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Show 22 ROCKY ~ I OIJNTATN R ENm:Y. liLlie , trC'n.m s, oftrntinw. buril'<l 10 to 20 i'L' •t bPnr ath t,he HurfheP, ~J'<' lar·p;t• :wrq1mulations of ~;lu• ll s, as snn.il s, f'resh -waf p.r nll.J HHt'l s, ~·te., w ~rLl e vr•t·y f1•w and pPrllaps norw t•xi ::;L at t ll 1 pn•::wn L trnw 111 t ho 111tllt <'d 1at1' l'icin itr. SomPtinH'\ in Ute fine l'<'p;t•tnb lr• tnnlkr that a<·<· ttiiJUlat.l.'H :~l ong lll<' ~li~so uri Hi vt' J' from thl' :tllllll:tl fl oods, (':til h' Ht'l' ll bw;ltPis of mtnu tP Hnail shPll s, y<>t not a nail r·a11 now lw fou11tl alii'<· a 11ywlt L'n· in that J'l'!!ion. \\'e account for thiR hy so tn r• ch.allgt'. in tltt' phys.iC'al cond i tio 11s wh. .i ch 1wr<' once \'Pry f::tvorn L>lr• for tlwu· <'XIHl L' ll<'<' ant l IIH'I' 'fLHP. '1'11<' wn.t('J' of lh little slrPnms ll'l'l'<' far cll'ar<'r and pun•r llt:LII at pr<'i'i<' lll. Now, nt ('t'rlain Pa.mts of the yPm, tit<')' hr·r·o ntt ' so cltat·p;··<l ll'itll Kl'd i 11wnl that molluscou. lift• can11ot rxi sL. 'l'lti o; is tlr <' <':LHt' with tilt> W ssonri TUvt•r from tltr foot of t he monnta.i11s to i ts rn o ut lr, nnd T:tr<·t· ly a slt t> ll cn.n bo fou11d in its wat('I'H; hut· in SO IIH' of it s tril>rlf.aril•fl, as tltt· Big Hionx, .Jn.mr', V t' rmilli on, de., thn.t flow in fro nt till' north , t here iH tlH' gn•at(•st :tbundancr. Tlu• travelc•r wj]] very nal ul':llly i11quire, why, wit It all t his wondt• r - ful fr •t'tilily of oil, thes• broad gra,;~- <'OI'l'J' •d plain :-; do not !'Ontain a suit lthlt• :-~upply of for·pflt trrr.. \V(• will <•ndl'H-1' H' to n.IIHWI't' t lti ::; CJll<' ·tioH in anollwr· plaC'l'. U ' will find as Jtp tml'<'l ' over t he 'lak of' 1l'l>m:-;ka, t ha,t llw iinw is not vrry <ldant. wlwn portions of the r ulltry wi ll h ' ('ovcn•d with l)l':t lllifitl ar tificial fm·psfH, and we will alt<•mpl to :-;how l ltaL thi: i r; 011ly a rt>storn.!.ion of ·orH1it.ions tltn.t onee <•x i stl'd fnr in tl11· g<•o l og·ieal pa. t. Wltile w • Llt•lrty for a Lim<• at tit.<• plr·a.~rt n t city of' Orn:tha, :11td <' n,joy t.lw gonet'O IIS hoflp iLality of its c ili:t. · n ~, W\' n1ig lt t makP a :-;bort .i ot ll'll<'.)' IIJ > llr <' valley of' tiH' 1\1if:so 11ri and tak n. n·la nc<' at the mon• nort lt r• J'II pmt io11 :; of i he 'latr•. \Vr f> ltall find t lw lim::Lt<• more S<'>Pre as we go northwn.r<1 lrardl.r adapt<'<l to the r·ai ·ing of lit<' lli Ol'P dPiieato variPliPs of' f'r11it, bnt that iru•xhrwsliblt• f'Prtility of soil which w' ltnxe so of'ten alludt•d to JH' I'(' I' fail :-;. Fnr hroa<kr l)ottom an• 'j)l'<'lHl out to thL' cy<' tlt:tll an• ,' 1'1'11 ;tnywlt •rp PlHP ill lit<' 1\'<'st, varying ft·om fi lo :3!) mill's in wi<1th, l ll' rf'l'e lly ll'vol and dotLPd lt t'I'C and th re with gt·ovP.' of ('ollon wood; vill;tgPH a 11d f'arlll h o nseH llll'PL thu Pye on every i lc, fi eld s of wheat ancl corn of' u n us11al liiXtll'iane<• wave in the breeze, aud the broad mea.dowH ~LI'I' envt'r <'<l with a thick g r·owllt of coarse gmss, so ltiglt as often times to concenl f il l' lror C' and luo; rid <•r·. Formerly, as the autumnal firp swPpt ov ' I' t hP broad ·avttnnas, wor to the unfortunate b ing, man or· animal , that was ('n.ncrh t ill tlt cir cour c. n erd ' of cattl and hOI"(' lied in constema.tion b •fore th • crack - OHAJIA 1'0 (l JIEYJ~ N 1-:. ling Ham<' n.ncl den. P Htnok , and not llllfr·eCJ II <' Iltly lruma.n