The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-09-28

Wy IhN iiiCitiAiS Sitt1i>iS 'bS'~' neighborhood furnishes the best oppor- tunity to study living and dying gla- ciers to be found within our national boundaries, Alaska excepted. John Muir the king of western naturallsts, whose name is borne by the finest Of Alaska glaciers. has written in ardent appreciation of the region we are de- scribing. Thirty-three hundred feet above Lake Macdonald, Sixty-hve hun dred feet above sea level, is Glacier camp, seven miles from Hotel Glacier at the head of the lake. From this fine camping place an hours climb leads to Sperry glacier, named after the inde- fatigable explorer and popular lecturer, Professor Lyman B. Sperry, of Oberlln. He has spent eight summer vacations here and knows the places round about better probably, than any other person. The serrated edge of this interesting ice formation measures in width over two miles, and from it's upper edge to the end of it's longest finger is stretch of five miles of blue ice. At one time this ice sheet extended a mile further down, and plunged over the abrupt preciplce that walls in Avalanche basin. Its de- serted track furnishes to-day an open page whereon the process of glacial ero- sion and deposit may be studied even more plainly and nstructively than in the days of it's greatest extent. Nearly every glacial phenomenon described In the books, 1t is said may be found illus trated in this unique body of ice.
 A dozen true glaciers, large and small, are found hereabout within reach of good climbers. Some of them have been seen, but not conquered. The Grinnell glacier, few miles north Of the basin, starts from the ridge called the Grown of the Continent from which the melt ed ice flows eastward and westward to- ward two oceans. Several miles north- west of this glacier ''one may see gleam- ing in the sunlight whole mountain slides of red jasper area of forest green" Not far away Is the second largest ice sheet of the region, named after Professor Clancy, of Carleton col lege, Minnesota, who has once or twice accompanied Professor Sperry in his explorations. It's liquid surplus forces its turbid way into the clear waters Of mountain lake half vertical mile below About a mile distant, summit lake lies ensconced upon rocky ter race eight thousand feet above the sea. Crescent glacier embraces it in part, sending out upon it's surface in sum- mer a white squadron of miniature ice bergs. Billy" glacier, mile to the north, drops an occasional avalanche or ice over precipice to be dashed to fragments upon the rocks thousand feet beneath.
 A chain of five tiny lakes trends north and east in a narrow valley between crowding mountains. One precipitous cliff rises skyward thirtysix hundred feet, far higher than any of the titanic mountain fronts about the Yosemite valley. Its base line rests upon an other abrupt descent of rock measuring nearly half a mile vertically to the stream below.
 All these remarkable scenic features, with many more, are found within distance of score of miles Other wonders and beauties doubtless lie un- revealed to the north before the Cana dian line is reached waiting for the ex- plorer, exploiter and tourist. No com parison is intended with the far famed attractions of the Yosemite region, yet those who have visited both affirm that l this district will bear the comparison. The number of visitors to it already ex- ceeds the primitive accommodations for | them. The Great Northern railway is said to contemplate erecting new ho- tel. perhaps next year. and providing better roads and means of transporta- l tlon.
 ! in Jyhipt3 thiS region is included is full of scenic attractions. Larger than the state of Connecticut, 1t is the lake country of the far west. | Over q hundred beautiful bodies of wa ter are known within it's limits. It's | thriving county seat, Kalispell, has name which means "ear-drop," from the shape of the lake to the westvasd, 1 which bears the French name with the same meaning, Pend'oreille. recent | steamboat sail of sixty miles down the
 Flathead river and lake ended by carriage drive across the Indian reser- yation of the same name, has given the writer dideer knowledge of the wonder ful range of natural beauties to be found here. Some day this region must become a frequented summer resort. Flathead lake is the largest body or fresh water west of the Rocky moun- tans, and is rarely beautiful. A Mon- tana Chautauqua is already established on its western shore. and the state unl- versty has biological and geological sta tions on the other side. The largest ex- isting herd of buffalo is found on the reservation, belonging to half-breed family. It numbers some three hun | dred, while a friend who has long lived in Montana tells of riding sixty miles through an immense mass Of buftaio pasturing on the plains The United | States government procured their de- | struction almost by the million to force
 the Indians to give up their nomadlc habits. The common Indian beief IS that the vast numbers of buffalo have not ceased to exist, but are now con- fined in a great cave far to the north' from which some valiant chief Will one day deliver them and drive them forth again upon the plains to furnish their hunters sport and profit--John H. Ed
 wards In the New York Observer. -------------
 MATTHEWS AND FOOTE.