USA > Montana > Yellowstone County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 41
USA > Montana > Park County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 41
USA > Montana > Dawson County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 41
USA > Montana > Rosebud County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 41
USA > Montana > Custer County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 41
USA > Montana > Sweet Grass County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 41
USA > Montana > Carbon County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 41
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District No. 2 .- All of Carbon county east of Clark's Fork river between Bluewater creek and township line between townships 7 and 8, west of the summit of the divide between Clark's Fork river and Sage creek except the ranch of C. N. Norton.
District No. 3 .- All of Carbon county east of the divide between Sage creek and Clark's Fork river.
District No. 4 .- Township 6, range 22, east and all of township 7. range 22, east, lying on west side of Clark's Fork river, and all of township 6, range 23 east, lying on west side of Clark's Fork river, and all of sections 32, 31. 30, 29, 21, 20, 19, 16, 17, 18, township 5, range 23, east, lying on the west side of Clark's Fork river, and also ranch of C. N. Norton situated on east side of Clark's Fork river.
District No. 5 .- All of Carbon county east of Clark's Fork river and north of Bluewater creek and townships 3 and 4, range 23. east,
245
HISTORY OF CARBON COUNTY.
and all of sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, town- ship 5, range 23, east, lying on the west side of Clark's Fork river.
District No. 6 .- All of townships 8 and 9, ranges 21 and 22, east.
District No. 7 .- All of township 4, south range 22, east.
District No. 8 .- All of Carbon county be- tween west fork of Red Lodge creek and district number 1, lying south of the old Blake line.
District No. 9 .- Commencing in Under- wood Gulch where Blake's line crosses said gulch, following down Underwood Gulch to Red Lodge creek, and down said creek to the mouth of Willow creek: from mouth of Wil- low creek running due east to the summit of the divide between Willow and Rock creeks. following summit of the divide between Wil- low and Rock creeks in a southerly direction to the Blake line, following Blake line west to the starting point.
District No. 10 .- Commencing at the northeast corner of David Lay's ranch on Vol- ney creek, thence running west to Butcher creek, and up Butcher creek to north line of E. C. Russell's ranch ; thence following north line of said ranch east to east line of said ranch, running south along east line of said ranches owned by E. C. Russell and Michael Murray to the south line of Murray's ranch ; thence running along said south line of Mur- ray's ranch west to Butcher creek, thence fol- lowing said creek south to mountains, follow- ing along the foot of the mountains east to head of Underwood Gulch; thence down Un- derwood Gulch to the house of Jacob Durst. and from Durst house went to starting point.
District No. 11 .- Commencing at the head of Butcher creek at foot of mountains; thence running west to the East Rosebud creek to cen- ter of township 5. range 18, east ; thence east to Butcher creek, and up Butcher creek to starting point,including ranches of E. C. Rus- sell and Michael Murray.
District No. 12-Commencing at the inter- section of the west line of Carbon county with Stillwater river. thence running east to the summit of the divide between Stillwater river and Fishtail creek; thence running north on said divide to the head of Midnight creek, and down Midnight creek to Stillwater river; thence up Stillwater river to ,starting point.
District No. 13 .- Beginning at the north- east corner of section 28, township 4. south range 18. east ; thence west six miles ; thence south to Fiddler creek ; thence east six miles; thence north to starting point.
District No. 14 .- All of the country be- tween West Rosebud creek and Stillwater river below mouth of Fishtail creek.
District No. 15 .- All of townships 2 and 3 in range 20, east. that are in Carbon county and all of township 3, range 19, east, lying in Carbon county.
District No. 16 .- All of Carbon county be- tween the East and West Rosebud rivers not included in district No. 13.
District No. 17 .- Township 4, south range 19. east, and all of township 4. south range 18, east, that lies east of Rosebud river.
District No. 18 .- All of the territory be- tween Stillwater river and West Rosebud river that is not included in districts 14. 13 and 12.
The reports and most of the records of the county superintendents of schools were de- stroyed in the fire of 1889 when the court house was burned to the ground. From the state superintendent's report of 1898 the fol- lowing data was secured :
Total amount of money received for school purposes, $13.734.94 : amount on hand at end of fiscal year, $742.31 ; census, male 761. fe- male, 735: number of teachers employed, 38; average salary of teachers, male $52.66, fe- male $41.50; average attendance, 1,027; num- ber of school houses, 29; value of school houses and grounds, $14.160.
