Rosebud County news. [volume] (Forsyth, Mont.) 1901-1906, 1904-09-08
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Z A Visit to Flatbead Lake 8
Written for The News by Special Request Of the Editor
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For summer vacation, to study or
not as ore pleases. there is no better
place than upon the shores of Flathead
lake at the State Biological station.
Beautiful trees and landscapes, boat
ing, fishing, swimming, mountains for
climbing, a good, clean boarding
house, nature in abundance and con-
genial companions all go to make up
an ideal environment for the student of
nature. ..
The station is reached by crossing
the F1athead reservation from Selfish,
Montana, to. Poison, at the foot of the
lake, and then taking the little steamer
klondike, across the lake. The drive
across the reservation is beautiful;
the Mission mountains are in view all
the way, some Of them w-crowned; !;
the air is invigorating; the land shows
great possibilities in the way of agri-
culture. Many of the F1athead Indians
have beautiful ranches and homes.
Prosperity and industry speak from
the fields of hay and grain and the
large weli-built, well-kept farm houses.
Herds of cattle and horses are seen on
every hand and one of the Indians
owns the famous Allerd herd Of buffalo,
the largest in the world. The drive is
about forty miles and takes about all
the morning. The distance across the
lake, to the station, at the mouth Of the
Swan river, is about thirty miles and
is very enjoyable, especially if there be
little breeze-enough to rock the boat
in pleasant way. Both shores are
heavily forested, as are the islands.
Some of these are in the reservation
and the Indians have their herds upon
them. In many places the shores are
steep and abrupt One of these is
most interesting from historical
point of view, for at some past time the
Indians have painted in red, some
story-perhaps the story of war or
quarrel over buffalo. The buffaloes
are very easily seen, all moving in
one direction, driven by warrors on
horses. Then a fight seems to have
taken place, and rows of straight
marks seem to indicate those who took
part, while the time seems to be spec
flied by two round moons over pack
horse. This is called "Pictured
Rocks" and photographs were made
for future study.
At the head of Flathead lake, at
Somers, is located the O'Brien saw
mill, one of the largest mills in the
country. Work is done upon grand
scale there; logs are made into lumber
and timber in very few minutes. All
around the lake are beautiful bays and
mountains. It is very fortunate that
the former are there, for storms arise
very suddenly sometimes, and the
calm surface of the water is ruffled
and lashed into great waves in the
space of few minutes.
The Station is situated in what was
the heart of the forest at the mouth of
the Swan or Bigfork river. A little
village has sprung up within the last
two or three years, called from the
river Bigfork. This valley is said to
be the only one in Montana where
farming can be done without irrigation.
1t is splendid fruit country-apples,
cherries, gooseberries, currants, rasp-
berries and Strawberries are raised
in abundance.
On every hand, where man has not
intruded, are yellow pines, balsom,
Douglas and Englemann frs, tama-
racks, mountain naples, birches, and