The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1900-06-29
A TRIP TO SEL|SH
Down Flathead River and Over
the Lake to Poison,
A DELIGHTFUL TRIP,
The F1athead Indian Reservation
Splendid Tract of Land, Won
derfully Productive.

At this season the traveller will find
most delightful and picturesque trip in
taking the lake and river voyage from
kalispell to Selfish. The distance is
about one hundred miles and is made in
one day from Kalispell. The steamer
klondykc leaves Dcmersville three
miles from Kalispell, three times each
week at six o'clock in the morning and
winds down the Flathcad river at a
speed which is entirely satisfactory, Civ
ing enough time to admire both banks
of this beautiful stream. About nine
o'clock you pass the bar of the Flathead
lake and are then on the bosom of what
is the largest body of water in the Rocky
mountain region and is sight which
one will never tire of praising. The
landing place is Poison, at the foot of the
lake and about thirty eight miles from
Selfish. Poison is not much of town,
consisting only of Il few houses and a
general store, in which is the hotel and
postotlice. This store does Il good bust
ness with the Indians.
The trip from Poison by stage to Selfish
is through the finest range country in
Montana, or the entire west for that
matter. Thousands of cattle belonging
to the Indians Craze on the luxuriant
grasses and at this season they are roll
ing fat The big prairie" as it is called,
is stretch of fifteen miles of as fine
tered plentifully by hundreds of small
lakes and where it is cultivated at all it
shows wonderful productive qualities.
Almost tho entire reservation of nearly
three million acres is used only for range
purposes. 1t belongs to the Flathead
Indians, of course, There are 1900 full
bloods and about 400 half breeds at pres
ent on the reservation and it is likely to
be many years before this rich land will
be opened for settlement. A great num-
Der of these Indians are stocking up
with the very finest cattle. while others
cling to the horses. The latter they sell
in large bands for as low as So head.
q. &. Jamison, representing Thewett
Bros. of st. Paul, made shipment to
his firm yesterday from Selfish. The
train was made up of about 25 cars,
which will average 30 head to each car,
not counting the colts, which are usually
thrown in by the Indians to make good
measure. This firm has shipped over
100 cars of horses the past four months
from Selfish, all of tnem being purchased
from the Indians. On the road to st.
Paul they are unloaded at Billings and
Mandan and fed, watercd and classified.
These cayuses will be sold as western
range horses at a big sale in st. Paul on
July S. The farmers within 200 and 200
miles of st. Paul will attend this sale, as
over 10000 head of all. sorts of horses
will be sold. The Montana horses are
represented as being unbroken. The
farmers of Minnesota will doubtless find
this statement a fact.
Selfish is reached at about six o'clock
in the evening. The stage usually con
meets with the Northern Pacific train for
the west, due at that time, and the east
bound train leaves at 7:N the next morn
ing. 1t is about the quickest way to
make the journey to Butte and the east
unless you are hampcred with baggage.