MIRS. M. A. KEARNS, County Supt.
246
HISTORY OF CARBON COUNTY.
The report of the county superintendent for the year 1900 is as follows :
Census, male, 1,160, female, 1,028; en- rollment, 1,509; average daily attendance, 812; number of teachers, 50; average salary of teachers, male, $60, female, $42.75; number of school houses, 39 ; new school houses, 10; value of school houses and grounds, $23,720; total amount apportioned for year, $31,103.13: amount on hand at end of year, $1,896.75.
MISS MARTHA DILWORTH, County Supt. Following is the report for the year 1902:
Census, male, 1,255, female, 1,148 : enroll- ment, 1,855; average daily attendance, 796; average salary of teachers, male, $76, female, $41.28; number of school houses, 44; value of schoolhouses and grounds, $26,842; total amount of money collected for school purposes, $32,479.32 ; amount on hand at end of year, $4,086.50.
MISS MARTHA DILWORTH, County Supt.
The report of County Superintendent Miss Agnes B. Ross for the year 1903 is as follows :
Census, male, 1.355, female, 1,208; enroll- ment, 1,685; average daily attendance, 902; number of school houses, 47; value of school houses and grounds. $36,548 ; amount collected for school purposes, $33,140.83; amount on hand at end of year, $4.949.94.
The report for the year 1905 shows a de- cided increase in nearly every item as fol- lows :
Census, male, 1.371, female, 1,237 ; enroll- ment. 1,614; average daily attendance. 1.152; number of school houses, 49; value of school houses and grounds, $39,278 ; number of teach- ers employed. 64: total amount collected for school purposes, $44.725.53 ; amount on hand at end of year, $9,113.86.
MISS AGNES B. Ross, County Supt.
The school report for 1905 shows an in- crease in the census, but a decrease in the num11- Ler enrolled and the average daily attendance. This year is notable in that it marks the pass- ing of the log school houses in all parts of the
county, and now all buildings are frame or brick. The report is as follows :
Census, male, 1,505, female, 1,307 ; enroll- ment, 1,418; average daily attendance, 883; number of school houses, 51 ; value of school houses and grounds, $70,147; amount of money collected for school purposes, $52,- 988.46; amount on hand at end of year, $18,- 970.16.
MISS AGNES B. Ross, County Supt.
There are 50 school districts in the county and 53 school houses where school is main- tained during the school year. Districts 45-46 have been consolidated and also districts 30 and 31 at Fromberg where a central school will be held. At Joliet and Gebo nine grades have been taught for several years and at Bridger two years of the high school work has been taken up. At Red Lodge the full three years high school course has been taught since the completion of the brick high school building in 1899. A new ward school house was built in Red Lodge last year at a cost of $7,500 and the present enrollment in the Red Lodge schools is 684.
In April, 1905, an election was held for the purpose of deciding the question of a free county high school which carried by a vote of 1,238 to 1,148, a majority of 90. The high school was organized and the upper floors of the Red Lodge high school building were se- cured in which to hold school. The enroll- ment during the first year of the school's ex- istence was 60 and a material increase is ex- pected during the coming year. A good corps of teachers, a superintendent and two assistants, were secured and already the school has been placed on the accredited list. that is, any grad- uate of Carbon county free high schools is entitled to enter the collegiate department of any of the state institutions of higher learn- ing.
The curriculum of the school contains three distinct courses, the classical, English and
2.47
HISTORY OF CARBON COUNTY.
commercial. The equipment of the school comprises a goodly supply of physical appar- atus and many useful reference books.
The present county high school board
consists of D. G. O'Shea, A. E. Flager, J. Mushbach, W. J. Crismas, and Miss Agnes B. Ross, county superintendent, ex-officio mem- i ber of the board.
CHAPTER V
POLITICAL.
The enabling act creating the county of Carbon provided for the officers of the new county. Those named in the bill to fill the different officers and who afterward qualified were : Alvin A. Ellis, Orville E. Millis, and Robert C. Beattie, county commissioners ; Thomas Hogan, sheriff ; Charles E. Bowlen. treasurer; Edward J. McLean, county clerk and recorder; Henry G. Province, assessor ; George W. Pierson, county attorney ; Henry G. Newkirk, clerk district court; Lizzie Mc- Donald, county school superintendent ; J. H. | Johnson, coroner; Gilbert Patterson, public administrator; Charles Printz, county sur- veyor. The above named officers were to hold office until their successors should be elected and qualified at the next general election to be held in November, 1896.
