﻿CHARACTERISTICS 
  OF 
  THE 
  MOUNTAIN 
  AREA. 
  283 
  

  

  The 
  Gallatin 
  Valley 
  is 
  partially 
  settled, 
  mainly 
  by 
  an 
  agricultural 
  

   population. 
  It 
  contains 
  three 
  small 
  towns. 
  Bozeman, 
  Gallatin 
  City, 
  at 
  

   the 
  Forks 
  of 
  the 
  Missouri, 
  and 
  Hamilton. 
  A 
  large 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  

  

  along 
  the 
  streams 
  is 
  already 
  taken 
  up 
  by 
  ranches. 
  The 
  population 
  of 
  

   the 
  valley 
  in 
  1870 
  is 
  given 
  in 
  the 
  census 
  report 
  as 
  1,578 
  souls; 
  and 
  this 
  

   is 
  probably 
  but 
  slightly 
  chauged 
  at 
  present. 
  

  

  Proceeding 
  now 
  to 
  the 
  Jefferson 
  River, 
  the 
  third 
  fork 
  of 
  the 
  Missouri, 
  

   we 
  find 
  in 
  its 
  drainage 
  area 
  much 
  less 
  timber 
  and 
  more 
  open, 
  grassy 
  

   country, 
  than 
  in 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  other 
  two 
  forks. 
  The 
  range 
  separating 
  its 
  

   drainage 
  from 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  Madison 
  is 
  timbered 
  near 
  its 
  crest, 
  but 
  its 
  

   foot-hills 
  and 
  lower 
  slopes 
  are 
  devoid 
  of 
  trees 
  and 
  well 
  grassed. 
  The 
  

   valleys 
  of 
  Bed 
  Hock 
  Creek 
  and 
  Beaverhead 
  Eiver, 
  are 
  broad, 
  open, 
  aud 
  

   grassy. 
  So 
  with 
  the 
  valley 
  of 
  the 
  Bighole, 
  or 
  Wisdom 
  Eiver, 
  aud 
  the 
  

   hills 
  which 
  form 
  the 
  divide 
  between 
  the 
  latter 
  and 
  the 
  Beaverhead. 
  

   The 
  mountains 
  which 
  stand 
  at 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  Beaverhead 
  Eiver, 
  sep- 
  

   arating 
  this 
  drainage 
  from 
  the 
  Snake 
  Eiver 
  Plains, 
  are 
  well 
  timbered 
  

   except 
  on 
  the 
  lower 
  foothills. 
  

  

  All 
  the 
  open 
  country 
  on 
  the 
  Jefferson 
  can 
  easily 
  be 
  burned 
  over. 
  

  

  Turning 
  now 
  to 
  the 
  Missouri, 
  we 
  find 
  it 
  flowing 
  with 
  a 
  somewhat 
  

   sluggish 
  current 
  through 
  a 
  tolerably 
  broad 
  bottom-land 
  of 
  fine 
  grass 
  and 
  

   groves 
  ot 
  cottonwoods. 
  The 
  country 
  on 
  the 
  west, 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  

   the 
  Missouri 
  Eange, 
  is 
  open 
  and 
  grassy, 
  presenting 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  aspects 
  

   of 
  the 
  plains. 
  This 
  character 
  extends 
  as 
  far 
  north 
  as 
  Helena. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  east 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  river, 
  the 
  hills 
  and 
  lower 
  mountains 
  are 
  grass- 
  

   covered, 
  while 
  the 
  higher 
  groups 
  of 
  mountains 
  are 
  clothed 
  with 
  timber. 
  

   Farther 
  to 
  the 
  eastward, 
  between 
  the 
  Missouri 
  and 
  Yellowstone 
  Bivers, 
  

   are 
  the 
  Judith, 
  Snow, 
  aud 
  Crazy 
  Woman 
  Eauges, 
  all 
  heavily 
  timbered, 
  

   while 
  the 
  surrounding 
  country 
  is 
  well 
  grassed. 
  

  

  The 
  large 
  valley 
  at 
  the 
  eastern 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  Wind 
  Eiver 
  Eange, 
  through 
  

   which 
  flow 
  Wind 
  Eiver 
  and 
  the 
  Popo-agies, 
  is, 
  near 
  the 
  mountains, 
  well 
  

   grassed 
  ; 
  but 
  as 
  we 
  proceed 
  eastward, 
  away 
  from 
  the 
  mountains, 
  the 
  

   quality 
  and 
  abundance 
  of 
  its 
  vegetation 
  deteriorate, 
  and 
  on 
  its 
  lower 
  

   parts 
  it 
  bears 
  all 
  the 
  aspects 
  of 
  a 
  desert. 
  

  

  The 
  Wind 
  Eiver 
  Mountains 
  rise 
  west 
  of 
  this 
  valley 
  and 
  separate 
  it 
  

   from 
  the 
  Green 
  Eiver 
  Basin. 
  The 
  peaks 
  of 
  this 
  range 
  rise 
  to 
  heights 
  

   of 
  nearly 
  14,000 
  feet. 
  These 
  mountains 
  are 
  heavily 
  timbered 
  from 
  their 
  

   base 
  to 
  the 
  timber 
  line, 
  which 
  in 
  this 
  range 
  is 
  at 
  an 
  elevation 
  of 
  about 
  

   10,000 
  feet. 
  

  

  The 
  basin 
  of 
  the 
  Bighorn, 
  in 
  most 
  respects, 
  resembles 
  the 
  valley 
  of 
  

   Wind 
  Eiver. 
  On 
  all 
  sides, 
  near 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  mountains, 
  is 
  high, 
  lux- 
  

   uriant 
  grass, 
  gradually 
  shading 
  off 
  toward 
  the 
  interior 
  of 
  the 
  basin 
  into 
  

   sage 
  land 
  and 
  even 
  to 
  desert, 
  in 
  some 
  localities. 
  In 
  the 
  small 
  tributary 
  

   valleys 
  of 
  several 
  of 
  the 
  western 
  branches 
  of 
  the 
  Bighorn 
  the 
  grass 
  is 
  

   exceptionally 
  fine, 
  and 
  stock 
  men 
  are 
  beginning 
  to 
  avail 
  themselves 
  of 
  

   the 
  excellent 
  grazing. 
  On 
  the 
  eastern 
  and 
  northern 
  bases 
  of 
  the 
  Big- 
  

   horn 
  Eange, 
  also, 
  the 
  grass 
  is 
  luxuriant, 
  grading 
  off 
  northward 
  and 
  east- 
  

   ward 
  into 
  poor 
  sage 
  land. 
  

  

  