It was after 10:00 when I finally got going and the frontage road was in fine form. At Rosebud I came upon two girls picking chokecherries and discovered that they are very bitter and there is not much fruit around a very large pit. All in all, a very unsatisfactory berry. The day was getting very warm, so I stopped at the nearby town of Rosebud for some ice tea.
I have been crossing some rather large wheat fields with the grain heavy on the stalk, and I spent alot of time watching the harvest. The farmers are very busy right now, but I am hopeful I will catch someone at a slack moment for my wheat questions.
About half way to Miles City, I was forced out onto Interstate 94, but it proved to be perfectly acceptable for cycling. There are very few cars and trucks (sometimes minutes would go by between cars) and everyone is giving me lots of room. With the optimal grade and the incentive to get the freeway portion over, I made it to Miles at about 1:30, stopping at the local museum, and the newspaper office, and, finding them disinterested in my story, I headed for the library.
The folks at the library were very enthusiastic and helped me find the 1896 newspaper, turning the pages for me, looking in vain for references to Babcock and Turner. They did let me camp out at their public-use PC and I managed to get all my pictures transferred to the web server. (look for more photos soon).
They pointed me toward a good Chinese restaurant, which I would never have located, and I feasted on chicken with snowpeas and broccoli.
All this time I had thought that Will Babcock had stayed in Miles City for a day or two, but on re-reading the articles, and some letters I am carrying, I now believe that he spent the night west of town and only stayed long enough to write a letter or two, before pushing on to the east. In a letter dated July 9,1896 to his brother Chas he wrote:
We came into Miles City this AM as we could not get across the Yellowstone last night. Reached here about 11am. Went to a restaurant and ate a big meal. Night before last we didn't sleep a wink owing to mosquitoes. Last night we bunked in with a couple of cow punchers, English boys, and nice fellows. They had the mosquitoes well locked out and I slept beautifully.
The thermometer stands high in the estimation of the people of this section, 115 the other day, 100 in the shade today.
Got your letter here today and consider it highly interesting. Yesterday and the day before we were on the Crow Reservation and there was no road. About 20 miles we followed cow trails eastward.
We are a little worried about the next hundred miles beyond Glendive through the badlands.
Interesting...at the present time the Crow Reservation lies entirely south of Hardin, and they are saying it went all the way to the Yellowstone River. I wonder how that land transaction was conveyed.
One of the librarians has invited me to have a look at my web site in the morning. It will be interesting to see it for the first time in two weeks. I hope it is not in a shambles.
56 easy miles, but my half-day off was spent working over my photos in front of a pc. Not the most restful, but it was productive.
Heading out to Baker, for my last day in Montana.
Having a great time. Wish you were here.
Dennis