Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-08-02
North Dakota Offers
Much of Unusual
Interest to Tourists

historic event. Up its then unknown
reaches in the early years Of the nine
teenth century the famous expedition
of Lewis and Clark forced its venture.
some way, to meet later Sakakawee,
the Bird Woman" and under her
guidance, to discovered for posterity
the vast domain beyond the Rockies,
whose western boundary is the Pacific
ocean. From Bismarck, the capital
city of the state, can be visited the
cd rifle pits where General Sibley
withstood the last savage attacks OF
the retreating Sioux, as they were
driven westward from the scenes OF
the bloody Minnesota massacres in the
carly COS. Across the river from these
pts lies the site of old Fort Abraham
Lincoln, from whence started early in
1876 the Inflated Custer expedition.
whose tragic end came in the battle
of the Little Big Horn, when Custer
and his gallant command we're exter-
minated to the last man. The site OF
Clusters house is marked, as are also
those of many others who died WI n
him. There are yet living in Mandan
and Bisamrck many who knew Custe,
personally and had first hand knowl
edge of the stirring events OF those
early days when Bismarck was on the
frontier and the hostile Sioux infested
the very suburbs of the city. South
and west from Bismarck is yet to be
traced the Black Hills trail over
which supplies were transported by
OK and mule teams to the gold hunt
ers who risked ambush and murder
in their frenzied search for the vel.
low metal. .' "'5.
For bizarre distortions, abrupt de-
clivities and apparent chaotic confu-
sion, it would be hard to- find spot
more pronounced in these character
istics than the so-called "Badlands"
of western North Dakota. Here Ma.
ture seems to have gone crazy and
marked her madness upon the earths
surface Isolated buttes of precipi-
tous approach, with grassy tableland
tops of few acres and sides with
Ignite coal out.croppings are to be
found on every hand. Streams that
from a few feet in width can become,
under the impulse of sudden show
er, dangerous torrents, find their dev-
ious way through this region in deep
cut gashes for their valleys, the
abrupt slopes of which disclose the
various strata thorugh which, in the
course of centuries, the waters have
eroded to their present level. The
varying powers Of resistance Of the
strata have caused some of the wierd-
est CONGREGATIONS possible to imagine
and doubtless accounts for the fear in
which this region was held by the sup
erstitious Indian, who saw in these
strange manifestations the work of
the. evil one. The Northern Pacific
railway runs through the widest part
of this strange country and the tour.
ist will be we'll repaid for his time,
should he indulge in a stop-over at
Medora or Sentinel Butte, whence
the wonders of the. neighborhood can
be explored ..,s. .... ~
The Killdeer mountains in Dunn
county constitute another point of in
terest TO rthe outdoor student. Here
was fought the battle with, the re-
treating Indians in the COS when Gen.
eral Sully destroyed their village and
chased the survivors over the border.
Here can yet be found many beaver
dams; indeed, so numerous have the
beavers become that settlers are com.
planning of their timber.destroying
proclivities and are asking for the re-
peal Of the law which forbids their be.
ing trapped. The active searcher for
Information as to beaver life could
find no better spot to study their hab-
its than this.
But few points that might prove
OF interest to the visiting tourist have
been mentioned in this brief sketch,
but almost every locality, has some
cave or glen or historic point whose
story or legend is we'll worth hearing.
North Dakota is by no means the pro-
sale, stolid. wheat-raising, wealth pro-
ducing commonwealth which one
might suppose from purusal Of mar
ket reports and beef shipments. 1t
has been and yet is land of beauty
and romance to those who seek right.
ly for these attributes and will prove
source of joy and inspiration to the
transient visitor or permanent settler.