The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1912-10-17

spring, con ical in shape, and similar to
an Indian lodge. From this the valley
and town took its Z "e.
At Garrison (alt. 4344 ft.) the branch
through Helena rejoins the line we
were on and from there to Missoula
| (alt 1923 # the road is double tracked
and we'll ballasted-as fine a piece OF
railroad as is to be found in the coun-
try. To the left Of Garrison we saw
snow-capped Mt. Powell.
| We made no stop at Gold Creek
where the first Montana gold was
found in 1852 but between Garrison and
Gold Creek is where the two sections of
! the N. Pac., the eastern and the western
were Joined in 1883 marking the com
pletiUn of the trans-continental route.
| The first iron spike driven near Duluth
when the N. Pac. was first begun was
preserved and used at the spot where
the lines met as the last spike driven.
1t was hammered home by Henry Viii
lard lst Pres. of the N. Pac. who died
few years ago
| A ten minute stop was made at
Missoula (alt. 1923 ft.) about Wednes-
day A. NJ. This city, surrounded by
| hne mountain ranges, is one OF the
most attractive cities Of Montana west
ward 1t lies at the function of the
! Rattlesnake and He'll Gate Rivers, and
stretches we'll away toward the noun
tains, where many beautiful homes are
! built.
| Six miles from Missoula is De Smet
(alt. 1921 ft,) named for the noted
Catholic Missionary, and % miles up
the valley from Missoula is Sterens-
vile where Father De Smet establish
ed his first mission to the Flathead
Indians in 1871. Wewere told that the
old st. Mary's Mission church still
stand and is used at remote intervals.
At Hamilton about 80 miles south of
! Missoua is where Marcus Days large
ranch and stock farm is, also large
hotel built by him. Fourteen miles
from Missoula we crossed the Marent
gulch on steel trestle 500 TT. long and
226 TT. above the creek. This region
has been the scene of many an Indian
conflict. He'll Gate Canyon to the east
and the Corican defile to the west if
they could talk could tell thrilling
tales of ambuscades, night attacks, and
battles in early days between the FLAT
head and Blackfeet indians. Before
the Whites came, the Blackfeet am
pushed and massacred Chief Coriacan
and party of Flatheads. The tri-
umphant Black feet retreated with rich
booty and many scalps, only to meet a
like fate few years later at the same
spot when a war party was ambushed
and wiped out by Flathead braves who
thus avenged the death of their old
chief.
The town of Arlee (alt. 1904 ft.) the
Indian for Henry named after a
chief of the Flatheads is another place
where we just slowed down minute
or two. About half way between Ar
lee and Evaro the Agency buildings
stand at the foot of Mission Range.
Ravalli (alt 27l4 ft.) was our next
stop. 1t takes its name from Father
Ravall, brave priest who labored
among the Flathead tribes for 40 years
and died in 1884, loved and revered by
both Whites and Indians.
Between Ravall and Dixon can he
seen the National Bison Range estah-
lished for the preservation of the great
American buffalo or bison. The range
consists of over $1,000 acres. The
nucleus herd was placed there years
ago and now number Il bisons. Be-
sides the bison a few elks and antelopes
are there.
From Ravalli the railway follows the
Jocko River valley to its confluence
with the Flathead river and thence
follows the Fathead to it's junction
with the Mssoula river. Those united
streams are known in our Biographies
as Clark Fork of the Columbia and this
name is retained till it reaches the
beautiful Lake Pind d'Oreille.
We stopped 5 minutes at Paradise
Mont, GAO ft.) and some of our Sec
ton started to go out on the platform
when our colored porter called out
"Hey, you people got no ticket good
enough yet for Paradise" and every
one scrambled back. Here we changed
our time from Mt. to Pac. time, one
hour earlier, it being district ter
minal.
We reached the Montana Idaho state
line about noon Wednesday and the
first Idaho town we reached is Cabinet
(alt. 2lS9 IT, Near Cabinet the CLARK
Fork River suddenly is walled in 10y
high rocks 100 to $50 tt. high, known
as Cabinet Gorge. To the south are
the Occur d'Alenes and to the NORTH
the Cabinet Range making yer,
picturesque and beautiful scenery. Al
looked out on the mountains ant
gorges and saw here and there in TIL,
narrow detiles, the little homes of tn,
lumbermen and rapchers, | wondered
as we passed through Cabinet, in wha
direction from the town did cousin
Johnnie have his home. II is abou
L D.. 4
shot.