The Dickinson press., 1905-09-23

In the country west OF Bismarck and
in the confines Of our state, across the
Big Missouri, that mighty barrier and
historic stream, there are many things Of
interest and many things of value to.
this growing state.
Not so long ago the uninformed east
erner saw little good to come from the
Indian-inhabited Bad Lands of our west.
s"Bad Indians, Bad Lands" is an unin-
viting combination of terms, and this
great and good united government has
oftimes sent her boys in blue, in earlier
days, to drive the bad men to the Bad
Lands. Those days the mighty Sioux,
warlike, fierce and rowing, held sway in
all the larger open plains of the central
west. Smaller nations loved this pro-
tecting river and adjacent broken coun-
try, for its contour was of nature in
which they could dwell, protect their
homes and live in partial peace at least.
Combat with the Sioux, time and strife
combined, and the geographical seclu-
sion of the country were education in
a way that developed marked charac-
teristics among these river bands, and
while their joint number was far infer
ior to the Sioux, they were many spans
ahead in the crude inventions in savage
life, of their deadly foe, Here among
the sylvan bottoms and rugged slopes,
the crafty menfolk garnered game and
fought their frontier battles, while down
among the shady cottonwoods, they
knew their homes were safe, their chill
dren fished and played among the
streams and their womenfolk carried out
in cultured detail the domestic drama
of their simple life. (.
For many years preceding the historic
visit of Lewis and Clark among the
Mandans, we know little of the Indian
life of these tribes except what may
} drift into our knowledge through their
ancient legends which have been gath.
cred from time to time, many of them
being presented in the interesting writ
ings of Joe Taylor, publisher and writer
Of several books on Indian life, whose
home is now, and has been for many
years, on the majestic bluffs of the "Big
Missouri" What is Of economic i'm.
portance to us today is the rapid devel.
opment of this so-called "Bad Land
country, or the west portion of our state
the marvellous Transformation of bat.
tie field to grain field and the timber.
sheltered tePee to comfortable homes
and grain stacks.
Having thepast number Of years been
surveyors this western land and also
having the iSfast ten days. made a trip
from Bismarck west to Dickinson and
north by team to the Kildeer mountains
and on across the "baddest" Bad Lands
of the world to the northwest extremity
of the Berthold Indian reservation, we
wish to give our readers some insight tc
what lies beyond the once great barrier
across which the Indian was often driver
for the protection of our early eastern
homesteaders. Time was when the bul
boat of the river tribes was the onl,
available means Of transportation acros.
the river, either that or to ride log
both of which the white man pioneer
did to reach the Mandan side; but now
the Northern Pacific, under difficulties
in the shifting sands, maintains the onl,
bridge the Dakotas have across this
giant and freakish stream. Travelling
west across the state on the beautiful
N. P. coaches, slipping in and ou1
among the hills along the valley of the
Heart at rapid rate, only glimpses car
be had which, though interesting in
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