About the middle of March, 1895, these officials took the oaths of office and on the first of April entered upon the discharge of their duties. The building formerly occupied by the firm of J. H. Conrad & Co., was secured and fitted up for a court house. The county was divided into twelve election precincts-Rock- vale, Joliet, Bridger Crossing, Reno, Merritt & Roberts, East Red Lodge, West Red Lodge, Jackson, Fishtail. Morris, Absarokee, and Bowler precincts. For the first general elec- tion in which Carbon county as a separate po-
litical division participated, held November 3, 1896, the election officials and their precincts were as follows :
Rockvale precinct, Roy Nutting, R. H.Ter- rell and R. Dunn, judges; Joliet precinct, J. Jacoby, H. Scovel, and A. Black, judges; Bridger Crossing precinct, A. E. Parker, G. H. Premo, and F. Duffield, judges; Reno pre- cinct, A. Youst, C. Brewer and Nathan Chance, judges; Merritt & Roberts precinct, John Kerrigan, Henry Chapman and W. R. Crockett, judges; East Red Lodge precinct, R. L. Davis, John Rose and E. E. Esselstyn, judges ; West Red Lodge precinct, J. A. Vir- tue, F. W. Draper, George Toff, judges ; Jackson precinct, Anthony Thiel, T. E. Duell, Ed. Doty, judges; Fishtail precinct, Osmand Anderson, R. McDonald, Sam Webb, judges; Morris, Tim George, Wm. Dell, Thomas Jones, judges ; Absarokee, B. W. Barlow, S. J. Westcott, S. T. Simonson, judges ; Bowler pre- cinct, John Bowler, J. A. King, J. H. Graham, judges.
The election returns of the election held November 3, 1896, show that 1167 votes were cast for the different candidates and the re- sult of the election was as follows :
Mckinley electors, rep .. 363; Bryan elect- ors, dem., 740.
248
HISTORY OF CARBON COUNTY.
For Congress-Charles S. Hartman, silver rep .. 591 ; O. F. Goddard, rep .. 315.
For Governor-Alexander C. Botkin, rep., 409; Robert B. Smith, dem. and pop., 667.
For State Senator-C. C. Bowlen, dem., 682: John G. Clark, rep., 244; H. J. Arm- strong, ind., 103.
For Representative-James J. Hart, dem., 623; E. E. Lightfoot, rep., 355.
7
For Judge 6th. District-Frank Henry, rep., 657.
For Clerk of District Court-J. E. Mush- bach, dem., 606; Charles W. Pratt, rep., 227 ; R. A. Martin, ind., 144.
For County Commissioners-W. F. Tink- com, dem., 569; John Mulkerin, dem., 409; Harry Duffield, dem., 618; J. H. Johnson, rep .. 355; E. H. Bowen, rep., 292; L. P. Sickler, rep .. 307: J. N. Tolman, ind .. 106; R. O. Morris, ind., 149; Sam Young. ind., 113.
For County Attorney-L. B. Reno, dem., 473; George W. Pierson, rep .. 278; George H. Bailey, ind., 284.
For County Clerk and Recorder-E. J. McLean, dem., 616; J. H. Burnside, rep .. 415.
For sheriff-John Dunn, dem., 441: R. S. Chappell, rep., 308; Thomas Hogan, ind .. 323
For Treasurer-W. A. Talmage. dem .. 564: George J. Jackson, rep .. 478.
For Assessor-H. C. Jewett, dem., 485 : George B. Stevenson, rep., 544.
For Public Administrator-Gilbert Patter- son, dem .. 498: W. H. Close, rep., 437.
For Coroner-M. B. Dutton, dem., 502 ; Henry Williams, rep .. 414.
For Superintendent of Schools-Mrs. M. A. Kearns, dem .. 707 ; Mrs. A. H. Davis, rep .. 336.
For County Surveyor-David Lay. dem .. 612: Fred W. Hine. rep .. 268; Charles E. Prinz, ind., 122.
The result of the vote to select a permanent county seat was as follows :
Red
No. Precinct.
