The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-10
IN A FROZEN FAIRY LAND
Startling Revelations Dim the
Vision on Montana Glaciers.
M0RAINEOFENCHANTME NT
Mirages Lovely to Behold Rivet the Wan
derer to His Tracks-Beautiful Women
Skip Acros the Abysses With the
Grace OF a Summer Dream.

Great Fails, Aug. s.-Although Mon
tana has an unearned reputation of be-
ing an exceedingly cold state, skating on
the 9th day of July is an unusual oc-
currence, even in this latitude. But hat
is what w. j. Casey, who is in the city
at the present time, claims he could
have done had he had some skates on
that date. MI. Casey is one of the old
timers of this part of the country. hav-
ly seventies and having fol-
lowed the fortunes of the state
from Its first organization as
a territory. He has been a res
ident of this city for many years and
last season when the coded strip of the
Blackfet reservation was thrown open
for entry he was one of the first i'm the
field. So IL happened that on the 9th of
July, 1888. which was his birthday. he
took a little run up Grinnell mountain
from st. Mary's and he walked on the
surface of the glacier and longed for a
pair of skates that he might take a
little OF that kind OF exercise. which
properly comes in the dead Of winter.
He a that the glacier is the abiding
place of a great variety of p~hantasma-
goria. Having been a strict teetotaler
for more than a dozen years, he is not
prepared to state just what a Ia
might see h had thrown some tarant-
ula juice under his belt. but a sober
man may see enough to delight and
puzzle him for days at A time. Just
at one season of the year the traveller
may see a vision OF a beautiful woman
crossing the ice. She advances toward
one, lifting her skirts with either hand
TO clear the snow and water, picking
a devious path across the white surface
until all at once she disappears. leav-
ing the spectator rubbing his eyes and
doubtful of his own sanity. Then there
are other pranks played by the wind,
the light air and the clouds of mist
from the ice and a hundred waterfalls.
Fields of waving green grass appear
on the glacier and one may see the orr
entail trick of the transformation of the
date seed into the full grown palm
performed by nature. for the field Of
green will change while one watches
into the purple Of grass in full bloom
m then into the deepening yellow of
the fields OF late autumn.
These are but two OF the thousands
of tricks which the place plays upon
the senses and the glacier Is but one
of the thousands of beauty spots which
Mr.. Casey has found in the coded strip.
There are deep lakes where ~25-pound
lIOul dbOuHu anu NHelt the water II
as clear as crystal and cooled by thou
sands of tons of ice In the mountain
streams that flow deep and quiet or
break out into fantastic waterfalls and
cascades; mountains that are carved
into every imaginable form by volcanic
action and the grinding OF ancient gla-
ciers and rivers. Mr.. Casey is positive
thai the country was formerly inhabit-
ed by a race of Irish tarriers." for no
other nation iE C0 fnl1 of fight and
would have need Of so many castles and
fortresses as exist in this mountain
country, The lake itself is the home
of fish to be caught by the veriest tyro
in the piscatorial art and in the noun
tains are elk and bear and mountain
sheep and deer in abundance. to say
nothing of the smaller game.
Everywhere the scenery Is of the most
magnificent type. Chief mountain, for
instance. appears like a huge bulletin
board. on which a race OF giants might
have inscribed the latest war news. On
this side is a sheer precipice, over which
bands of elk have been driven to fall
on the rocks below, mangled beyond
recognition. There are precipices where
one may follow tortuous sheep paths
until the head swims and fear compels
a return. 1t is no wonder that the In
dams believed hat the mountains were
the abode of hosts of evil spirits who
sat on cliffs and threw boulders at in
vaders. They refused to go into them
and II is a bold heart that will o
attempt to explore alone the deepest
recesses. At the same time there is not
a place on the continent more fruitful
10 the sight-seer, n no doubt with
increased transportation facilities and
hotel accommodations St. Mary's and
the country around hat spot win at
tract thousands of visitors every rear.
But II is not wholly for the scenery
that Mr.. Casey and his compatriots arc
spending their time in that country.
They believe there is mineral there and
lots of ii. and some of them have found
claims which apparently Justify Their
belief. Up on Grinnell mountain there
Is a spot where some glacier has, with
terrific force. pushed away the side OF
the mountain and laid bare a streak