Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1902-10-01
r TO THE PARK.
Story Of a Trip Overland to the Park
by Frank Prouett.

The following letter was received
from Frank Prouett this week in
which he describes a trip to the Vel
lowstone National Park in an enter
tanning manners
Myself and family left home on Aug.
ith and started overland for the Vel
lowstone Park via Billings. The first
night we pitched camp in good feed
two miles south OF the Judith Gap
Golden Gate OF the park W. saw hard.
ly enough grass 10 keep a chicken
from starving To death. We saw more
alfalfa growing in the Yellowstone val.
ley than | thought was raised in Mon
tana, but outside the fields there was
not enough grass TO make a good sized
birds nest. We proceeded up Clark's
Fork to Rockville and while there had
the pleasure OF visiting the orchard Of
o. S. Chilcoot and also saw tobacco
and peanuts growing on rne ranch of
William Sutton.
We went as far as Columbus and
followed up the river to the boundary,
climbed the famous Yankee Jim" hill
and after a s%ojourn of ten days in that
vicinity came out al Riverside in com
pany with j. w. Doherty and family
OF Maiden. We stopped a day al River
side and went fishing and Mr.. Doherty
owned up that | skinned him properly
on the fish catching question. We
travelled together as far as Henry's
Lake, Idaho, where We had 10 sep
arate. greatly to the disappointment
of Mrs. Prouett and myself. The
Doherty family turned on on the trail
to Salt Lake City, while We headed
for home, coming down the Madison
liver for a distance of 100 miles. across
the Jefferson and up the Boulder to
Boulder City, where We had a pleas
ant visit with Mrs. c. A. Douglass. |
secured a copy of the ARGUS at Boul-
der and IL was like getting money
from home. We had the pleasure OF
visiting the capital at Helena and |
envy j. ID. Waite and +. l.. Smith the
nice place they will have to sit after
election. We left Helena and crossed
the river at Canyon ferry. where n
of the electric plants that lights the
city of Butte is situated. From the
appearance up Smith river valley one
or two companies own the entire val
ley and Mrs. Prouett said II looked
like Paradise when we passed through
the Gap to where the feed was good
once more. Now, Mr.. Editor. we have
Travelled in three states and thirteen
counties, seen the park in all its gran
deur. caught fish by the hundreds,
seen apples growing by the ton, pass
ed by horses. sheep. cattle and goats
by the band, but give me a home in
the Judith Basin, where a hungry
horse can eat his fill and its master
does not have to work his life out to
make a bare living. ] saw one farm
in my travels with this sign on the
gate: -Four hundred acres fenced
and patented. For sale, price $500,
one-half cash" Well. a parting word
TO the linen buster brigade; when you
want to see the park go in your own
outfit, for travelling in the coaches in
the park is like riding down the to-
boggan slide at the Broadwater; you
go easy and fast. jump of at the bot
tom and go PUNK, but you cant see
the sights as well as the sage brush
tourist. as you call me and the rest.
But give me a home on the Judith
Where the wild grass grows
And the wind forever from the Belt
mountains blows.
FRANK PROUETT.