Joliet Lodge
I Rockdale
62
2
2 Joliet
76
2
3 Bridger Crossing
25 IO
4
Reno Ranch
I 18
5 Roberts
15
31
6
East Red Lodge
6
350
West Red Lodge.
8
191
8
Jackson
4
46
9 Fishtail
19
I
IO Morris
7
26
II Absarokee
62
IO
12 Bowler
22
O
Total
307
687
There were three tickets in the field in the general election of 1898. Following is the result of the vote :
For Congress-A. J. Campbell, dem., 447 ; T. C. Marshall, rep., 432; Thomas Hogan, sil. rep., 198.
For Representatives-J. H. Johnson, dem., 675 : E. C. Russell, rep., 471.
For Sheriff-John Dunn, dem., 648; Wm. Larkin, rep .. 384; Thomas Hogan, sil. rep., 160.
For Treasurer-R. L. Davis, dem., 613; M. W. Potter, rep., 384; C. B. Clark, sil. rep., 35.
For Clerk and Recorder-E. J. McLean, dem., 629: John McCullough, rep., 521 ; T. C. Benbow, silver-rep., 112.
For Assessor-Henry Rosetta, dem., 484; H. C. Province, rep., 471 ; F. S. Dunham, sil- ver-rep .. 198.
For County Attorney-L. B. Reno, dem., 522: George H. Bailey, rep., 433; George W. Pierson, silver rep., 21I.
For Superintendent of Schools -: Catherine E. Feeley, dem .. 712; E. C. McAdden, rep .. 417.
For Coroner-M. B. Dutton, dem., 498;
249
HISTORY OF CARBON COUNTY.
B. B. Kelley, rep., 508; Lewis Schank, silver- rep., 117.
For Public Administrator-E. B. Chat- field, dem., 495; Wm. N. Hunter, rep., 520; Joseph McAnelly, silver-rep., 96.
For County Surveyor-D. F. Lay, dem., 525; M. G. Swan, rep., 512; J. C. Blanding, silver-rep., 102.
At the presidential election of November 6, 1900, the Carbon county vote was divided as follows :
For Republican electors, Mckinley-900; Democratic electors, Bryan, 875; Socialist- Democrat, 24; Prohibition, I.
For Congress-C. F. Kelly, ind. dem., 257; S. G. Murray, rep., 828; Caldwell Edwards, fus., 677 : M. J. Elliot, soc. dem., 17.
For Governor-Thomas S. Hogan, ind. dem .. 276; David Folsom, rep., 811; J. K. Toole, fus., 741 ; J. F. Fox, soc. dem., 18.
For State Senator-Wm. A. Talmage, ind. dem., 325; W. F. Meyer, rep., 826; R. A. Em- mons, fus., 702.
For Representatives-S. F. Simonson, ind. dem., 244: C. H. Gregory, rep., 830; T. F. Polland, fus., 729.
For Sheriff-John Dunn, ind. dem., 447; M. W. Potter, rep., 784: James Dougherty. fus., 643.
For Treasurer-George Pryde. ind. dem., 243: C. E. Wright, rep., 916; W. J. Deegan, fus., 633.
For Clerk and Recorder-V. H. Beeman, ind. dem., 263; Jesse Smith, rep .. 814: David Spears, fus., 654.
For Clerk of District Court-J. E. Mush- bach, ind. dem .. 414; E. E. Esselstyn, rep., 834: A. N. Whittington, fus., 575.
For Assessor-John Ray. Sr .. ind. dem .. 278: W. R. Crockett, rep .. 865: Henry Ros- etta, fus., 655.
For County Attorney-L. O. Casswell, rep .. 969 ; L. B. Reno, dem., 723.
For Superintendent of Schools-Miss Catherine A. Feeley, ind. dem., 339; Miss
Martha Dilworth, rep., 761 ; Mrs. S. Francis Cochrane, fus., 687.
For Coroner-M. B. Dutton, ind. dem., 246; B. B. Kelly, rep., 852; Rees Davis, fus., 621.
For County Commissioners-W. F. Tink- com, ind. dem., 336; Boone K. Fisher, ind. dem., 272; Harry Duffield, ind. dem., 376; W. B. Nutting, rep., 848; H. J. Smith, rep., 775; J. J. Frank, rep., 701 ; C. C. Bolen, fus., 695; John Flannigan, fus., 616; C. B. Clark, fus., 559.
