Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-03-02

souri, a vast volume of yellow, muddy
water, and at it's mout appears to be
larger than the Missouri. 1t deceived
the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1905
when 1t was entered on the belief That
the explorers were still following the
larger stream.
The distance from the mouth of the
Yellowstone to Miles City is 200 miles.
If the water was high the time required
was from four to five days. If 1t was at
low stage from 10 days to two weeks were
consumed in making the trip. The June
rise" favored rapid transportation, but
after mid-July the condition of the ever
changing channel made travel by water
rather precarious.
An early account of this method of
travel says hat the passenger ran the in
eVitable risk of being devoured by tiny
and songless mosquitoes (which is a
curious, p%ertinacious and m~ultitudinous
feature of the Missouri and Yellowstone
rivers part of the journey" AS a COM
pensation, the traveller saw broad prat-
RE lands, rich river bottoms and undu-
lating plains. the immensely of which
surpasses the power Of humble descrip-
ton. all holding forth in the summer
sunshine q smiling invitation to the
agriculturalist. and all open to the actual
settler by the free gift of the govern
ment; and these facts which are pur-
posely stated inside the bounds of truth
full privilege have not, we believe. a par
allel in any other habitable country of
the GLOBE
The vastness of the domain invaded
inspired the traveller. Within the course
of a few days he became a convincing
and eloquent declaimer of its poten-
tialities. He was the forerunner of the
present day tribe of Montana boosters.
| Tho fN11nniY1n fnEnsa fyn,,A m nar1u
count of the bigness of the greater new
northwest will illustrate the point.
1.-THE traveller arriving in Miles City is
really only on the threshold of the yell
lowstone valley. The town is the focal
point at which concentrates like the fin
gers on ones hand the routes of COM
merce by land and water, from the head
waters of the Tongue river which is now
$50 years ago. thickly settled so miles
from its mouth; from the valley Of the
Big Horn and it's tributaries; from the
beautiful Rosebud valley; from Bozeman
and Deer Lodge, Helena, INK far-off Mis-
soula on the western slope of the Rocky
mountains; from the Musselshell valley,
the Mecca of intending stock ~raisers, and
fro mthe debatable region of the MIX
river and the new post Of A%ssinniboine
lying on its shore Just out of reach of
the buffalo ranges which 1t was presum-
ably destined to cover"
Somewhat contradictory, yet inspired
by the possibilities, the district is de-
scribed and specified as q splendid stock
raising region with it's vast, ungrazed
acreage, in which the famous Montana
cattle and sheep thrive, to which is add
ed the statement that agriculture on
any important scale is as yet an untried
experiment"
AS an anomaly and despite the warm
ing published to the world that the perils
on the pioneer trails were many and
constant, the invalid was invited to come
and regain his health. The stage ride
from Bismarck to Miles City was de-
scribed as q severe journey for even
strong men. yet the inducement held out
to the sick and ailing was pictured in
terms glowing with sentiments elevated
to fanciful heights.
This matter Of atmosphere Is some
that must be experienced to be appreci-
ated," reads the prelude. ITO invalids
it is especially grateful. The predom-
nance of ozone renders 1t exhilirating to
sound lungs and invigorating to weak
mes If not zone too far in disease. For
bronchial affections 1t is probably as eff
icacious as the air of the elevated
plateau Of Colorado, or the renowned
mountain currents which fan the plains
OF Dunellen in central New Jersey"
The perils on the pioneer trails did not
deter the adventurous men and women
from migrating to the great new north
west" 1t is not q far cry back to a per-
iod fifty years ago in eastern Montana.
In that half century Of time there has
risen, phoenix like, out Of the ashes OF
early pioneer effort the blessings of peace
and security now enjoyed by the sue
ceeding generations. 1t is a story Of ro-
nance, one generation building upon the
foundations laid by the preceding and
each in succession erecting institutions
that are shaping the ultimate destiny OF
a civilization in the northwest that be-
gan by following closely on the heels Of
a vanishing ena personified in the
%aborigine who strove nightly to retain
forever his buffalo hunting grounds.
The perils on the pioneer trails have
been succeeded by the dangers that men,
ace present day civilized progress in the
struggles involved in the survival Of the
httest governments.
nadQ and Lads Dine