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Show ' li A P 'I' B B. J\ . 'I' II 1•: L A It ;\ J\1 I '' I' I, A l N H . I N our fi l"t ('.lwptt•r we dc•scPrHl<'d th <• ~~PstL' I'Il :;l?po of·tl·H' lir·Bt monntain mn"'l' to a broatl, O!l'll •xpan sl' of m<nrnl:un pmnw known as liiL' Lammie Plain . Tlti gn•at an•a mip;ltt lw mll >d a I ark ; it iH Pnclo:-:t•tl 011 tlrr<'l' :ide by l'Xtt·n ·ivP mouutain mnn·p:-; but Oil tlw II'Ptit it · limi tg arP not well clPfined, ina::;muclr :rH no mountain rangL' or any important·r intervt'ne until we con1 ' lo tlrl' \\ra, at!'lt rang ', in tal1. U i · u ually nnclc>l"toocl to extend we ·twa.l'(l aln1o t~t to the 1\J ·clicirw How Rivt>r, and thu cornpl'i ·e an an•a about liO mil PH from ear;t to wt•Ht, arr tl 100 from nortl1 to BO ttth, the J,ar·am i<' rn.nge 01' Black Hill ::> forming tlw rasl(']'n b uncl:try. A · we ride on t lw mr·::; Urrouo·lr tlw plainr;, t lr!•S' lliOIIIItain::;, with th ir omparatin•ly unif'mll nntl gPHtly sloping :;iCll', Ht'l'lll for many milt\ to b •nd around, o a · to Pnelosl' Ul:i within their wallH. On lht> Houllt Rid!.' arr tht• 1\f c1ici1W Bow 1\lountain:-:, wlrirh are far mor'l' f'ornriclahle and lofty than th • other · indL•Ptl, tlrl' mngp;; this ·id • are quill' irn·gu lar antl fm•rnwnlary, and ar• knoll'n by difli•r •nt nanw , a hL'<' plrPad Monulain::-:, Elk Mountn.in 'ct ·. 1\fany of' thPHl' l<'fty ]Wn.ks and rangeH ]ran· not ret b n explored "'eolo"'ically or· gt>ographieal ly, allll tlH•HP nran· nifi <'l'nL JiPI<ls n.re ri1 <'and waitin.,. for the harve 'lor ~:>C'iPlll'e . 'l'l1e far \ Vt•st i.· va t but th • labor rs are few. Befort> pro·c•din,. w' mi.,.llf f'or :L morn!'nt tm<"e to their HOIII'CPH in b' M tlH• Ill unlains me of' thP bl'autif'ul ri vt• r· tltat winll tiH•ir way tltr·o ugh th' pla.iu~:~. \Ye hnll find to ou r Hlll'pt"i:-:t' llrat, altlJOu"·lr w • hal'(• no::; t·d a l'llii'"C of mountain. t lw hirnr lrPHt :llout..r tho..:: li1w f t l1c J·o:ttl ~ \1. (' a.J·t• ktill in th• rrreat va.lll'y of' the Plattl' in which we tar tl•cl on ou r jourlll'Y· TilE LAJ{ ,\~111~ PJ.A£NA. 'I'll main brancl1 of' th' North Platlo ri. ·p in t lH mng' of' mountain whi0h f'OJ'IIIS Lll' nortll sid of' the Mitldlu Park, Vl' I'J lll'al' r... ong' Ptak. H takes a. cours' a li LLlo w<·st of nortl1, flows through Lh • miLhll• of' liH' North Park, ·utLing its way throu•Tit irnni('IHll' callous bdWl'l'll llw North Park and th • Laramie plain·. H Llt'n c ntinues nParly a north eour::ll' throun·l1 T·rtiary a · w(•ll a · 'r•tacoous mcks to its jun ~lion with lliP • 'w<:'t \Vat •r, whl'l' • it b nd around Lo Ll1 1 east ·o that near til<· l{L·d Butt• it: eour · ~ i::> uParly southea.'t untiL it n•acht•s thP ma.iJL Plalll' 1war· lorwitudo 10l0 • Tlt • .'wpot \ValL'I', wlli ·lr i · tlr • prin ·ipal bmneh of' till· Nort.l1 PlatLP ri ses in tho soulhpr·n end of' Lit• \\' i11d Rivt•r· Mou11lain s, and flow · ll!'arly past and unilt' · with lh North Platte near llld!'j)Pildt• rHw. The ·o :;Lrearns flow throun· lt lll'arly •v(• r·y var·iety of n· •o]oo·iral f'orrna lion:; whieh occ nrs in tho \Yo ·t. FrOIII Llw junction or Lit' 'Wl'l'L \\'akr lo th(• H. ·d BuLtt•ti, iL 11ows Un·otwh •··r·anitl' muho11ir •ron lilltl'slone, n•d b •d:-:, .Jurassic marls, a11d \Vhilc H.ivt•r Tertiary lwtl ·, and fr 111 tlrt• R •d Bulk:-<, thi'Ouglr Lig11ite 'L't•rtiary Lo a p oint about JOO mil • · IIOI'lltwP:;t of' l ~orl Lararrri •. 'I'IH·n· Llw \V 1r ito Hi V(' l' 'l'l' rtiary bed · ovt•rla p t h 1 Li "'IIi ll' 'l'vrliary, and I liP II ·onlinue lo Lh • f'orl< · of' tlr • Platte. Tho Mt•di<'irw Bow n.nd th • two Laramie::> arc irnpol'!an t bmrrl'lit•s of Uw North Plath•, and tai<L' tlr ·ir ris in th lolly HllOW-l':t]lp<'d rn ountain: on Ut' nortll :;ill· or tho L:tl'allli ' plains. 'I'll(' n·gion norllt of (II!! .Norllt P lalto i · mostly a vaHt sagt' plain and huL fpw Hlllall bran ·lies flow in rrom that clir • ·Lio 11, bnt a trllliLilud • or :mall :;trl':tiiiH l'llt U<'('P ehatllt<' l t-~ thr·ou "'h th • idl'H of tlw Lamrllie range arHL flow into Ll1e Norllt Plallv. From Rl'd ButlPS to l<'ort Laramil', a di tan<· • of JfiO ruii Pt-~, 111any beautiful liltiP Hln•all l ri HL' in th > LamrniP and pour· a good volulllc or w:LLPI' into Ll1 ' Platt . 'l'h • '<' .,. , •k · oceru· c•vp ry few llliil' ·, n.lld in lht•ir pa 'Bage from the niOU itlain th •y have not only worn a (L • •p ·lmnllel in the teep sid I or Uw lTIOlllltain, som<'tinres I ,000 f!•vt I' nror' ill depth, b ut they lia.vo al. •o HCOOp<•<l out a. widl', dl'OJl vaii <'y, wliiclr afl(>rd :; llll' b est of' 1)a.stur ' er r· und. for ·tock in surttm >r alld warm, :;It •Uc•r •cl plac •s ill winter. The main branch or tlw outh PlaLL \ ri H!'S ill tlro ran ()'' of m untairrs which boumls tlrl' w :;t ·ide of the OLtlh Park and Jlow · about nortiH'ast to ach a ]a Poudr<·, ~l.lld tlr J' b 1lldtil' UIIU ::>ligltlly toward tlr > ('3. ·t Hlld j oins tlP main Platt'· Th , little branch • · that ilow from the mounlaiu 10 |