The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-02-12

$500 of the Little Big
Horn. 1t was a momentous occasion
and great numbers of people repre-
sentative of two separate and dis
tinet races had gathered together to
reenaet an event in this day regret
ted by both of these peoples.
AS I walked down the road that
leads south from the city of Hardin,
and after 1 had crossed the bridge
which spans that deceiving river,
(Which ordinarily was the size of a
large creek, but which is capable
of performing the antics Of a mighty
tOrrent) 1 found myself in the midst
of a land transformed.
Here, up and down the valley of
that little stream, and for miles
north and south of the village OF
Crow Agency stood the camps of
these descendants of the aborigines
OF the Great Northwest. 1t was an
impressive scene, and as l paused to
catch the full significance OF such a
panorama, there arose a vision OF
the home of the Crows. in the days
when Montana knew no Indian res
ervatiOns"-when all of southern
Montana was the Crow country.
So far as we are able to learn, the
Grow country at the time OF the flrst
visits of the white traders to the
camps of these nOmads, was that re-
gion bounded on the east by the
Black Hills, on the west by the
Rockies and including a part OF these
lofty. ranges; on the south by the
Big Horn Mountains and on the
north by the Yellowstone river. n
territory in it's natural state was one
of varied climate and soil conditions.
embracing many of the plains and
valleys watered by the Wind river.
the Yellowstone, the Powder river.
the Little Missouri and the Nebraska
It was pieturesque-beautiful to be-
holland possessed a combination
of natural qualities which rendered
it one of the choice sections or the
Northwest. The Crows appreciated
this and were proud Of their home
The Good Grow Country
This is attested most e~mphaticali!
in the words of Chief ArapOOash, al
set forth by Washington Irving II
his Adventures Of Captain Bonnie
Vile"
These are the words Of this age'
Grow Chief to Robert Campbell o
the Rocky Mountain Fur company
''The Crow country is a good cOun
try. The Great Spirit has put 1t eX
actly in the right place; while yo'
are in it you fare we'll; whenever yol
20 out of it, whichever way 20
travel, you fare worse.
of YOU go to the south you hav
TO wander over great barren plains
the water is warm and bad, and 20.
meet with fever and ague.
ITO the north it is cold; the VIII
ters are long and bitter, with n
grass: YOU cannot keep horses there
but must travel with dogs. What is
country without horses?
con the Columbia, they are poo
and dirty. paddle about in canoes an
eat fish. Their teeth are worm out
thew are always taking fishbones GU
of their mouths. Fish is poor fooC
''To the east, they dwell in vi
lagos. They live we'll, but they drin
the muddy waters of the Missouri
that is bad. A Crows dog would nc
drink such water.
About the Forks of the Nilsson.
is a fine country; good water; goo
grass; plenty of buffalo. In summe
it is almost as good as the Gro
country; but in winter it is cold; tt
grass is gone and there is no sa
weed for the horses.
1.-THE Crow country is exactly
the right place. It has snowy mOu,
tains and sunny plains; all kinds
climates and good things for eve.
season. When the summer hea
scorch the prairies, you can dra
up under the mountains where Il
air is sweet and cool, the era