Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1908-01-16

completion while we wer. th.~. re-
country surrounding is quite rolling. The
soil is not of the much Wanted rich black
loan but is dull colored clay soil, free
from rocks and very fertile and productive
Unlike Wells county. there are no slouebs
nor holes but the grass grows very rank and
with an average precipitation of moisture
during the spring an abundance Of good
hay can be cut anywhere on the prairie.
The morning after our arrival At Reach
Brinton secured pair of half wild horses
attached to rickety buggy that had seen
lot OF hard service on the prairie roads.
1t was equipped with brake. two seats
an an,iquated whip and two abbreviated
fur robes that had been cast away by some
liliputian on account of their having
shrunk after having originally been made
for baby buggy. Having an early dinner
a, the Cafe du cigaro. we started ont at
1880, giving Vincent and johnson the seats
OF honor in the rear. The weather was
all that could be desired and we set our
course straight south. over we'll travelled
roads as smooth and hard as pavement.
OF to our left we had good view of Sen
'nel Butte which towers about GOO feet
above the town of that name, close bv to
the north of it. A few miles south of this
we caught sight of Stony Butte which is
nearly as high.
The country on all sides had the appear.
, ance OF 'newness," still the indications
pointed toward prosperity. The land was
we'll titled and several commodious houses,
| barns and granaries had been erected lately.
a place of interest that our guide pointed
| out to US was fine quarter which fellow
had relinquished for the paltry sum of $50
only year ago. A thrifty farmer had Sc
cured it and made some marked improve
| n1ents and last year he harvested IS bush
els Of blue stem wheat to the acre and 10
bushels Of fax.
About 20 miles out we passed the home
stead of ]. a. Haigh. formerly partner of
Brinton in the real estate business at Beach.
Mr.. Haigh had recently relinquished his
| right to the homestead. and altho some
what rough and rolling, he received con-
seleration of $1,000 for the deal.
Two or three miles further on we came
to the place where Mr.. Brinton filed his
first claim. The land laid we'll but he had
given it back to the government and filed
! on a quarter near the Milwaukee survey.
He gave his reason for the change that the
land was too far from the market but as
Wells is very modest young man we
, readily saw that the real cause of the act
was that young and pretty girl had filed
on quarter adjoining his. We travelled
up long slope and emerged upon high
plateau known locally as The Divide, {"
| but soon our course took sudden trend.
Tie sun had already set and it grew dark
| very rapidly had the reins and suddenly
we came to the brink of hill where the
road seemed to drop straight down. Wells
i! with his hat damned down and teeth SET
desperately hung onto the brakes while
the bronchos plunged down the steep and
winding road in the fast deepening 81 loom.
After winding in and out among the buttes
and brakes we caught sight of cabin light
only few rods of and soon were in the
yard OF the hospitable rancher, Mr.. Thayer.
The rancher had departed the day before
for Sentinel Butte after load of freight
and had not returned but Mrs. Thayer en-
tended us a cordial invitation to put up
our bronks and she would endeavor to soon
have something that would relieve our
hunger. We were more than pleased at
the way we were received and we're soon
ensconced in our hostess's best room"
while she hustled around and soon had a
savory supper spread to which our appe-
titles did ample justice.
Besides our hostess, the household con-
sisted OF her little daughter, lad of abont
thirteen and Prot Hanson, musician of
more than ordinary ability and during our
evening meal he favored Ms with few
choice selections on the piano.
From the outside the ranch cabin was a
dismal and dreary looking structure but on
the inside it WAS house of wonders. Be
sides the surprise Of finding piano and a
professor who played nothing but the most
select and classical music. there was an