THE NORTHERN PACIFIC ROUTE, 77 
carried by a gravity system down the valley for a distance of 30 
miles. Part of this system has only recently been opened, so that 
all the land is not cultivated, but in the older parts fine crops are 
raised, 
West of the sandstone outcrop the valley floor is again aniooths, 
showing that the soft shale forms it as well as the low hills that 
appear far to the left (south). A little beyond 
Sanders. Sanders the railway crosses Sarpy Creek, one of the 
Elevation 2,618 feet. well-known places of the early days, for here was 
co eteeaties, located Fort Sarpy, an important trading post of the 
American Fur Co. and the headquarters of many 
of the hunters and trappers of the Northwest. The post was 
named for if not established by Col. Peter Sarpy, who was an 
agent of the fur company for 30 years after its organization. 
At Hysham the valley is very wide, 
the hills being at least 2 miles back from 
therailway. Bylooking 
ie Aare ahead on the left, after 
leaving this town, the 
traveler can see the rug- 
ged sandstone walls of 
the Lance formation coming in close to 
the track, and for several miles the road 
follows the river bank under a towering | 
cliff that rises to a height of 300 feet. 
The traveler is now in what was a 
few years ago the great open sheep range 
of Montana. Single ranches had flocks 
ranging from a few hundred to as many FicvRe 10.—Monument built by sheep 
as 40,000 sheep. These were not kept in ys 
a fenced inclosure as is done in the East but were herded in bands of a 
few hundred or a few thousand each. To each band was assigned 
one or two herders who with horses to draw a covered wagon and a 
faithful dog followed the sheep for months at a time without returning 
to the home ranch. (See Pl. XII.) Hour after hour, day after day, 
and week after week were spent in watching the sheep, with abso- 
lutely nothing to break the monotony of the rolling treeless plain 
except here and there low hills of barren rock. The herder would 
stand upon such eminences when the sheep were quietly feeding and 
no coyotes near to cause uneasiness and, to amuse himself, would 
ld monuments of the loose rocks (fig. 10). In the course of time 
monuments of this kind were erected on almost every hill and on all 
the commanding points of the river bluffs, end the traveler can 
doubtless see them from the passing train. 
El ? ‘ ic; 
Population 162.* 
St. Paul 818 miles, 
