The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-12-19

Dakota to the summit of the Rockies
and from the British line to a bound--
AIRY on the south. which followed the
Missouri from Fort Buford and Birch
creek to the Bald mountains. which
1ro"n down upon streams flowing to
the Pacific. the Arctic and the Gulf of
MeNlco. 1t was a region trackless,
void and without form. No railroad
existed. o population to feed one.
mere was no game to attract the hum.
ter amt no mines to lure the prOsDec-
tor: simply Il vast emptiness and Desc
lation.
But what a change ha, come since
that time. First. the Great Northern
was built from Minot. North Dakota.
I" Butte, reaching Fort Benton in
september. 1857. after the reservation
had been thrown open the spring pre-
Vlou>. Great herds OF cattle were
driven in to Craze upon the luxuriant
grasses of the former wilderness.
sheep followed. and then ranchmen
from the older section, of the county
amt elsewhere in Montana, and far
merS from the central states and
Europe. until now the erstwhile rese,-
walton is the most thickly settled, and
will in time be the wealthiest part of
the county. Well may our substantial
citizens cNclaim, with Caesar: ..Veni,
vidi. vici.'
TO understand the development of
the county. it is necessary to consult
a map. and with that before him, the
reader will see that it consists Of a
rough parallelogram. with a semici,-
cular tract added to its south side at
the west end. This addition. with the
region south of the Marias river and
north OF the Missouri. constitutes the
old settled part of the county 1t con-
talns Fort Benton. the county seat,
and the first white settlement in Mon
tana. 1t, with the entire region west
OF Havre. and from Fergus county
north to the British line. consists, of
lofty, bare table lands. intersected by
the Maria>. Teton and Missouri rivers.
These in u have numerous small
tributaries, mostly big dry coulees,
heading in high ridges. which contain
n" springs to maintain their low dur
ing the summer months.
several small stream, run from the
filghw""d> and Belts north to the
Missouri. including Belt, Hiwhwood.
Sh"nkin and Arrow creeks. and their
valleys c"utain many rancho, a, we'll
"a the headquarters of some of the
largest cattle and sheep outfits in the
state. The deep, narrow valley, of
these streams prevent their waters be-
me diverted to the surrounding table
lands except at plohihi,ive expense,
and 50 the western half of Chuuteau
county, but >par>rIy populated.
East OF a line drawn north and
south through llavrr condition, are
somewhat different. In the southwest
portion of that halt OF the uunty lie
the Bear Paw mountains. Mountains,
Is Il missioner for them. 1t i, simply
"A pl"r" Of rough. broken. hillv roun-
TRY son" fifty miles in diameter and
roughly rl,"ular. full Of pleasant
grassy little wales with clear stream
lets flowing in every direction to the
l"Wland> ON every side south to the
Missouri and north to the Milk river.
me hlgh ridge, support Il scattering
growth ct lir and cottonwood: uuakinr
asp and willows till the valley. Every
bottom contains Il ranch and the whole
region j. drn>rly settled up by small
~>torkmrn. The Bear Paw ,herpmtu
run their hork> on the plains in sum
mcr and winter them in the shelter Of
the hills on the tall bunch grass which
clothes them to their summit.
From Ilavrr east to the Valley conr-
~ line and fu, 100 miles beyond lie,
the famous MILK river valley. the only
section IN TIN" northern part OF the state
where farming as such is possible.
MIX river differs from every import
stream in the state in that it doe,
How from any mountain range.
Just DcloN It's source II llOW> into
and >eventN-tivr miles lower
lr-rntcl> the United States.
From lis hcadwater> to Havre ii i, an
stream flowing in the US
deep narrow valley. its lack of
mountain feeders rendering its flow
>rant and uncertain. In fact. a dry
year convert, il into Il series of water
l'ut just below llavrc the valley
INTO Il long Hat. fertile allu-
nal bottom. stretching east and grad
tally Widening. Where unirriyated i
nothing but ,tuntcd sayebru,h
CROWN" ~scantily on an adobe soil.
I is. however. ideal for irrigation,