Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-06-29

was reported that q climber accom-
pliSned the feat without the llse Of
any AID, using only the natural foot
holds In the rock.
In pioneer times, before road mana
historical markers and other trave3
alus became the fashion. natural land
marks were important TO the nafh-
finders. One OF the most Important
Iandmarks Of the northwest was the
lewis Tower. On q clear dav it can
DC seen from a distance OF 100 miles
ana IN the seventies and eIghtfes IN
sne days OF the open range. it vas An
important landmark for cattlemen AZ
tae Nioprara, Powder river and other
pig cattle spreads in Montana. the Da-
kotas and Wyoming. Rustlers Ilsed n
ss q landmark. too, as did General
custer and other army men who an
gagged IN the Indian campaionR that
Surged over this territory IN The seven
ties. Before that trappers and pioneer
nomeseekers had marked their wilder
ness courses by It.
Now National Monument
IN isOo the Devils Tower was created
8 national monument Nov u & hiOh-
way IA takes travellers near It's Fsaaa
ana the l,2OO-acre preserve Is visited
by thousands annually
from distance this gigantic stone
pillar looks much like a gigantic tree
stump, but no tree ever grew that
largel The diameter Of the base Of
the tower Is l,700 feet. The high. fiat
summit measures $50 by 100 feet and
Is covered with grass and sage and
even a few small trees. It Is one OF
Americas strangest freaks Of nature.
ana Is the only formation of this par
ticular type on the continent.
Nobody seems TO know Just how the
Devils Tower got Its name. Hades and
IT'S ruler seem TO have been often in
the minds OF the gentlemen who
named the natural wonders Of the west,
especially where our national parks
and monuments are concerned. IN the
case Of the Devils Tower 1t is quite
possible that the name originated With
the Indians.
The same cataclyslnic upheaval that
created the Rocky mountains farther
west gave birth to the Devils Tower.
Inen this famous column Of rock was
molten and the weight Of heavier
rock about IL forced It upward The
terrific heat and the gases within the
rock also contributed toward the up-
ward movement, and like a great snake
It burrowed slowly up, its speed de-
creasing as the rock cooled and thu
pressure from beneath lessened. Some
where within a mile or so Of the sur
race the column stopped and hardened.
materials about it eroded and were
carried away by the elements. leaving
the tower Of rock exposed.
In Indian Lore
AS would be expected. the Devils
Tower doomed important in Indian
lore Of the region, especially in the
row tribe. Indian mothers duieted
children who were frightened bv thun-
der by telling them that 1t was merely
Old Man Coyote sitting atop the Devils
Tower beating his great tom-tom.
The Indians explained the creation
u the tower by saying 1t was the work
II the Great Spirit on an errand OF
mercy. According to this legend, three
indian maidens were picking flowers
me day when two bears chased them.
The Great Spirit saw their predica-
nent and thrust part OF the earth up
o the maidens were out Of reach OF
he bears. The animals fell to death
n the rocks below and the girls made
opes of their flowers and made their
gay down. The portion Of the earth
he Great Spirit thrust up is the Devils
over.