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Show 74 HO('KY MOlJN'l'A IN • I•:N EHY. Jow<'l' hills app ar inc·lining ~>o nthwaro . . All along tlw north_ ·iclP the JlillK in('lin southwestward , wlii ll' tlt • l11gli('l' mngt•s a.n· quil' sh'l'Jl, and rorn•~-;pono in tiH' :t}lp:tn•nt dip of' iiH• bt•LH to tl11• lofty snow-<: lad 11101111 tnins on tll(' <'rtl'it wlti!'li in <' lin • .·ont li or HOIILitwt·Hiwanl. Tho inclination of th.c nt('tatn orphic lH•tl :; eomp sing !lit• lii•rlit •t· mngt·K, i::; front (i()0 to ()0 • On !Itt• wt•st sidP of' UtP park long riil p;<>s Hl'l' lll to sl opt' gr:ulmtlly down, so that tiH·y diP out in tit (' pl:tin, fornting a SOI't of 1.11 C'clt elon anan"<' nit•nt. It iH dttt• to this fact Uta! Lito an•a <'tH'Io:t•tl r><'l'il'(•s it:; oral hap!'. '!'lit• o·pn('nt] trl'nd of' all II H· <'Clltlinnous lliOUid:tin rangl's i:; ttt•arly 0 Jlol'lhw1·st an<l sontlt l'ast 011 all sidPs, l)IJt tlwn• art• many loc·al dips a.ncl variation:; front t I tis dirl'd ion. 1 waH ntueli inlt•n•st\'d to know wltC'tllt> t' any of tli<• unc:lmnp;('d ro!'ks, whi <'h rtl'(' HO wt'll dt' l'l'lopc·d in tltP l.~amtnic· Plain, Cl('l'lll' in till' Nol'llt Parle I f'ouml that !lit• Pltlit·t• .·l' riPs of reel :wtl varit•gall'<llJL'cl:-;, inelnding a vortiOJl or tliP Crl'!a 'I'OilK slmta, \1' 1' 1'1 ' fully l'l']l i'('SI'ntt •d, all inclining from tlw flanks of' tlte ntountai nK anU. g mdually :tHSIIIllillg a ltori zontal position, Or lll'ltrl.f HO, towmd till• ('Pill rn.l portiOll Of' tiH' park. 'l'lie tmnsition l wus ot· J..~owe t· ( 'l'l'l:H'POUH fol'm quilt· c ·o n :; pi c uou ~-; ri <l gt·:-:, inclining J0° to th<• so uthll'l'Sl. '!'Ill '.)' :1 1'0 C'Olll]lOSt'tl of' a Vt'I'J Ul'aUtiful pud<ling-stonc of' sntall rotllldt •tl ·1wbhiPs, 111ost of' thl' llt flint , cemPnt<·<l l<wPIItt•t· with a siliciou :-: pa.slL•. Ott th l' nortlt Hitll' al't' quiLt• la.l'gl' a.n ·a::; ·ovt"n·tlwilh IOOi'i • t-~a.nd , whi eh i t-~ blown about by th' wind, t·e 't'lll bling thP snncl hill · on tlH· Niohmm Rivt' l'. A cl Of:>C' t•Xatninati on of Lltt' sand shOWH tit at it i::; C'OlllpOHt'Cl lll OHI ly of' 11'0 1'11 part i(']p;; of' q ll<tl'lz and fl'ld :-:pal'. 'l'IH• snrface contains litll l' Ol' no l't•gl'tation ]H'f', PJ1li1w a P~' ·uliar hatT<'n appettl'al1\'l:' tltP santlmoving rntdi ly witl1 tit\' wind. IIith rto it has bt•Pn im possi bit• to colo I' on any gc•ol n·ical map the gP 1 gical fonnation of' any ] ><li'L of' tlti · mountain n •gion, and no inf'ot·lltation has ever bec•n giv\' 11 in n•g:nd to tltt• slntl'lut·<· of' lit ' North P:uk. lt will b inq)OSt~ ibl e evt•n now, with lll<' impt•l'f'\'eL topograpl1y of' any of' the tnap., to eolol' th g<•o logy in tktail, b ttt t ltes • <•xploration · will •na.bl' a g<•ol oo-ist to Jix t h<:' oullino of Lit , fonuatioJt f:l itt a n· •Jleml way, with a good clt'"TC:' • of' a 'C UI':t<'y. Dllrino- the umm ,. of' 1 6 ', an xei lA'mrnt was c·t·eat •d at Lal'antit• 'ity by the suppo •d diHeovory of rirh pl:tel'l' milw · far up in tll mountain , near th 'nowy H.aJI"l' ·, to tll sonUnvl' t of tho plain . A 'I'IIE LAJtAJilrE I'L A I NR. 7G larrrc ]l:LI'Ly was fot'llll'll at l<'ort • 'antlc• t'f:l, cl i I'(' ·IA'Gl by Gt>n ' l'ltb:! a i bhon an<t Pot l<•r, ol' lito nitml ' tat<• Army, :tntl aeu0 111pa.nied by Prol'l'i:lHO I' ,Jam s llall, or \'W York, to vit~ i t t ho l'('gion :w<l a~et' l 'lain illl' trntlt of the rqtorb;. 