For County Surveyor-George I. Lamport, ind. dem., 344; F. W. Hine, rep., 788; David Lay, fus., 631.
For Public Administrator-John McKee- vor, ind. dem., 245; David Smithurst, rep., 823; B. Rydberg, fus., 623.
The result of the election held November 7, 1902, in Carbon county was as follows :
For Congress-Joseph M. Dixon, rep., 756; John M. Evans, dem., 496; George B. Sproule, soc., 29; Martin Dee, lab., 196.
For Representatives-J. N. Tolman, rep., 623; W. J. Crisman, dem., 544; Alex Fair- grieve, lab., 395.
For Sheriff-M. W. Potter, rep., 818; John Dunn, dem., 656; John Bergen, lab., 149.
For Treasurer-Charles E. Wright, rep., 753; R. L. Davis, dem., 646; John Penland, lab., 162.
For Clerk and Recorder-Jesse L Smith, rep., 664; G. L. Finley, dem., 695 ; George M. Jones, lab., 205.
For Assessor-W. R. Crockell, rep., 623; M. B. Dusinbere, dem., 603; Daniel McIntosh, lab., 314.
For County Attorney-F. C. Woodward, rep., 640: L. B. Reno, dem., 640; J. H. Ruber- son, lab., 278. F. C. Woodward won on the recount but did not qualify and L. O. Casswell held over.
For Superintendent of Schools-Martha Dilworth, rep .. 570: Agnes B. Ross, dem .. 767 ; Francis Cochrane, lab .. 228.
250
HISTORY OF CARBON COUNTY.
For Surveyor-F. W. Hine, rep., 803; M. WV. Dickey, dem., 715.
For Coroner-J. A. Underwood, rep., 703 ; E. H. Baldwin, dem., 563; B. Rydberg, lab., 198.
At the election of November 8, 1904, nearly two thousand votes were cast in Carbon county and were divided as follows :
For Republican electors, Roosevelt, 1,100; Democratic electors, Parker, 464; Socialist electors, Debs, 304.
For Congress-Austin Gormley, dem .. 581; Joseph M. Dixon, rep., 1,048; John H. Walsh, soc., 323.
For Governor-J. K. Toole, dem., 812; Wm. Lindsay, rep., 879; M. G. O'Malley, soc., 299.
For State Senator-S. H. Glidden, dem , 867; W. F. Meyer, rep., 792; John L. Mar- gott. soc., 372.
For Representative-E. Huntington, den .. 747; John McCullough, rep., 746; Alex Fair- grieve, soc., 470.
For treasurer-Wm. Woods, dem .. 906; J. W. Johnston, rep., 686; Thomas Northey, soc .. 402.
For Clerk and Recorder-G. L. Finley, dem .. 951 ; J. F. Rich, rep., 645; B. F. Woms- ley, soc., 358.
For Clerk District Court-R. L. Davis, dem .. 729: E. E. Esselstyn, rep., 973: Jay E. Smith, soc., 273.
For Sheriff-F. S. Bacheldor, dem., 735; M. W. Potter, rep., 849; Joseph Spray, soc .. 465.
For Assessor-John Normile, dem., 879; Swan Youngstrom, rep., 759: Guy D. Moore, soc., 332.
For County Attorney-Sydney Fox, dem., I,III ; George W. Burke, soc., 558.
For Superintendent of Schools-Agnes B. Ross, dem., 859; Jessie Imboden, rep., 780; Belle Griffith, soc., 323.
For Surveyor-F. W. Hine, rep., 1.049; David Lay, dem., 622.
For Coroner-E. F. Lutz, dem., 644; J. A. Underwood, rep., 807; W. H. Allen, soc., 440.
For Public Administrator, E. A. Baldwin, dem., 624; E. B. Ames, rep., 834; B. Ryde- berg, soc., 407.
At the special election held on April 14, 1906, held for the purpose of deciding whether or not Carbon county should adopt the pri- mary election law, the measure was lost by a vote of 284 for the measure to 483 against its adoption.
From the foregoing record it will be seen that the people of Carbon county are not par- tisan and party lines are not closely drawn in the selection of officers to manage the affairs of the county. Good men have always been selected and the people of the county have been fortunate in that no one elected to office in this county has every betrayed his public trust.
PART V YELLOWSTONE COUNTY
CHAPTER I
EARLY EXPLORATION-1743 TO 1863.
