The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1898-10-07
FROM MONTANA
GREAT FALLS, MONTANA,

october, 1898.
EDITOR REvIEw:-I think it is about
time for me to redeem the promise
made the last time we met, but it
would be hard for me to tell all have
seen or passed through since then.
spent two days at Omaha and from
there Game over the b. & Nj. road to
Billings. this state. While enroute I
saw the Big Horn battle field, where
Custer and his command were slain.
1t is situated near the Grow agency on
the Little Big Horn river. The princi-
pal field of action is on the side of
ridge sloping to the southwest. Where
the final stand was along the crest of a
ridge is thickly marked with tombs,
while a large monument marks the spot
where General Custer fell. Altogether
it is quiet, peaceful scene, and it seem
ed hard to realize that twenty-five years
ago one of the most fearful tragedies in
history occurred here.
Billings is beautiful place and like
it better than any other place 1 have
yet seen in Montana. There is some
beautiful scenery along the Yellow
stone river, but as passed through at
night, about half of it 1 did not seea at
all.
Preached Helena on the morning of
Sept. 18th and stayed there nearly three
days. / walked all through the town
and then scaled the mountain and took
look at it from the top. 1t was scorch-
ing hot when was there and the night
l left the wind suddenly sprang up
from the southwest in a hurricane.
Sand and dust filled the air in huge
clouds which were so dense that a per-
son standing on the ground could not
see his feet. l supposed it was a COM
mon occurrence, but the keeper of the
Grand Pacific hotel assured me that he
had never seen anything like it, and
that standing inside his office window
he could not see the telephone poles
eight feet away.
From Helena Icame out on the Great
Northern r. r., and have been at var
ious points along it. This town is sit
uated at the falls in the Missouri river.
The country near the town is nearly
level and the mountains are in plain
sight. The Missouri river here is as
clear as crystal, and you can see fish
swimming many feet below the surface.
The principal industries of Montana
are ranching, saloon keeping and rail-
reading, and think the saloon pays
about the best of the lot for it is safe
to say of the money paid out by the
railroads three fourths go to the sal
oons.
The weather has been warm since
came here until two days ago when it
turned cold and has been showing ever
since. The people are predicting long,
cold winter. However it looks odd to
see the trees, as green as they were in
July, weighed down under mass of
wet snow. This country is not the best
in the world, though it is easy to get
work.
Water and air here are exceptionally
pure. One thing surprises me however
and that is that the altitude has no eff
feet on me. L have gone far up on the
mountains, yet never once noticed
the rarity of the air, and the climate
seems to agree with me, for never felt
better in my life and am five or six
pounds heavier than when / left home.
/ do not know what | will do yet or
how long l will stay here, though you
need not be surprised if you see me on
the streets of Denison before the apple
trees bloom. [ am not going to teach
school so long as can get other work
at as good wages and great deal more
convenience. | am getting tired SO 1
will close for the present. With re-
CARDS for ali remain,
Yours as ever,
j. A. MCFARLAND.
nm