The Red Cloud chief., 1898-02-11
From an Old Red Cloudite.

Cloud every week from you, | don't
think it would be more than right to
let you know how | am getting along,
and hoping to be excused for not writ
ing to you before. My wife and | lett
Red Clond November 4th and arrived
here November eth. Went from Has
tingS 10 AurOla and there caught the
flyer II II p. M The next morning we
got To the Black Hills aud stopped at
Newcastle for fifteen minutes. New
castle is Il very fine town and has lots
of beautiful scenery Here | me, lots
of my railroad friends aud also MIR.
Birdsall, who used to be a conductor
and is now trainmaSter. We went
through Sheridan and Fort Custer and
arrived at Billings at Up. m. This is
also a very nice new city. Lots of fine
brick blocks, ell ctric lights, etc. We
waited here about two hours for the
Northern Pacific flyer. AT last she
came but we had a hard time getting "a
seat, as all were crowded full of pas.
sengers. However, we made the best
Of it and got to Helena the next morn.
ing about eight o'clock. Went from
there through a big tunnel and up and
down and bet ween the big mountains
arriving at Missoala at 1890 p. m. OF
course all the big and little children
M n,,n tbntn D., p,n.t a., NJ, .,, a,
stop as it is impossible for me to write
about how happy everybody was. 1t
was just as IL always is in such cases,
everybody wants to talk and it seems
that everybody talks at once. We were
pretty well tired out by the trip, and it
took us about a week to rest up and
talk. After about a week everybods
seemed to have emptied themselves of
talking 5 o we began to visit. We took
a livery team and went out, or up thir.
teen miles in the mountains. Part of
the road was cut in the side of the
mountain and not owe eight feet wide.
TO the left side run the Bitter Root
river and the railroad track. About
every half mile or so is a turnout
place for teams to meet and pass, but
of course the road is so crooked on the
mountains that you cannot see more
than a few rods ahead. Before leaving
= turnout place you stop and listen a
while to find out IL you can hear any.
body coming from the opposite direc.
ton. II not start up on a fast trot but
remember to keep your eyes on the
road a it may rot be pleasant to roll a
few hundred feet down the hill into
the river below. Everybody in the
wagon keeps bowling like Indians on
the warpath until you strike the next
siding, aud so on until you get to the
journeys end. II it happens that you
meet Il wagon between %turnouts the
one that has the shortest distance to
the siding has to back up as il is i'm.
possible To pass any other way. We
had good luck as We only met one team
and he vas ahead Of time and already
in the side track. He said he heard us
bowling all right. At last we landed
in II canon between big mountains
covered with snow, and all heavily
timbercd. Here we found Il nice new
frame house, ten or twelve log houses,
stables, sheds, fine orchards, big ccl-
lars in the sides of the mountain full of
fruit and potatoes, as these grow here
in abundance, OF curse we had Il
good time here. a nice table was set
of wild game and fruit Of all kinds.
We did not have to go far to find fine
scenery, Standing IN the doorway we
had it all around us, close to us, all
mountains and timber. After resting
up we went back to Missoula at a late
hour.
AS 1t is customary to go hunting
when in the mountains, so all young
people do, so why should not l also try
Il. So my son.in law, Valentine, and |
made up u minds to take a trip up
IN the heart of the mountains on a
hunt. We started in the afternoon
with n couple of good Winchester rifles
aCd ammunition enough to clean out all
the wild game in the mountains from "a
jack rabbit to a grizzly bear. We
walked about eleven miles III Petty
and Deer canyons. 1t began to get
dark, and we stopped at a wood chop.
pers cabin over night. The owner of
the cabin was not AT home, so we made
ourselves AT home as everything tn
make Il tired hunter feel good was
there. We started in to cook coffee
and potatoes, but on investigating the
cabin lardcr | found IA nice fresh docr
ham and we went for it in nice way
and soon had a inc supper. hay,
been all ovcr the old country and
Il good deal OF this coun rs bu,
having n deer steak out in the heart Of
the big wild mountains, deep IN #