The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1918-06-27
CLARK, of the
Lewis and Clark Expedi-
ton, with a small party

HESSSNH LOWS duu OldT GApOul-
HRWS ton, with a small party
GN8g of men, were the first
white men to explore the greater
part of the river which is more
than 500 miles in length. This was
in July, August and September.
1906, on their return trip to the
United States after having made
the daring journey up the Missouri
and on to the Pacific Coast.
The Yellowstone river rises in
the National Park by that name
and for a hundred miles is not
much more than a rapid brook of
clear water. tumbling over rocks
and rapids in the shade of the
Rockies, and again sparkling in
the sun light. Here and there are
pools as clear as the blue heavens,
the favorite sporting. place of the
trout.
The river flows through most
beautiful and interesting scenery,
as we'll as some of the most tire
some. / shall not dwell upon that
part which lies within the park
limits, for it has been covered
quite thoroughly in the several
books treating on the beauties of
the park, but for some reason l
have never read much of the great
er part of the river and valley. 1t
is impossible to appreciate this
part of the country unless you
travel through or live there for a
time.
The river as rule is very dam
gerous to attempt to swim or to 60
canoeing in, for it is full of rapids
and whirlpools. more especially of
the latter; the current is also very
strong over its entire course. In
the spring of the year its banks are
overlooked, covering the lowlands
with water and ice, during the
summer or dry season, it becomes
very shallow. As said before,
the water is clear as the blue
heavens down to about 10 or II
miles east of Billings. Being
melted snow water from the
mountains and springs, it makes
the finest of drinking, the soil and
rock of the surrounding country
as we'll as the river bed being of
such a nature that there is nothing
to make the stream roily but leaves
it as clear as mineral water. From
about 10 miles east of Billings the
soil begins to change into a gritty
sandstone and when wet you can
crush it in your hand. Being of this
nature the river banks are contin-
ually washed away and carried out
into the river, making the water
absolutely unfit for drinking. This
mud forms into islands, many of
which are found below Billings,
some very small, scarcely anything
more than sand bars, some 500 or
900 acres. These islands are COW
cred with small timber and brush,
such as ash, poplar and berry
bushes. They are the chief refuge
of what is left of wild game, such
as the deer, panther or wild cat.
Then there are places where the riv-
er is as much as mile wide on &C
count of these islands and again it
may be found crowded in between
bluffs a hundred yards apart and
rushing with such force that it
will not freeze entirely over at 40
degrees.
There are two very interesting
spots along this stream which wish
to mention for historic reasons,
the first is Pompey's Pillar. Captain
Clark reached this point on the
25th day of July, 1906, and to use
the words given in the book en-
title THE Expedition of Lewis
and Clark" in connection with
this rock Captain Clark landed
to examine very remarkable rock
situated in an extensive bottom on