first crossing of the Rockies.
On all sides are mountains. bathed in
the fresh light of the new day. But
VIC are not given long at the summit
and. leaving one engine behind, we
dash down the western slope like q
school boy, let out from school. Sud.
denly we pause, can we be already at
Bozemana A visit to the platform
reveals the east.bound mail train
come putting and heaving up the
grade, from out of the depths it
seems to US. But we now proceed to
20 into those same depths and do not
find it bad ut all. Our way now lies
down tho wonderful Rock Canon
to Bozeman, the metropolis Of the
famous Gallatin valley. Our party
not having risen early enough to
breakfast before starting. spent the
time allowed at Bozeman in getting
break fast and must take the word
of the guide books, substantiated BY
a casual glance of our own, that it is
a "prosperous and pretty place"
From Bozeman to Townsend we
follow the Gallatin river. Irrigation
has been practiced in many parts and
there is a marked contrast betw cen
the fertile, green irrigated fields and
the cactus. covered stretches of un.
irrigated land. On either hand, but
the nearest thirty or forty miles dis.
tant, are the snow covered mountains
peak above peak, reminding us that
we are still among the mighty Rock
les.
At Townsend our own Missouri is
formed by the union Of the Madison,
Jefferson and Gallatin rivers ami even
here, away up at the base OF the
mountains, it is no incons;lerable
stream, but clearer and purer, than
one would imagine from its appear
ance in later life. Stages leave Town
send for the hot springs forty miles
northeast. Tho town looks uninvit.
ing and we prefer to be excused from
a forty. mile stage ride in the hot sun.
Our way lies along the Missouri,
now near its banks now farther from
its willows, to Helena. Signs of the
great industry of central Montana be.
gin to appear on all sides, though
comparatively little Of the vast min.
ing industry can be seen from the
train. The mountains, however, give
hints to the observanr traveller of the
wealth they hold in their bosoms.
Helena, at last the fixed capital Of
the great state, is really lower than
Bozeman but seems higher from the
fact of its position upon plateau.
The second ridge of the Rockies, so.
called, rises to the west and, indeed,
mountains surround the plateau on
every side.
If as most residents say, "Helena
is a beautiful city," the fact is not
apparent from the train; and resi-
dent who was passenger with US,
admitted that it had not a decent
street and had not the enterprise OF
Anaconda. So much for the other
than usual side of Helena.
Leaving Helena, we plunge at once
among the mountains and ascend
rapidly 1900 feet. The road zigzags
among the towering mountain peaks
and the scenery is more striking thar
that near BoZemap. Tho climb does
not last long and soon we are rush
ing down the gorge following the Lit
tie and Big Blackfoot and the He'll
gate rivers to Missoula at the foot OF
the Bitter Root Valley. The scenery
from the Mullan tunnel to Missouls
is at times striking, at times beauti
full, and at times mountainous. the
latter especially in the numbering
sections near Aiissoula, the Gardel
City, and s'the prettiest town in Mon
tana," is rightly named. For Mon
tana as u whole and any other partic
ular town in it we decided we had nj
love; but Missopla is pretty. By tn
way, we learned there what perhap
everyone else knew before, that tn
8 in the name las the sound of z. w
were not allowed to admire the beau
ties of Missoula in peace. We arriv
ed with the night before the Fourth
, and listened to the celebration of tn,
small boy. However we have pleas
ant recollections of this MOUNTAIN
town. Mountains sVrrouud it, a fe,
near but most some distance away
1t is the business center for severe