When, early in the year 1883, the people of the western part of Custer county asked the legislature to divide the county and create a new political division with the new town of Billings as the county seat, the question of a name for the new county arose. Two names were suggested-Yellowstone and Billings. After a somewhat wordy debate between the adherents of the two names, the former was selected, and the word "Yellowstone" became perpetuated in the name of a county, as it had already been in the name of a river, a valley, a national park, a town *. a canyon, a falls, and numerous other things.
The name was originally applied to the river, that great stream of water which rises in the high mountains way to the south of the national park, flows in a northerly direction though Yellowstone lake and on to the great bend at the city of Livingston, and then changes its course to the east and northeast and flows for several hundred miles to its junc- tion with the Missouri. The derivation of the name is an interesting study, and before
taking up the history of the county in the chronological order of events we shall tell how the word "Yellowstone," as applied to the river, came into existence.
When Lewis and Clark, early in the spring of 1805, set out on their westward journey after having spent the winter among the Man- dan Indians of North Dakota, they sent back a report to President Thomas Jefferson, to- gether with a map of the western country, based on information received from the In- dians. In that report and on that map the famous explorers used the words "Yellow Stone" as the name of the principal tributary of the Missouri, undoubtedly the first time the name ever appeared on an official docu- mient.
But Lewis and Clark did not originate the name, nor were they the first to actually call the stream by that name. David Thompson, the celebrated explorer and geographer. who was identified with the British fur trade in the northwest for so many years, was among the Mandan Indians on the Missouri river from December 29. 1797. to January 10, 1798. While there he obtained data from the Indians, from which he estimated the latitude and lon-
*Yellowstone City was the name of a mining camp in Emigrant Gulch (in the present Park County), founded in 1864, which had a few years' existence.
252
HISTORY OF YELLOWSTONE COUNTY.
gitnde of the source of the Yellowstone. In his original manuscript and field notes are to be found the words "Yellow Stone," in the same form as used by Lewis and Clark in 1805. Concerning the evolution of the name as we now know it, H. C. Chittenden in his excellent history of the Yellowstone National Park, says:
Neither Thompson nor Lewis and Clark were orig- inators of the name. They gave us only the English translation of a name already long in use. "This river." say Lewis and Clark, in their journal for the day of their arrival at the mouth of the now noted stream, "had been known to the French as the Roche Faune, or. as we have called it, the Yellow Stone." The French name was, in fact. already firmly established among the traders and trappers of the Northwest Fur company when Lewis and Clark met them among the Mandans. Even by the members of the expedition it seems to have heen more generally used than the new English form ; and the spellings, "Rejone," Rejhone." "Rochejone." "Rochejohn," and "Rochejhone," are among their var- ious attempts to render orthographically the French pronunciation.
Probably the name would have been adopted un- changed, as so many other French names in our geog- raphy have been, except for the recent cecession of Louisiana to the United States. The policy which led the government promptly to explore, and take formal possession of it, its extensive acquisition, led it also. as part of the process of rapid Americanization, to give English names to all of the prominent geographical features. In the case of the name here under consider- ation this was not an easy matter. The French form had already obtained wide currency. and it was re- luctantly set aside for its less familiar translation. As late as 1817, it still appeared in newly English printed books, while among the traders and trappers of the mountain, it survived to a much later period.
By whom the name Roche Jaune, or its equivalent form, Pierre Jaune, was first used, it would be ex- tremely interesting to know: but it is impossible to determine at this late day. Like their successor "Yel- low-stone," these names are not originals, but only translations. The Indian tribes along the Yellow- -tone and upper Missouri rivers had names for the trib- mary stream signifying "Yellow rock." and the French land doubtless adopted them long before any of their timber saw the stream itself.
It thus appears that the name, which now has be- come so celebrated, descends to us, through two trans- lations, from those native races whose immemorial dwelling place had been along the stream which it de- scribes. What it was that led them to use the name is easily discoverable, Seventy-five miles below the ultimate
source of the river lies the Grand Canyon of the Yel- lowstone, distinguished among the notable canyons of the globe by the marvelous coloring of its walls. Con- spicuous among its innumerable tints is yellow. Every shade, from a brilliant plumage of the yellow bird to the saffron of the orange, greets the eye in bewild- ering profusion. There is indeed other color, unparal- leled in variety and abundance, but the ever-present background of all is the beautiful fifth color of the spectrum.
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