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5ER 14, 1882.PRICIlistTHE MUSSELSHELL ROAD.'!!-in-■ •Messrs. Brenchaud and Burko accompanied by tin* editor of this paper, left Billings last Wednesday to look over the improvements completed and contemplated upon the road to the Mussel-►hell whence Billing will receive a large and constantly increasing trade. The road, even without the improvements which have been and are about to be made, is an exceedingly good one, and after passing the first station, fifteen miles from here, goes through the lake flat which covers about ISO square miles, where the finest hay can be cut and where many cattle are now grazing. This vast area, if irrigated, would lie one of the finest wheat growing countries in the west, and the adjacent Bull mountains would furnish coal for fuel and timber for building purposes. The foot-hills of the Bull mountains are exceedingly good grazing land, and the numerous springs will furnish the requisite water, while the coulees will afford an ample supply of hay.After passing over the Bull mountains, the country, if anything, improves in appearance, ranches are established in the different coulees, and cattle graze on all the ranges. The largest is the Big Coulee, where the Montana Cattle Co. have their headquarters. All these coulees are well watered, ami with the ranges furnish the best grazing grounds in eastern Montana, which it is admitted is the finest grazing country in the world. On the Musselshell river many ranchers have already become established, and they are all enthusiastic in their views i»f tin*, future prospects and present prosperity of their section of the country.The improvements which have already been made upon the road, whilemild winters, and we, who have cast our lot in the Yellowstone valley, shouldcongratulate ourselves on our fortunatelocation with regard to atmospherical changes. With a comfortable degree of pride we chronicle the fact that Billings liaa made the best record of all Eastern Montana.Trouble Between Indians and Buffalo Hunters.The Qi trict, bid dicates. mine tlia »rc. M. lust week mens .vlio the nmld struck wa hut soon Mr. L. wt inches. ' native sib the ore h Husband:not suilicirnt to warrant its being called ; found hunting 011 Indian ground would a permanent highway, will nevertheless 1 meet witn desperate usage. The whiteDispatches from the Poplar RiverAgency secin to indicate a prospect of trouble between the Indians of the Missouri reservation and the nomadic army of whites who are following the buffalo herds throughout tliat country.The Indians are hignly incensed at the wholesale slaughter by the white men of what they regard as their exclusive prey, and under the leadership of a chief called Black ratfish, announce their intention of resisting any invasion of the reservation by white hunters.In this connection the account of a hunter named Turner, who was in town last week, may prove of interest to some of our readers. In the latter part of November, he and a party of five others were camped on the Red water, a amall southern tributary of the Missouri.That locality has long been a favorite buffalo run and they were awaiting the passage of the herds from the northern side of the river to their southern ranges. One evening while sitting around their cauip fires they were surmised by the advance of a band of at cast two hundred mounted Indian auks whom lie afterward learned were Yanktonnais and Upper Assinaboincs headed by a chief w ho claimed to be a brother of the noted Catfish. The body of the Indians halted at a respectful distance and their chief accompanied bv a half-breed interpreter approached the hunters and proceeded to disclose the object of their errand. They desired the hunters to leave that country and warned them especially to keep off the reservation, intimating that any white men mas weekthe princijA inan to Dentli, which lie keep it and he li\ ity, and time of ll some of t find Mr. 1* death.—[J Now tli out and better. II by Mr. 1 will not though Iv ihc way, s the coun over Mr. will prob again.Nichols tablishme the niomi loss will rThe ceh duced in ame. t tfir immediate demands of the ( men. thev said, hunted the buffalo only traue * tl» the section of country drained ; for their hides, w hile they needed them bv the Mu.-.* I:IHI. Two bridges have for food, and if the hunters killed oil been completed, one across Big Coulee ! their buffalo they would bo forced to creek and the other acr »ss Painted Rohe kill the white men's cattle.creek. Three other bridges ex. iusivo of the bridge across the Musselshell are contemplated, and portions of the material are already on the ground. Of these three bridges the one most required is that over Alkali Creek, about one and one-half miles from Billings, the other two are, one across the coulee three mih s this side of the Bull mountains. and 1 ho remaining one across aJesus Cliri Elmer’s burned 01 rapid wa.-acxresses 1After further parley to the same effect they withdrew with a parting injunction j making tl for the hunters to retire from that! windows, country. As tlio Indians rode away1 they fired several shots in the darkness, but Turner did not believe that they were fired at his party but merely intended as a demonstration or reminder of what might occur.Not wishing to become involved in any collision with the hostile reds and— •coulee three and a half 111 lies this sideI of the Ko«kv Butte station. The work I game being scarce the hunting party t ! upon a!! lt;*f these bridges will be finished j withdrew' to the Musselshell country, s. 1 in the course of a month or six weeks; j and our informant came in to Billinas tor “ 1 1 • , I J 1 . ___ 1 . I*. . . . 