Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1910-06-21
A LETTER FROM MONTANA.


Montana, June, 1910.
EDITOR Pilot:
Having to wait five hours for my
train. / will take up the time in
writing letter about my journey for
the PILOT.
Iarrived in Glendive, Montana, jane
9th at 4:50 o'clock a. m. Found the
boys waiting to take me across the
country for the purpose of examining
same as to advantages of agriculture,
and prospects of dairying and stock
raising. This country that they call
the Valley of the Wonders, has GER
tainly set me to wondering. First we
crossed the Yellowstone river which
is muddy looking stream, quarter
of mile across, the reason of its color
is caused by its swifuness. We came
across acres of wild roses and in
grove of cottonwood trees found some
three feet in diameter and scattered
among ii was considerable sage brush.
Here we found black soil called
'gumbo" and If you were to walk
across it when 1t is wet you will never
forget it for we found a two-seated
rig with two horses stuck fast there
Just as if an octopus had a hold of it,
we came to a hill, on top Of which |
found sandy loan with grayelly
subsoil, here we came to the first'
homesteader, and found the best
winter and spring wheat that / have
yet seen. Crossing nice plain |
found township of unimproved land
which is occupied by squatters. See
ing black object further on / won
dered what it was found it to be a
dead COW. We arrived at eleven mile
spring where the travellers usually
stop for dinner. Here / learned the
way the ranchers feed their horses.
They unhitch, water them, turn
them loose and let them eat grass;
the men eat their lunch lay down on
the grass and take nap. Starting
on we came across a dead horse.
Dead stock is scattered all over, for
if an animal gets hurt or something
goes wrong it is left behind TO die.
On fourteen mile hin | found the
soil growing heavier and of better
quality.
The view from this hill is pictur-
esque, for we could see the Blue
Point buttes seventy miles away to
the east, the Camel Back buttes
twenty-six miles north west, also the
Coffee and Flat top buttes. Quite a
number of homesteaders' shacks can
be seen from here also ranch OF 100
acres with many sheep upon 1t. We
now came to land which showed the
signs of volcanic eruption, these erup-
tions were apparently caused by burn
ing coal which through explosions
upheaved the earth, scattered burned
rock over many acres of ground throw
| ing them distance of half mile
also leaving a fine scene which will
doubtlessly remain for years, as this
land will be passed up as it now is on
account of the scattered rock which
| lay entirely upon the surface. Gem
| ing now to a valley, we can see vein
| of coal in the side of creek bank
We are now about twenty-five miles
out and find soil with black loan
over clay subsoil, black loan vary
ing from six inches to three feet deep
and the clay, no one knows how deep
it goes, it contains lime, phosphorus
and magnesia; it has the appearance
of volcanic ash, the truth OF which we
! will leave to the scientists of Wiscon-
| sin to explain from samples which
have taken from these soils. Stop
ping at a sod shanty on the plains,
which, from its appearance did not
| look fit for stable in Wisconsin but
upon entering found it quite coy and
| home like. After supper, In taking
| in general survey of the country i
noticed black spot to the east and
upon investigation it proved TO be a
| forty horse power steam pillow. This
outfit has been running all spring
they tell me, night and day and turns
over about forty acres per day, but
owing to the vastneSs OF the country,
the work looks like drop In the
bucket, here and there / noticed a
little black streak which would prove
to be from forty TO hundred acres Of
titled land. What crops were up
were apparently doing fine.
Starting towards the famous Red
Water divide noticed several cuts or
trails which have the appearance Of
roads which / was informed were
buffalo trails, which would run in bee
| line for miles and miles, some of these
trails were worn as deep as three and
four feet, and in places rod wide;
this indicated that thousands of buff
falos at one time made this their
home, which Is unquestionably true
as many a carcass Is strewn upon
the plains, which we're felled by the
deadly aim Of the pioneer cowboy.
We approach the divide as an ordi-
nary hill, but when at the summit l
considered | was at the end Of the
earth. Talk about your gulchesf
canyons, breaks or whatever they
call them, In making the earth they
L 100 10 .-a concluded RI F1rff than In
| all at once, as In places the breaks
were as much as seven hundred feet
deep, displaying veins Of coal, slate
and volcanic ashes, but no indication
of stone. A short ways across the
divide, / could see very fertile plains
and of in the distance, the up prairie
divide rose like a range of mountains.
| The teamster proceeded down what
he considered good road, through the
divide, but as We only had in places a
| foot or so 10 keep Us from going down
couple of hundred feet, all at once,
on either side, | preferred 70 walk and
wished had been sharp shOd. Final
/ liz we all arrived at the bottom which
proved 10 be the very finest OF soil,
but was cut up in small patches OF
from forty 10 hundred acres by
bitches. A few miles further We
neared shearing plant and discovered
about a section Of wool just ready 70
be harvested and was informed by the
herders that there we're 1850 sheep
In this flock. 1t Is too bad that the
humane society never happen 10 stray
out 10 some Of these sfearings as the
sheep are covered with blood from
wounds received while giving an
average Of two dollars worth Of wool
per head; It seems pity that 50
gentle an animal should be thus