Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1909-10-07
ON THE BIG CREEK.
The Popular Fort Mates .pi,ter
Man Does the Sailor Act and the
Coyotes Wcicomc tim tiome.


Friend Streeter | append an az
count of a recent canoe trip Which
may interest some oi Non readers
hope between times To send snn
something Of more interest
! | have returned to the Land Of TIE
SiouN padded down the Missouri
river from Bismarck in acanoe. Ii
was delightful trip. and was full
OF excitement and interest, through
4 region OF beautiful scenes in many
! places untouched by the hand of man.
In passing such historic places as
Fort Lincoln. Sihlev Island, Font
Rice, Cannon Ball and Hurschoi,, |
Ilillencd myself To those early Noyag
ers who Travelled up and down the
river in boats even as far back as
the early years Of the nineteenth
century: looked upon the same
scenes and felt the same sensations.
and, while they came to trade beads
and booze To the Indians for furs.
came 10 trade pictures for real
money with which To buy fllrs and
booze. But, any way. for solitude.
my trip was the equal of theirs. In
those big bends no sound of cviliza-
tion comes from the wooded banks,
and all that is heard is the occasional
quack of duck or the nop of a cal
| fish, and the continual swirl and
roar Of the muddy water as it rushcs
ON TO the southern seas.
| Often while enjoying these prim
tive spots | would suddenly round
a bend and there would come into
view a farm with n modern home
and immense barns, and would
hear the grind OF harvesting ma
chincry. intcrminglcd with the TIM
| kle of COW bell and the Growing
of A rooster. which would bring
me quickly back To the present and
realization of the fact that this
great country is rapidly changing
from wilderness to land of
wealth and splendid opportunities.
Huge steam shovels and dinky
locomotives footing and putting,
while great blasts of dynamite are
being touched off, throwing rocks
and dirt high i'm the AIR, the roar Of
| which echoes from the mills back and
forth through the valley, tell the
story of railroad building and future
development that promise to surpass
| the dreams of the most optimistic.
| Slowly | allowed my canoe to float
| past such scenes of activity until |
| found myself again in a lonesome
stretch of river, to mediate upon
the way Of civilized man. Truly
4 this is a wonderful age, though,
reached Joe Marsh place the
FIRST day and stopped for the night
| Here found ii SO pleasant that !
staid next day To visit, and he fol-
lowing day AN upstream Wind pre-
4 vented me from travelling 50 did
NOT get way until sundoWn passed
the big bluff at Cannon Ball aa it
4 was getting dark, and the sight If
the seventy ton steam-shoye at
/ work there was one not to be for
gotten. The railroad Is building
1 along the face Of this bluff, and
they are working day and night
1.-The shovel looked like some mann
moth demon eating its way along,
4 while 1t belched forth fire and
| smoke from its nostrils Tiny lights
4 CLEANED around it and the screech
! of its whistle gave one the lmpres
sion that il was furious al its slow
4 progress through the stubborn and
| stone
j UI IitftI tiJ lt'.'yHIliI'PIi i''tii il''t'
i and ,1ad,lled up to the Parklm ranch.
a distance Of about three nllcs, ar
! riving there al lOo'clock. To attend
dance given bs Mrs Parllin and
Mrs. Van Solen. There Wcre a mum
| bcr of Fort Yates young folks pres
4 ont, and Nc had a most enjoyable
time. They were rather surprised
to see something hike Neptine com
ing out Of the water.
4 rested In the shade Of the hos
pitable ranch, among the tree. one
4 day, and WAS on my way agalii eNeif
the dancing waves kicked ap iiy a
brisk and balmy south Wind. an
| day kept the nose Of the canoe
pointed south, and at . . cloek the
familiar proposal fill at Yates ~as
a in vieW. ! made fine time alpns the
picturesque shore above the Old Gal
pin ,1Iace. where lofty cottonW ood
trees nod to their reflections ~ the
water. passed through the wifi
est water here. where the channel
double back around bar Ny
canoe rode the wild current braNclg
q and, as the church bells we're sum
moning the people to prayer dfe@
40 safely at the Yates landing and
as / climbed the bank band Of coy