The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1907-07-24
IN The GOLDEN WEST
First of Travel Letters by Mr..
Henry Guth.
DESCRIPTIONS OF INTEREST
Iowa Township Farmer Writes Enter
tainingly of Travels Through the
Great Northwest.

On leaving our home in the fore
noon of December. 10. we went to
Manila to take the train for Omaha,
enroute towards the Pacific coast GO
ing via Spokane and Seattle and Ore
gon points, where Mrs. Guth's par
ents. and other near relatives live.
We could not purchase tickets over
the Union Pacific oar intended route,
so were compelled to take the Burling-
ton. which is not on the prohibited list
of the Northern Pacific. but really a
link of Hills system. Boarding the
chair car we arrived at Lincoln at
dusk. waiting there several hours for
the limited to take the sleeper for
Spokane. our first destination. We
reached Alliance at day break. This
city is in the heart of range pas
turing. containing thousands of acres
in one ranch. The land requires at least
from ten to twenty acres to support a
full grown animal the entire year.
The continual pasturing of this bunch
grass. creates very thin stand. by
not allowing nature Its usual custom
in performing its duty of reseeding.
which should mature at least every all
ternate year. One can travel fifty
miles in one stretch without even
passing a wagon crossing. Travelling
all day we only saw one porker, which
indicates that our Iowa mortgage
lifters are rare in this community.
Nearly all day we passed through a
knolly country where cattle and sheep
must walk around the hills to Craze
handily. which accounts for the nu-
merous paths encircling the steep hill
sides which allow them to Craze read
lily on the upper side. We passed
through the Black Hills which gener-
ally are barren except those that have
a scrubby growth of pine, called bull
pine.
Miles of right of way are found
with iron posts and patent waven
wire in this section. this being the
only fence we noticed. wholly con-
structed by metal. Many station
between Alliance and Billings was a
post in the ground with name on.
At Sheridan we passed through one of
the largest cattle ranches in the u. S.
Near here we were shown the spot,
where half dozen sheep herders
were ambushed and shot by cowboys.
from the surrounding knolls. who we're
fortunate enough to escape punish
ment.
We passed the Custer battle field at
night. so we didn't see any monu-
ments. General Custer had FIVE COM
panies of soldiers, and everyone. ex-
cept an Indian scout were massacred.
the scout being attired in warrior S
costume. played opossum. finally ac-
comprising his escape after the en-
envy retired. There is monument
erected on the spot where each soldier
fell. which plainly shows that Custer
was surrounded and attacked on all
sides at once, and the last surviving
ones were driven on a knoll before
they were overcome.
At Billings our train went on the
N. P. through Helena and Butte. the
mining district of Montana. Near by
are the great coppertields of Ana
conda. In this district the mining
kings. Senator Clark and Marcus
Daily. had occasionally bitter financial
quarrels. the most important one oc-
cured when DAILY tried to remove the
capital from Helena to Anaconda.
Butte being situated midway between
both places was naturally the con-
trolling center where enormus sums of
money were squandered by both fac
tons. Liquor and champagne flowed
as never before, which human beings
tried to consume as fast as the corks
could be pulled, which developed into
the largest spree ever known in the
west. over a hundred thousand dol
lars being spent in one single night.
During this excitement queer iuci-
dent occurred. DAILY mad been dump
ing refuse from smelter on set
tiers farm who couldn't prevent it
through the courts. Clarke heard Of
it. handed the farmer a check for
$50. 900 for the land. compelled Mr..
DAILY to remove the refuse. after which
he gave back the land to its former
owner gratis.
Passing over the Rockies we crossed
a trestle 226 feet high abridging a
canon. and went through the nearby
tunnel half mile long. Here is