The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1924-09-18

With these few remarks, these
eight or nine chapters / have in
flicted upon you, our trip with the
press club passes out OF the sphere
of general interest and / am looking
for a place to quit. We crossed
North Idaho via the Appleway, a &C.
ment road leading from Spokane
eastward forty miles to Occur d
Alene and known as the old military
road leading through the noun
tains, along the lake shores and over
the SUBMITS into Montana. Mineral
county, Montana, occupies a long
stretch of territory from the Idaho
line eastward where the roads are
not good and no intention announc-
ed that they are going to be good.
The roadbeds are made up most Of
the way with ragged rocks that eat
up tires, and the corrugations in the
road in summer break the travellers
springs. Two transcontinental rail-
roads, the Milwaukee and the North
ern Pacific extend through the coun-
ty and the highway parallels them.
These two railroads and the Ana
conda mining company are said to
be paying go per cent of the taxes
of that county, and the roads are not
improved.
| Missoula is a landmark in west
ern Montana, as is also the Glacier
National park north of Missoula.
The Bitterroot valley extends south
ward from Missoula for something
like hundred miles, to the foot of
the Bitterfoot range, and is very
beautiful valley, dotted with farms
in belt along the river, bordered
with rich range country and en-
closed by two ranges of mountains,
the one on the west being very high
and rugged If you turn to your
map of Idaho and Montana and note
the most direct route that travellers
could take from Grangeville to Mis-
soula you will be tracing the route
of the famous Lolo tail, the route
taken by Chief Joseph and his army
and all his people and followed by
General Towards army in the Nez
Perez war of 1877. Supposing that
you are in Missoula and driving to
the head of the valley over the route
taken by these hostile forces, the
gap in the mountains just southwest
of the city is where the Indians |
poured through the pass into the |
Bitterroot. Turning up the valley |
they reached Hamilton and demand
ed that as the price of peace the peo-
pie sell them food, fresh horses,
arms and ammunition. One mer-
oh 81, ;x, 20
Chief Joseph and then locked it.
Others sold them what they want
ed, and the people of the village, to-
gether with lot of friendly Flat
head Indians stood around looking
on. The Nez Perez Indians had kept
the people of the nation on the anx-
ious seat all summer, and parts of
four states terrorized, and here was
the village of Corvallis divided
combatants selling munitions to the
belligerants. Two or three days later
Colonel Mason marched into Cor
wallis, and the whole population lin
I'd up along the road to watch the
little organization 60 by. Women
waved at him and gathered around
when they stopped. Men jollied
With the colonel and asked why he
lad chased the hostiles over into
heir country. While they were talk
ng, Nez Perez Indian boy sat on
shed and sleepily observed the SOL
Iiers, but as soon as the last ones
lad come close enough so he could
bserve their numbers and the con-
ftiOn of their horses he slid down
If the shed and walked across
ONE vacant lots and disappeared
,olonel Mason scanned the Indi-
ms and asked about them, and
7hile somebody was explaining that
hey were all local friendly Indians,
omebody remembered seeing this
ne boy walk away few minutes
go. Trailers took up the tracks
nd followed to where he mounted
horse near by, and from there on,
o trailer on earth could split the
ind fast enough to keep in sight of
i'm up the Bitterroot valley. At the
nd of the trail, nearly hundred
tiles away was a dead horse and
ear by was a bride and saddle
iuueH rIOm tueT0 on was the
'ack of the boy winding ever on
ard over the ridges, up the CONT
entail divide into the great forest
nd up to the summit in the saddle
ack where were camped General
oward and forty of his cavalry
en- who had trotted and climbed
fty-three miles that day in an ef-
TT to overtake General Gibbon who
I'd cut in from Helena and was try
g to force fight with the Nez
erces. The Indian boys tracks
lowed that he stopped and sized
, the camp. General Howard had
used lot of fires to be kept burn
6 and the men scattered about as
there was quite an army, and this
Sc bore fruit within a few hours,