bl' illg. W<' r<' ov rtah•n :tllcl consiii1H'd . inc<' t hl' sPlll <' llll 'lll of llr ' ·onntry tlt l'~l' firl's havt• be ·omo far ii'SH 'OIIIInon, but wltl'll tlt<•y do oce11r, t hr•y :t.J'I' tlltll'h more c1 •strn cfi vl' Lha11 fol'llt<'l'l y, now fn •qnr•lltly dPst roy ing the t'!'H lll tH of' Ut t' lta.rd lahorR of' tit <' fhrllll'r f'or a 11 <•n t i J'(' sr·aHO II · sltteks of wl w: tt ;wd hay cli:-;app<' <ll' likt• <'loudH lwf'or • tlH• wi11cl. ~l:tll j' of' Urr l'l' lltarka,biP HightR, wlti clt ill f'orntl'l' Liiiii'H W(' J'(' l:\0 {'OII llll () ll , :LI'!' ll'Hl:; f'n •q 11 •Ji t JlOII' , :tlld thP g-rantl b u t h•tTifir K<'<' ll <' of a prairiP 011 fin• is f'or the· most 1mrt a I<'"'P JI<I '"' of th<· pa:;t. Thi: broad :i\lil:\sonr·i \ "a li P.)' is ll':tllt•d by hl11fl':,; 000 to '00 f'pf'! lti A'lt , a11c1 if wr• aHC't 'JHI Oil<' of' lht•rn, LIH• t·c· i :-; 11 ot hillg to ol>Htr11ct tit <' l' ision un ti l th t• sky <:OnH'H r·loHP down to lltPPL tlt t• P:t.l'f h 011 PiliLl' t' : id L•. ' l 'l~t• g' l'<': l t Jllll'ity Of' til<' H.f llt OHJl ltPI'\' ('II:LlJ Jp:-; 011 (' to S(•f' ohj<•d H witit 1\'() lld !' rflli Oit •:t,J'IIl'HH OVI'r iarp; illt t• J'VlliH of' !:i)l:t(·p, :tlld , in ('OilHt'q ii !' IJI '(' Of' tltiH, lll oHt a11111Hi11g iiiSt:LIH'('H Of' d(•t•c•pliO II Ofl!'JI 0!'('111 ' ill tit (' r•stiJII:ttP of di st:IJ}('!'H. i\ .· an illu:-;tntliou of' thiH f'~tr·l 1 C'Ojl.)' an t•xtmet f'rotn my j onrllal of a voyap;• 11p llw :i\ li s:-;o nri H.ii'Pt' in lltt• J\nt l' t·it·all l•'ur ( 'olltjlHIIj''H o;tPaiiH'r i11 thr• ' tlllllll t' J' of' l tl;"i..J: " 'l'h r· first prairiP of' inrportanct• W<' !'omr to on (liP NPI>rasl;:a sidt• i:,; about 0 ntilPs :tbOI'<' BPliPVIIP. 'omr of' I Itt• lltrtrlrin t•t·y of' thP boat br•i11g o11 t of' n·pair, we :-;toppPd hcl'l' for lit af'lNilOOil. TltiH pmiriP wa:-; t'Xl't'l'd ingly bNLutif'ul. l•'or 1111 an•a of ev<•ml miiPH in •xlr-nt 110t tlH• :-; lig- htPHt llllCllrlalion m •t lito r•yr• to hn•ak l h<' lP vP I : nly tall, lux urian t g nt s:-;, f'n•Hit n.n L g n• <' JI , wit It :111 almn(hnec of' t iH• wiiLl ]Wit-vine w ith bPautif'ul })lll'pic bloRHonr H, and <><·r·a:-; i()Jtally a lint• g- rovl' of' lt'l'<'s in whielt lllllll b<· r:-; of' f'a1l ow-<lt><' J' Wt' l'<' quid ly l'lllllillatiug. .'o 11t <' of tlr • pas PJJO'Cl'H t>tal'lt •rl out lnrnting, oth L' l'i'i lilllli HPd t lt t• nt sd vr'H tal<i11p; skr·(rit (•s and ga.thl'ring tltP wild fl owt• rH wJticil Wt' I'P H('a(ft-J't•(l pi'OfliHPl .)' Ol'l'r fltP p; l't'('ll t':lf'lH'ft•d plain. About six milr•s d i:-;tanl aJ'O,'<' tlt l' ·onien l hill ,; that form lil t' river blu fl:". 'l'llf' 'l' pr('SPntl·<L a lt•ntplillg :tp]warnnc·p to llH', f'or 1 wi:,;ltt•d to <'X:t tll in<· t lu·ir }llant :-;; nnd fr()llt llH' di:-;t inc( JlPKH wit h ll'iti ·h l ('Ott!d Rt'<' lltt•m, 1 lholl g-hL ilwy <·oulcl not lw lltOJ'(' tlmn a ntiiP or· two cli:-;[a.nL Af'lt-r tr:wdi11g q uil ' mpidly f'ot· an hour or two !r opi ng ('VPry llt orn <•ttt to nt·t·iv ' aL tlwir !>asP, I ('a,rnu to a d< •<·p, <·lpar ·lr•·atn , about :30 ya.niH ill wid Llt, wlriC'h waH siiPntly winding it:-; way tlll·ou g lt tho luxuriant p;msH tltat ppr-f'•etly :-; ltroucl< •d iL from vil'W. ] Lh<' ll f'oJtud , ntuclt to my C' lta p; ri11 , that I 11111. t eilltPJ' ttll'll 1>:tl'k disappointed in gl'tt ing- my rar plants, or· swim the riv ·r, !'iliH·r of w hi ch altemaLivl' wa · unpleasant. .A lwrd of |