'l'IH• tinH' was nt o.·t f'avomblP, in rnidKLLnlnH·r, wlll'll till' 111oun tnin v<'p;<'t:tlion j )l'<'s •nts IL !:!pring aspel'L Uampitl"' with OUI' II':I"OII !:I at till' ba::;• or Ut i' nt:tin rang<' or ntountains, near th<' HO tii'CP of tl11• Little L:namic , we pt't'll:LI'l'<llo aH!'Pnd t lt t' tnoun lai n ~-; on horsl'ltrwk to till' gold tnitws. \VI' rode a cli :-:lanc·(• of about 10 lllil t•K b •foro w • eamt• in vit•w of' tit <' ' tli gg in ~ii," and. to l'<'a(' ll I ht•nt nmcll' an nsc<'nt of abou t 2,000 fh·L nbovt' t iH' lwei o f' Lltt• c· t·v •k. \Yt> W<'l'l' t lt l'n lwtw1•1•n 10,000 aml 11 ,000 fvl't ahov • t it Sl':L, V<' I'Y JI P<t.l' the• l'l<'l'alion ol' ]lL' I'])l'LIIa l snow and whet·(• frost occur.· c•vt•ry nig ht of tl11~ .yPar. Ott tiH· Hllllllllits of' tit us<' lofty 1110llllt:Lins 11,1' ' ,'0 1110 III OHL 1W:Lllttful Opt•n :;pots with out atret•. and eovPt't'll witlt "T:ts~ and tlowNs. Art ·r pas;;in l-!: tltrougli dt•llH<' ] )itll' f'OI'l'!:llH f'OI' Jll':.ti'IJ 1() mill'S, Wll Hllddt •lll ,Y Cll l('l'g<•d i11l0 Ont• of' tiH 'R<' park-likl' an•n.:-;. ,J u ~t in the cdg<' of th<· fon•::;t wltidt skirt Ptl it wc•J't' hank;; of' Hnow :-;ix ft•et dPl'p, compaet likP IL •rl aei('l', ancl ,,·itltin a f't•w ft•Pt Wt'l'l' m11 1ti l udl's of flmn•r, and t'l'l'll t li <• l'Ontnton st rawlwtTj' Sl'l'n t<'<l to Houri"di. 'l'lil'!-ll' IIIOlllltaim; arc' full or litll l' sl l'l':IIIIS of !Itt• plll't'KI watl'l' nncl for ~ ix monllt:; of tilL• year rrood pa:;tu r·ago f'or sto ·k eo ni<L IH• fonud. 'l'h t• gold iK ~-;o u g ltL at'tvr in p; ttl c; li i'H, f'OI'IIIl'Cl by t iJP littll' o' trmntH I hat. tlow fr0111 thl' ~ftodi e illt ) Bow and otli<·t· i'illOWY tn ou nLain s, mo:;l ol' whit·h •ntpty into Lhl' N orth PlaLte. Wl' labot·1 ·<l for two dayti to di H<;ovc•r till' q11n.rtz t;Pnnt K, whielt wt• s11ppoH •d to bo tl11• sout·e' of t lt c• stmy lllntp ~ ol' gol'l, bu t till' g t·c•at tltieknPsR of ;;upnrfi ci:tl drift, wlti ·It covt• rt; all tli<'Ht' mountains conl't•nlPd tlt<' llt front ou r vit•w. The gold as far a: known in thit~ distl'i<:l, Ht'e lll .' to lw confinPd to tlw low ,,. "·la ·ial drif'l. 'l'ltat ntluab lo ntinPH will hr fon11d in tiL • ·e IIIOUHlains at 110 distant d;ty Ht'l' IIIH VL'ry pi'Obn.hlP. 'l'lw "'< ol ogic:al •v idl•n '(' iH quilt• <'otwlu ·i Vl', 1\tHL thl' motutlain .· arl' ;t ·onLin nat ion n rthwanl or Lh · s:tmP mng<', in whidt Llt t> ri clt mint'. or 'olom.<lo ttl' l l oca.ttd. Not only in Lltt' more l ofty range , bu t al so in tlt l' low r nt o tllttaint~ LLI' lat·n·o fort•stf:l or pin) timb ,,., wltich. will \lVt' ll l ually Ul'COUI ' of' crn•at value to t hiK eo untt·y. Vaf:lt quant ili •s or this pi til' in t h ' f'OI'IU r railroad ti' ar' fJ oatl'd down th, vario11 tl'(:•ams to Llt<' nion Pacifi <: Hail road . n • rr •ntlc·mn.n alone 1as n, • ntra ·t ~ r 1)00 000 tiPs, all of whil'lt ltL' f-loats f'l'om th mountains along tllt• outlwm ·id · f tlte Lammi • Plains. |