310 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



covered with pine, fir, and larch. Innumerable small 

 streams flow down the mountain sides to come together 

 and form Mud creek, Post creek, Mission creek and 

 Crow creek, which run from the mountains on the east 

 across the prairie lands and into the Pend D'Oreille 

 river, which flows out of Flathead lake and forms the 

 western boundary of the three hundred and sixty square 

 miles that we are looking at. In the distance we can see 

 the largest herd of pure blood buffalo in existence today ; 

 they are not fenced in, but roam at will over this garden 

 spot; it is too good for them to leave, so they are per- 

 fectly happy. Traveling south over this vast stretch 

 of agricultural land we pass several very comfortable 

 homes of the well-to-do halfbreeds, who do not, how- 

 ever, cultivate much land, as it is easier to live off the 

 cattle and horses that are fattening on the range. We 

 cross all the creeks above mentioned, and see the moun- 

 tain trout, both cut-throats and brook trout, jumping at 



trees. Everv year these are covered with the finest fruit 

 I ever saw, and are actually breaking down from the 

 weight. This valley is very narrow, merely a pass 

 through the mountains, through which flows the Jocko 

 river. Following up this stream one comes to the Arlee 

 Valley, where the Indian agency is located, and where 

 the agent and most of the Indians reside. The soil in 

 this valley is very good, rich, black loam, but will no 

 doubt be all taken by the Indians who reside there. We 

 are now near the southern boundary of the reservation, 

 and the land is hilly and rough in fact, mountainous 

 and as there will not be any land in this part of the 

 country left for the settler, we will go back to Eavalli, 

 where McDonald has his fine orchard, and proceed west 

 down the Jocko Valley. Leaving this point we follow 

 down the Jocko through a very nice little valley, but 

 with very little agricultural land, principally grazing 

 land, until we get to Dixon, on the Pend D'Oreille 



' 



' 







Outlet of Flathead Lake. This Stream Has a Fall of 200 Feet in Three Miles and Its Power is Totally 



Undeveloped. 



the flies as we stand on the bridges. Along these creeks 

 the cattle owners cut thousands of tons of hay every year 

 to feed their stock during the winter, and vegetables 

 of all kinds can be seen in small patches. Around the 

 St. Ignatius mission, where the Catholic priest and 

 Sisters have a beautiful mission, the gardens and fruit 

 trees are remarkably fine looking, showing the fertility 

 of the soil and the mildness of the climate. Going 

 on south of the mission you climb up gradually a range 

 of hills covered with luxuriant grasses, Montana bunch 

 grass, the finest feed in the world, and after crossing 

 this ridge, which is thirty miles south of Flathead lake, 

 you drop drown to the Jocko Valley, and there you see 

 what can be done in the way of gardening and fruit rais- 

 ing. Duncan McDonald, a half breed, well educated, 

 however, has an orchard here of some two thousand 



river, which we will cross and go north again, only on 

 the west side, of the Pend D'Oreille. We here come 

 into a large stretch- of rolling pasture land, interspersed 

 with pretty valleys, where some nice stretches of agri- 

 cultural land can be found. West of this we again find 

 timber. Coming on northwest we reach the Bitterroot 

 Valley, where there is good land around the foot hills ; 

 but there is some poor land out on the flats ; this, how- 

 ever, may be all right if irrigated. I would call this 

 more of a stock country than a farming country, al- 

 though there are a number of nice farming places. Here 

 close to the ranch of ,Garcon Demers, are located some 

 of the finest hot springs in the United State?, wher" 

 hundreds of people go every year for an outing and 

 baths; they nave the reputation of curing rheumatism 

 that other sanitariums have failed to cure. These hot 



