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Show 80 lW KY ~IOt l NTAf N , ENEHY. Ev<•n up to tlt • pre <' llllitll <' it i ~ i11v~·stn d with mueh ob::;e 111:ity. Probahly 110 roekH oldPt' t ltnll UrelacPO IIH or 'l'ntiat·y o '<J ill'; 1>11 t til l' lwll:,; an· ~o ·ompliml<•tl by lite f'orc<'H tlml l1a v • PI v.alctl t l'.~' nl'ig lt boring lliOIIlllain mng<'K, that it is tlifli ·ult to lllli':LV<'I 1. 11<•11' rPlattoHS. Soon nJl1•r 1 '<tvillg 'arbo11, we pas tllrougli ·ev<•ml ClltH wl1i ·II Hliow lht• stmta, ·omelin1 '" i11 ·lillillg- IW<ll'ly wl'sl, ntHl soo 11 again i11 ll1l' oppo:-; i t<· dit'l'l'lio 11. \Vu '<'<' Ill to h<' continually pa.!-lHillp; :t('rOHt! a Hl' l'i!'H ol' anli('linnl a111l synclinal axl's. ,Ju st lwf'on• t'<•a(' liiug the Nod II PiaU<' H.iv<' l' W<' pas,.; nlo11g tile v:LII<'Y of' Olll' ol' lil <' n1osL l'l' tllarkablo allti('lillah.; ill tl~t• \\'pst. () 11 t•itli <•r ·id <• of' t ile road, I Ii <' r11 sly gray S:tllllH a11<l i:ialld::;l ou<'·' in (' lill <' :11 an angle of' 10° to l o0 • Till' t~ lrata ri sl' lik> wal l · on both f:l id<"s lo t 111 · li l' i,·ltt of' 700 or 800 I'('Pt ill p;rud uaL('d ridg<·s or slpp s. I l1aVP h<•<•n M inl'oniH'cl that thin 1>t·dH ol' eoal li al'l' b<'<'tl <li i:!CO V!'t'('(l within a l'ew n1iiPs ol' l•'o rt ._' l<•Pl<'; il' this bl' HO, til< •.)' ttiii SL oeC III' l1i p;l1 11p on thu !'l lllllnlits of' t.li<·Ho ridgt•s. Nt•:t l' the bri dg<• Ol'<' l' IIi <' North Plall<', tl H· bl:tl'k plaHi ie elrtyl:! of' the Jow<' t' Ut·Pt:te<•ous nr<' di sl illdly H<'<' ll, but f'ollowing 11p til l' <•xposl'd <'<l g<'. of' (lie illclitH•d rhl g<'H, ll'l' fi11d an y:>l<• t· <tll<l an ln Ol'<'I':LIIIIIH whi<'l1 at'<' p0c ulinr to lit<· uppl' t' Crl'l:t<'<'O ll l>L•<ls. Passing II]> Hlill hig lwr, w • ·hall di s<"on•r th in lnycrl:! ltl:td<' up wl1olly of' a small spl'eil's of Oys(pr whil'h i:ll't' niS io b <"lmradniHiil' of' what J n·ga.nl :tH t ran sition or h<'d~ of' pa;;r-;ago botw<'<'ll Lhe r-;tridly n1 ari n<' H<'llitlll'llh; o f' Lh<• 0 rl'1:tl' t'O ll i'l t•rH , :uu l lhu bmcl· iHh and the f'rl.'sh 11'111<-t· wlii eh cl 1araeleriz' t il t' 'l'Prliary J>l' l'i od. \V• (':til S<'O lll'l'<' a mat·k<•<l in s lnn et~ of a vall l'y o f' l'l'Osion or a long natuml OJWning, as if' pt·t•pat'(•d in ag<'l:! pa:.;t for Llio pal:!!-lagp of' lh <• road. \Vp ·an rl'f'l ocl with what l' Ol KI' eo t11paraLi v<·ly, it l1a .· l>L'l' ll eonstrud<·d ::tl'I'OSi:l what would · '<'lll to 1H• nn intpn.HH:tblc eonnlry, l 1y following l l1o water co urses ancl tlu•ir vall ('.)' i:l of' L' ro:,;ion , adlllit·inon · llil' ll l' l',".',. )' and <·on-summn, Lc ·kill of tlL etwi ll l'L' rs who iirHL Jocal<• l tit • r oad through tlii ~:> wild aud rug"'t'd J'l'gion. \V have not alluclt•d to tlte seum·ry in tlli: vkinity from t l1o fad , tlint to tho ordi nary tntvcll'r then• i · liltll' tlmL i · n.tlmctivo. 'l'o t110st ]H' rHO II i'l the whole ·otmtry wo11ld app<•ar like a ba.no11 wast'. B ut if' wo l ook far away ·outhward towat"Cl lh<· SO III't;'i:l of llt<' Not· th Platt<• in tho N orlh P:trk, we ·lmll B<' • som forty rang<'!:! of 111011t1 tain witlt ]Wak~:~ that l oolll 11p in solitary gmnd ' Ill'. Blk ~ l o un ta in is a 110tl'd landnt:tl'k, an<l <'<' 111 1:! to l'i f!