ove the sea, was exhilarating. From Salt Lake City we returned
to Ogden, and on, or about, the 1st of August took passage on the
Utah Northern railroad. Our route lay along the Beaver River,
passing Eagle Rock, thence through Beaver Canon into Idaho, thence
through a mountainous range, at about an elevation of 6,800 feet,
into Montana as far as the frontier town of Dillon. There we left
the cars and took wagons to Virginia City, Montana, where we were
to meet our military escort and arrange for horses and mules to
carry us and our camp outfit into the park.

Our drive from Dillon to Virginia City was very picturesque, skirting
the Ruby mountains and crossing the Stinking Water River. Virginia
City was at one time the center and thriving business place of the
large population that was drawn to that valley by the very rich
placer gold mines there, discovered between 1865 and 1870. It is
estimated that $90,000,000 of gold was taken from that stream that
runs through a valley about eighteen miles long. The city had many
substantial buildings, a large brick courthouse, five churches,
many large business stores, dwellings and hotels. At the time we
were there the placer mining had been abandoned, except by some
Chinamen who were washing over the tailings and making good wages
at it; and the population had been reduced from 20,000 people to
1,400. Here we spent Sunday. It was a gala day for the saloons,
ranchmen and cowboys, typical of how Sunday is observed in all
these mining and ranch towns. We met here, as everywhere in Montana,
wandering gold-seekers who explored from mountain to valley in
search of the precious metal, often making exaggerated statements
in regard to the undeveloped wealth not yet discovered, with stories
about gold which were never realized. It was the common belief
that the gold found in the placer mines must have been washed from
the mountains near by, and seekers for gold were looking for the
source of the gold field in such mountains, but it was never
discovered. Mines were discovered in other parts of Montana, but
none about Virginia City.

On Monday we met Lieutenant Swigert with a dozen troopers from Fort
Ellis, who, by orders from the war department, were to escort us
through Yellowstone Park. Here we obtained horses and mules for
our own use and for carrying our packs, camp traps, etc. When all
was ready we started for our camping in the wilderness. Our first
day's march was ab