The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1910-10-07

back, and by the aid Of General Ter
RVS force surround and capture the
entire band of Indian warriors. Gus
ter and his intrepid veterans charged
down upon the Indian camp. The red
men at first fell back, then closed in
behind Custer and completely sur
rounded him. Seeing that his force
was being annihilated he followed the
instinct of the thoroughbred soldier
and retreated toward high point on
the top of a hill While doing this his
men were being shot down by the
surrounding savages. The remnant of
his force made their last stand near
the top of the hill Here Custer and
every man with him died as becomes
brave Zen.
On the top of this hill, overlooking
the entire battlefield is a large monu-
ment, enclosed by a fence, commem-
Grating the battle. The place where
Custer fell is marked by white cross
and white slabs mark where each SOL
der was found. The entire line of re.
| treat, from the river to the high
ground can be distinctly traced by
these white slabs. The details OF this
battle are shrouded mystery.
| Not a white soldier was left TO tell
the awful story. The Indians. like
frenzied fiends kept up their bloody
work until the supply of white sol
diers was exhausted, when they pro-
ceeded to mutilate the bodies of the
dead heroes. How many Indians fell
during the battle is not known, but
the slaughter must have been great
as Clusters men were trained and
valiant soldiers.
Revenge came later when the reOr'
ganized Seventh cavalry nearly eXter-
minated the remnants of Sitting Bulls
Sioux at the battle of Wounded Knee
many years after. and Sitting Bull him
self was shot and killed by white
soldier, dying with his moccasins on.
At the Crow agency there are few
Indians seen lounging about, whose
presence near the famous battlefield
assists the Imagination to depict the
real scenes of 1876. The battlefield
about the size of a Kinkaid home
stead, is enclosed by fence, and a
broad, military road leads to it from
the Crow agency. A sentry, who keeps
guard over the field has house and
barn near the monument.
The government has reserved big
block of land in this vicinity as a ma
tional cemetery. Surrounding it are
, prosperous farms and ranches and the
: scene is peaceful enough now to suit
the quietest of Quakers. The massacre
of Custer and his men, makes one o.
the saddest pages of American his
tory.
Billings, Mont, is a Wild ana woody
but up to date city, growing like :
mushroom, and much too wide open
to suit me. Going westward through
the state we passed Livingston, The
gateway to the Yellowstone Nationa
park, an elegant, bustling, beautiful,
situated city, also enjoying a rapii
: growth. Climbing the east slope o
the Rockies we reached Butte, nea
the summit of the continental divide
: Looking down from the heights OF
the city below, with it's myriads an,
I clusters of electric lights, before day
break, is an enchanting vision, to-
+ beautiful to be described. Butte ha
3 an altitude of about 5000 feet 1t !
!. the metropolis of Montana and tn
largest copper mining district in tn
world. sButte has a rough and toug
: reputation and appearances seem +
S justify it. Passing through the famou
Gunison tunnel we finally reache
Missoula, the Dallas of the Flathea
Z reservation country. will have some
{ thing to say later about the great fol
est fire country.
D. L. Crellin.
Z Tacoma, Wash. Sept. 14.-Just b'
e fore entering the forest fire distrio
l. of Montana, you pass the town Z
l. Paradise, in the Flathead Indian res
l. ervation. The name is suggestive an
+ you expect something of heavenl
character. You are not wholly disal
II pointed. The scenery is grand. TIL
{ Missoula river is as clear as crysta
II with green and messy banks, and tn
| IOlldSe mas taken OH lue IlllSe VI du
$ umn, gorgeous and grand to behold
Paradise was lost to the Flathead
. and regained by the Northern Pacifi
; railroad. There we're few horizonts
U Uranium fellows in town whose face
IL wore a sort of Shall we gather at tn
e river, where red Flathead feet hat
+ trod" expression. The altitude {
d Paradise is $500 feet above sea leve
Il just an ideal height-for Flathea'
u At Thompson Falls we entered tn
= country of the great forest fires, som
of which are still burning. 1t has bee
D. an extremely dry year in Montana
" fire is easily started. There is
y vast quantity of dead, dry and ha
= rotten trees on the mountain side an
spark from a passing train droppe
on this mass of punk creates col
flagration.
The vast extent of the burned di
If trict comprises a hundred square mile
of mountain land The recent fire