<' out of tho plain as if it was an i sol:tLl'd 1wa.k. )L i ·, however, a portion or th \ M •eli ·in' Bow mng<', partially ·ut off' fl'Oill th llOr t ht•rn WE. TWA ltD '1'0 lll~ AI~ HIVI.;it. 87 r n<l . Tt i ~; Slll'l'OtliHll·cl by rolling pntil'ie wlii('h i f! covered till• g t'<':tl<·t· portions of tho y par witl1 t:!p lentlid gmsf:l. lfpn ·o all tl11• rivt•r vall <'ys in tfliH portion Of' Lho HIOIIntain f:l Jill.V ' 1Wmt ll(llt•d pf:l.l'I'S for p;ltllll' or all kind s, al:! Plk, tl<' r, mountain h<·<•p, el e. J<'abul ouf:l .tori <"<' are ai Ho t.ol<l or th t• lllilll'l:! Of gold :tlHl r;if Vl:' l' whi1·h liaVO b 'l'n di S('OVl' l'l'ti. J\ s y<'t tho g<•o fop;y i fi(lfe kn Wll. 'l'h<• SideH or t iH' '' HIOIIIilaillH ttn• COV<' I'l'd with d<•nso f'o1·c•: tH of' pi tH•, sprneo atl(l li <'11llod ; and during thP eonHirndion or tl1 ' railt·oad , t fiOIIS:tnrlH of li <•f:l WOrO ll o:tt<•d down t hl' hl'atll\fll •H of' l ito N orth Platt<' into till· n1ain H( l'l'atn antl t h<•ne<' takPn to lhl'ir tlPslination. 'l'hP littl<' Htn•atlls Umt llow f'I'Oill tiLl' mounln.im; have in many p la<·t·H quit broad v: LII P)'H, whi ch afl'ortl an abnntlaneo o f' hay and ]1asltll':tg<· ro1· all kind ,; or anintal H, wild :wtl tlomP -tic. '1'!1 wild animal fl of't< ·n <l<•s<'<'lld into Llw lwa11Lif'11l g rassy botlomH to r< 'l'<l in l:trrro henl H, a11tl aL til l' l< •:tst apwoacl1 or dancrl' t', reLit'<' to the almost illact:l'SHi bl rn.vitws and gorg<'H of' tiH• lllOlllllaiii S. 'I'lL<• b ig fl 01'11 1 01' 'IIIOIIIltain Hll l'l'p, lll:t..)' ofll'll lW Hl'l'll in lloekH, Jl<'<' l'ing f'rom som<·mountain pPak 11])()n Lite tmvl'l<•r 1w low. Jo:al'ly in t il l' III Ornitw, th 'HO animals des<'<' tH.I into t it· vaii<'YH to c:rop thn 111oist gt':'Lf:ls, h 11L tluri11g Ill<' g rl'at<•r podion or Llll' day till ')' will hi' f'ound , il' di H<'OVPI'l'd at all , tqJOn tfH• lli O:>t j)l'('GipitotiH l'l'ap;H :tnd rid "<' or t flp IIIOIIn tain . 'l'IH• littl t• i:lh'<'ltnl f:l ure full of fino II·ont, whi nlt are Pasily <·aug ht , tli<•y not having l<·a l'll l< l as y<'t Lhl' Gllnltin n· arlH of SPII'-protl' ·Lion, likl' tll l'ir casll't'll rl' lati vPH. 'I'IH· • mvin<~:> ancl ~O t'g<'S afford n10st <'x <·elll'n t sht·lt<·l·, hotl1 l'or Indians and n11inml ·, cl nring th • coill Hl':tl:lon or winlt•t·. 'l'he l'lm; • proximity or tlliH clolig lill'ul n•gion to t he• railroad, Hill 't lll:t.k ' it a dl•sir:tbfo pia('(' of' n•f:lort l'or sportHm<•n dul'ing tlto s11mnu•r . 'l'li l' l' is anotli ,,. inl L' ~:~tit w f'eatnr conn<• ·tNl with th ' North Platte and i t,; t ributari\·1:!, as we'll a with mo,tof' tho n1 o11n tain strPams, to whirl1 [ woul (l eall th ntknlion of th inq11irinrr tmvl'll'r ; and that i , tl1e abllll· clant Hirrns of tl1 exiHten ·c ol' that mo.·t sagaeiouH ani111al t ho l.)('avl'I'. Tlw · mountain stJ·p:wt:,; c •m to ahoutHl with th em at tlto p t'l'l:!ent tinu•, and t.lwit· dam arc Vl' I'Y nunt c t·o n ~:~, 11 t unft·<'qll \'nt ly J) l'Ocl ll<'ing a ris • of the waLc1·, t ln·e to Jive fpet. Rx •n ive dam!:! ancl pond!:! are eau s<·tl by t hL•Ro intlu st ri ouH animal , ancl somotirn •s qui t<• lltl'g<' a.r •as in t ho vall<•y :'Lt' • ovortl o ~V('d, l'<'nd •l'ing th cro sinrr di ffi cult and clang.,. us. 'l'ill'Y om tim 'B strip ff th n 11al frill " of cotton wood an cl wil low al ong th trenms o ·ompl t<"ly, tlmt tht>y al' oblig<'d to pmi<rt·at to · tTl ' otl1er l ocality t · •cu.1· food and mat •rials to r •pair th ir clam . |