The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-08-17
DESCRIBES THE BAD LAN0s
Judge Frank B.. Smith Accurately
Describes the Bad Lands out
West of Chamberlain.

White river. Oh both sides OF the
river, principally on the north side.
is a great basin four TO five hundred
feet deep and from twenty to TWEEN
ity-tive miles wide n fifty or sixty
miles long, the north side being well
defined by d high steep bank or
bluff, ranging twelve to fifteen miles
north of the White river, locally
called the north wall. The south
side is more irregular, rammifying
into the country south OF the White
river in three or four wide, rough,
picturesque, deeply eroded areas
This region is the Bad Lands of
South Dakota, having a continuation
southwark i'm a less rugged form
into northwestern Nebraska. The
source of the White river is i'm these
Bad Lands.-
There is a small region about lis
miles vest of Chamberlain and six
or eight miles north OF White river
known as the Little Bao Lands, OF
which we will not make any further
mention.
Approaching this basin of the Big
Bad Lands from the north. the
country is comparatively level until
you come to a very abrupt descent
twelve to fifteen miles from White
river, three to four hundred feet
down, so steep and rough and deeply
cut that only in three on four places
in II distance of thirty or forty miles
can a team or vehicle get up and
down, and most of it is impossible
on foot or horseback. This is known
as the north wall OF the Bad Lands.
Standing upon the edge Of this cliff.
looking southwark, a view OF the
great basin can be had. the bottom
OF which is quite smooth. covered
with short grass and cactus, gently
sloping toward the White river.
All over this great basin, every
where, singly. in clumps and ranges.
occupying perhaps one-siXth the
area, stand mounds. buttes and
ridges of all sizes and shapes, from
fifty to three, four and sometimes
five hundred feet high. Some
smooth, even surfaced cones and
mounds steeply sloping to the sur
rounding country; others terminal
ing in the most rugged, deeply
SUBMITS, presenting to the eye all
conceivable forms and shapes-Per-
pendicular walls, bold bluffs, domes,
cliffs, peaks, chimneys, spires and
pinnacles, apparently ready to top
pie over in the first wind, with
deep cuts, gorges and pits between,
inaccessible to the boldest noun
tain climber. All perfectly barren,
and their light colored substance
rejecting the sunlight in every
direction, presenting q very beauti-
full appearance, though very dazzling
and hard upon the eyes.
The bottom of the basin, smaller
mounds and buttes and the bases of
the larger ones are principally a
flesh white soil, called a Brule
clay, with reddish layers or strata OF
the same material from one TO eight
feet thick. running horizontally
through it. lit is, however, not 81
plastic as ordinary clay, being more
in the nature of light gnmbo. It,
depth l am unable TO state; but
from the. bed of the White river.
which is in this formation, to the
top OF The formation us it appears
in the Butte it is from three to four
bundled feet. On the upper part OF
the higher buttes and ranges is
found an inferior sand stone and
shale and a pehhly composition
resembling lime stone. The farther
westward you 20 the more stony
formation is found. No mineral OF
any kind seems to be in evidence.
All Through these bad lands. but
principally i'm the western part, are
various fossils; aquatic, us we'll as
dry land animals, reptiles, fishes,
turtles, etc. Complete petritied
turtles Of immense size, four to six
and eight feet in diameter, and
even larger, have been taken from
these deposits, as we'll as huge
snakes and other reptiles; and skele.
tons and bones Of large animals OF
various kinds, no doubt extinct. are
scattered through the region.
Many interesting specimens have
been gathered at different times.
just recently the complete skeleton
of a species of rhinoceros was taken
from the western portion. Other
remains of the same animal have
been found at different places.
Considerable petritied wood is to
be found and in the future, as in
the past, this will prove an inter
- - eva it