1 _ I I lt;• 1 • . a , r*‘ _there will then remain, before the road is completed, several heavy grades to reduce, the work upon which was stopped (iii account of frost in the ground. One heavy grade has already been re-n.obtain supplies, lie does not regard the Indians as avowedly hostile, but fears that any breach by hunters of reservation privilege may provoke encounter 3 which cannot be otherwiseluced near Uockv Butte station, and j than disastrous to the latter, as the onie work done upon several others, white men are from the nature of theirNorth of Hull Mountain station the direction of the road will be changed so as to cut off ore mile in distance, be-3ddc avoiding m*y* r.d steep hills, andmj from Painted Kobe C reek to the Mnasel-| shell a now road has been made, the grading upon which will be done by Messrs. Burke A: Wilson at their own expense. These parties have already comiiM-uced operations up*»n the construction of a midge across tin- Mussol-i shell al.o at their own expense. Bv j *r ■ the new road it is about six miles from ! j Painted Robe to Musselshell, (Burke • Wilson’s ranch j, and from there to 01-denV lees than three miles, while theavocation in small parties while the Indians patrol the country in large bands, arc well armed and mounted, not deficient in courage and commanded by a re solute chief.PROM OUR CORRESPONDENTS.Bozkmax.M. T., ) Dec. loth, lss2.)To the Editor of the Billinas H. mld:This letter must minis be dated from Bozeman, inasmuch hr I am at this present moment in the reading room of the distance from I’aintcd K..bo Creek by j Northern fac ific Hotel, anil will remainthe old road to Ol.lenV is nine miles so j unIil to.morrow. , lcft Kn(1 of Tra(,k yej. [hat taking into consideration the fact I .tliat the new road crosses ti.e river at a 1 tcr,la-r- (I*VI' *• *our m,l«* ea-st ofllnp-11Idpoint which will lead direct to the road which must eventually be used to the Judith Gap, it is much the better of the two. In this relation we might say that during this trip we learnt tliat the people who reside in the Judith Basin country have written the mail contractor frequently, signifying their willingness to repair the road to the JudithDakota’; state see:beautifullynow pendi by a few I county's r« ed in some posed the bill be nlt; sion it. lo lay over fc On the more? and families o to be in a!i life. Puri of the po months ol and warm! and a qui child peri •lestinatioi On Dee. Canadian, tlie age of by birth hi life as a dr he servedclerk to a s a partner has heconper*.-), and came through a blinding snow storm across the range. Temporary grades ! private lie arc being made around Jones’ through cut | anlt;* ^as 1and over tunnel, neither of which grandcs are finished, but merely begun. Arrived here at 5 r. m. and found a fine town. Bozeman lias a population of about 3,500, and is in fact a prosperous place. AmongstGap, provided the mail were carried bv * , ... ,,, . , ‘ ’ , , ,that roule, which would save in thodis- stfdj 1,UMef lllucf arc crowdtd K‘lde(1here to Benton some fortv ►’“loons, and from whence issue after nightUi neefrommiles, and would naturally attract hither the trade of that splendid section of country. There seems to be no reason whv the mail to Benton should be i r * ,«carried ‘round by Murlinsdnlc, when by !*«ntcd ienmlc .n the rear end of the hall,full sweet (?) strains of saloon music. Wc stepped into one of these places about 10 o’clock last evening, and saw a muchlytaking this cut-off road to the Gap so many miles could be saved, and a new and wealthy district be opened up. The time is not far distant when we shall have a daily mail service to Benton, and then the necessity of this saving in distance will be even more appaicnt than it is now.Tho Lato Cold Snap.struggling frightfully with an operatic .selection, while her mail companion pounded vigorously on an organ. A crowd of variegated natives stood opened-inouthcddrinking in the melody Among thefinest business places here arc the establishments of Essler A Co., dealers in general merchandise, and Messrs. Rich Wilson, dealer.? m dry goods and groceries. Here$10,000,000 but receiv complimei: parity andThe NcThe folk of the next Helena In npon as ( from officiiI li'tened to some strange stories of the During last week a polar wave of un-: instability of track at the west end—quick-usual and unseasonable severity .swept \ .sands sinking, and carrying out Kearnev’s over t lie northern zone ami rea-he I its .=tlic Chinese luu.-.tgw’-by ditching ^io!eJgreatest intensity on the night ot Wednesday. the 0th. It euvtdnpuu in itsicy embrace regions far to the North and East of us, and even Southern latitudes were markedly affected by its , rigors. The discomfort which always . accompanies a low temperature was. in this instance greatly increased by a terrific wind accompanied by snow, which,1 sweeping over the open country ofjtrains of Celestials into the adjacent river. The Gallatin valley is the iine=t piece of land between this point and Fargo, and in n few years Bozeman will double its population.X. T. C.Lewis a: man, rep.. Deer Loci Silver Be Missoula Beaver lu JefiVrson MadisonGallatin »Meagher Clio tea u itrict—HemCuster coMONTANA NEWS.I/Cw is an R. C. Walk . Deer LedJ. D. Arms Silver BeA'l' I..
Newspaper Details
Billings Herald
Billings, Montana, US
Thu, Dec 14, 1882
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Anonymous
USA 11 Jan 2022
Other Publications Near Billings, Montana
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