The Dickinson press., 1911-03-04
HISTORIC klLpEEa MTS. ARE
WANTED FOR GAME PRESERVE

WANTED FOR eAME PRESERVE
Many readers of the PRESS will be
deeply interested in the resolution of
Senator Heinemeyer which asks congress
to make a game and fish preserve of the
Kildeef mountains. Observation-Disclosures :
Senator c. B. Heinemeyer, representa-
tive from the Forty-eighth district, COM
prisins Mercer, Oliver and Dunn
counties. on March / introduced a reso-
luton praying congress to set aside 3, 600
acres Of u~nappropriated government
land in the .Kildeer mountain district of
Dunn county for q national park and
game and fish preserve.
In view of the fact that our state is
settling up so. rapidly. and--her lands
are so fast being appropriated. it is a
matter for immediate actor. ON the. part
Of the state if places Of historic inter-
est and natural beauty. or places more
valuable for the propagation and perser-
walton of game and fish than for aari-
culture or other commercial purposes are
to be retained for the benefit of future
generations. Every state. has points--of
interest belonging to the state and in
which the natural scenic effect is pre-
served so far as possible and North
Dakota, in her wonderful development
along business lines. should. mot Y
look the preservation Of natural and
historic marks within her border.
The Kildeer mountains. wherein is
the site proposed by ..Mr. Heinemeye,
as a preserve, possesses many natural
qualifications of beauty and protection
for the above named purposes and are
also of historic Importance. They rise
to an approximate height of 500 feet
above the surrounding prairie and--stand
out in bold relief, giving a truly
mountainous and beautiful effect from
a distance. The numerous creeks are
skirted with timber, while the mountain
slopes show an abundant growth of oak,
cedar, elm and other varieties of timber.
Here also was the former home of the
mountain sheep and mountain lion as
we'll as the %ferocious timber wolves and
other animals, ---while yet there remains
in these mountains and in the valleys
deer, besides what is now undoubtedly
the largest herd of antelope in the
state. Game birds of several different
varieties remain here the year round.
From a historical standpoint the Kill
deer mountains deserve recognition, for
On a plain at the foot of these mountains
occurred a battle of historic-- Importance
known as 1.-The battle of Ta%hkahokuty''
and n of the most important of the
Indian campaigns, the meaning os.-the
Indian word being the place where the
deer were slain.' This battle occurred
On the 2Sth day of July, 1864, in which
TWO thousand two hundred troopers from
Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota, commanded
by Brigadier General Alfred Sully, de-
feated six thousand Indians. Several
troopers lost their lives. one hundred
and fifty Indians were killed and six
teen hundred tepees, with all camp
equipment, we're destroyed.
This preserve, besides possessing the
natural advantages enumerated. is most
fortunately situated, being sufficiently
distant from other beauty spots of the
state as not to detract from their inter-
est, sufficiently far from the densely
settled portions of the state to prove an
ideal spot for the propagation and pro-
lection of game, and so thoroughly in
its natural state as tt require little ex-
pense III its preservation.
The state will do we'll to take early
action toward inducing congress at
Washington to set aside the tract recon-
mended by Mr.. Heinemeyer's resolution.