The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-08-05
Gates of Mountains Discovery is
COMMUNICATED by d. A. r. Tablet

pears to have worn a passage Just the
width Of its channel or $50 yards. 1t is
deep from side to side, nor is there in the
first three miles Of this distance a spot
except one of a few yards in extent on
which a man could rest the sole Of his
foot. Several fine springs burst out at
the waters edge from the interstices Of
the rocks. 1t happened fortunately that
although the current is strong it is not
so much so but h it may be overcome
with the oars for there is here no pos
sibility of using either the cord or set
ting pole. 1t was late in the evening be-
fore 1 entered this place and was obliged
to continue my route until sometime
GENTLY large to encamp my small party.
At length, such a occurred on the
larboard side where we found plenty Of
lightwood n pitch pine. This rock is
a black granite below and appears to be
Of a much lighter color above and from
the fragments 1 take it will be lint Of
yellowish brown n light cream-colored
yellow. From the singular appearance I
called it the Gates Of the Rocky Noun
tainS.'
Remarkable Description
"This pen picture of Captain Lewis,
written at hat time, burdened with the
cares and worries of the expedition in
not knowing what the day might bring
forth, is remarkable, for a more accurate
description could not be written. The
j AdAS4LB VI JAlG I1NGI ny b1C IIOlbCI OdLll VI
the Montana Power company has not
changed the conditions from that time
to now.
"It has been my pleasure to trace the
route Of Lewis and Clark from st. Louis
to Fort Clatsop, near the mouth of the
Columbia river by steamboat, motorboat
horseback and IN foot, and I have care
fully compared the journal with then
maps showing the camping sites, and this
spot is located definitely and positively
as shown by their records.
81 will make just one more quotation
of a description by Chief Engineer
Thomas P. Roberts in 1872, or 81 years
after Captain Lewis wrote his journal
For some moments the party was
spell bound, but very soon the adjective'
began to flow rapidly both in French anc
English.
"'Yet how trite they sounded in the
presence Of this magnificent display o.
natures wonderful handiwork. High VI
on either hand were collosal statues
carved by the master, Time, in the inches
Of this gigantic winding hall five mile.
long. The walls rose majestically soc
300 and 1000 feet high and in place
appeared to rest against the white cloud
above, which completed the arch owe
ones head. The sides afforded no foot
hold for man or beast, excepting coca
sionally up through lateral assures il
whose dark receSses lay tumbled in rar
confusion huge broken pillars and an
: gular rocks, jammed, and forming nature
bridges from chasm to chasm. We lon
for the pencil of a Bierstadt or a Moran
! Such grotesque forms, such heights, sucl
! depths such lights Inc shades as her
: presented themselves were far beyond tn
power Of pen to Illustrate
4 IT could quote expressions OF man
eminent men who have traversed III
. wonderful work Of nature, but you hav
: the scene before o just as it was i
|, the days Of Lewis % Clark and it
now accessible to all, the young and til
o old, by motor boat in luxurious ease, 8
against the slow, laborious chord lin
E oars and setting pole propelled by ma
3 power in the year 1905.
e This monument will be seen and til
e inscription read by thousands Of Poop.
from all parts Of the United States an
e Europe who will applaud the efforts I
the Daughters Of the American Revolt
k ton in marking this historic spot 40
70 COMMUNICATING the greatest exploriI
W Expedition Of all time, and in preservir
Is the earliest history Of Montana and Il
> northwest and in appreciating ct tn