Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-07-20
THE FLATHEAD
RESERVATION
Prof. SiIloway Tells Of Trip over
Great Tract Soon to
be Opened.
DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY
Portion Of the Reservation That is
a veritabIe Garden Spot-a Noun
tain Climb.

TO the editor of the Argus:
The interest attracted by the in
tended opening of the Flathead In
dian reservation has suggested to me
the thought of furnishing you an ac
count of a recent trip over that reg
ion. One Wednesday morning Arthur
Lehman and | boarded the steamer
at the head, or northern end OF Flat
head lake, and the forenoon was spent
in a pleasant journey to the southern
end or foot of the lake. The steamer
"kIondike" on which we travelled
makes three trips each week, on Mon
day, Wednesday and Friday, while
there is now a smaller boat making
round trips on Tuesdays and Satur.
days. The stage facilities over the
reservation are also increasing, and
travellers can now cross the lake al.
most every day.
A Beautiful Body Of Water.
The lake is unsurpassed for gentle
sylvan beauty. 1t does not show the
/ wild picturesqueness Of some of the
smaller mountain lakes, such as Lake
/ Macdonald, but presents long eX.
| panse of shimmering darkgre wat.
er, beset along the western side and
at it's ends with low islands of for.
ested rugged rocks each a part OF
the great system of faults which char.
acterizes the geological formation OF
deeply forested terrace-like slopes
of the Cabinet range extend west.
ward, rising gradually from the rocky
shore. Along the eastern shore, and
extending southwark along the res
ervation, lees the Mission range
eliminating near St. Ignatius Mis-
sion in Mt. Macdonald a grand mass
of rock bearing immense snOwbanks
on its three-fold shoulders. and feed
ing the subjacent valleys with con
slant streams of ice-cold water.
Across the Reservation.
The journey across the reservation
involves stage ride of about thirty
five miles from Poison at the foot
of Flathead lake. to Ravallii. sta
ton of the Northern Pacific near the
southern end of the reservation. Near
Poison is hill about 800 feet high
extending entirely across the valley
and forming the dam which holds
back the waters of the lake. This bar
rier is probably a terminal moraine
deposited by the vast ice-mass which
once filled the valley. and it is prob
able that the present lake is the rem
nant of great glacier that once
swept southwark between the Mission
and Cabinet ranges. A short distance
west of Poison the Pend OReilly riv
er follows channel between low hills
and sweeping downward from the
higher level, dashes over huge out
cropping rocks in a series of magni
ficient rapids. the mighty volume O
water roaring thunderously over gi
santic boulders and forming wide
pillows of seething spray
Standing on the morainal hill below
Poison and looking southwark, on.
surveys magnificent area of ma
lures pasture land. at this season
attired in garb Of richest color
Great patches of the purplish pinl
clania, mingled with the blue Lupine
the homely white yarrow, the show.
Asters and omnipresent balsamor
hiza, show the fertility of soil tina
under irrigation, might be made t
blossom as the rose. Four ample
streams, fed by the perennial snow
of the Mission range, traverse thu
valley. going toward the west to joil
their waters with the Jocko river an,
the Pend o'reille. Properly conserv
ed the waters of the stream are ampl,
to irrigate all the lower prairies O
the reservation. The foothills ar
we'll wooded and we'll watered an,
in those neighborhoods now are choic
ranches yielding splendid crops O
S'oi' anu Siaoo anu WEALTH.
the half-breed claimants. The par
of the reservation included between
lines drawn south and east throug
Roman and by the Mission mountain
is apparently the choice portion @
the region. and under the transform
ing hand of civilization could be mad
a veritable garden. Fruits grow i
prolific prOfusiOn, and there the I;
bles are loaded with Strawberries
currants, cherries, apples and othe
fruits in season. The northern ha
of the reservation shows ligh
sandy soil, now apparently only f
for grazing, except the immediate V
cinity of the creek valleys. 1t is lik
ly, however, that water could be Of
tanned at slight depth and thus tn
least prepossessing portions OF tn
valley in time will probably becon
desirable for their agricultural poss
bilities.
The Garden Spot
The region around ST. Ignatit
Mission is the garden spot of the re
ervation. The waters of Mission cree
have been partially used. and ami