A history of Montana, Volume II, Part 28

Author: Sanders, Helen Fitzgerald, 1883-
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1002

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Malcolm Morrow was a mere lad when he accom- panied his parents to Denver, Colorado, and in that city attended the public schools for a short period. With his father he joined in the stampede for Ban- nack, but their destination was subsequently changed to Alder Gulch, where he followed mining and pros- pecting to some extent, but was mainly identified with the cattle business. After continuing in Alder Gulch in 1864, in the early part of 1865 he moved to Last Chance Gulch, enduring numerous hardships in the journey and finding the camp in a state of great ex- citement on reaching that point. He was there engaged

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in the cattle business until 1880. During this time he was in constant trouble with the Blackfeet and Blood Indians, and on one occasion his entire herd of live- stock was stolen, and when the maranders were cap- tured he recovered only three or four head of his horses. During the spring of 1865, Mr. Morrow started freighting to Salt Lake City, and on one of his sub- sequent trips, having been forewarned, his party were continually on the watch for road agents. However, they were fortunate in not being molested, although on one occasion the stage following was held up and a passenger severely wounded, Mr. Morrow's party re- turning and placing him in a place of safety, which led to his ultimate recovery. On Mr. Morrow's first arrival in Fort Benton, in 1866, the fort was of mud, and was located one-half mile above the present site of the new fort, and on the night of his coming great excitement prevailed, a white woman having been killed here. From the time of his coming here Mr. Morrow has continued to be a resident of Fort Benton, having devoted himself to raising cattle and horses and to the freighting business. He is well known throughout Chouteau county, and bears the reputation of an excel- lent business man and a public-spirited citizen. He has interested himself in numerous enterprises, and at this time is president of the Benton Drug Company, and a director and vice-president of the Shonkin Stock Association. In political matters he is a Republican, and his religions connection is with the Episcopal church. Montana owes a debt to its pioneers which can never fully be repaid. Many of them had little schooling, but they were rich in self-control, in effi- ciency and in common sense and they had gotten their wisdom in the greatest of schools-pioneer life. They had stood face to face with the savage, with untouched nature, every elemental thing. Those who remain deserve the honor and esteem of their fellows as men who were part and parcel of the making of the com- monwealth, and without whose courageous efforts present conditions could not have been.

Mr. Morrow was married at Helena, Montana, July 25, 1875, to Miss Mary Ann Travis, daughter of James and Elizabeth Travis, and sister of Tom Travis, chief of police of Helena. They have had eight children, as follows: Macke Conrad, born June 16, 1876, of Cas- cade, who is married and has three children; Mrs. Bertha Russel, of Cascade, wife of Dr. Russel, born September 29, 1878, at Rock Creek, Montana; Jen- nett Morrow, born December 4, 1881, at Fort Benton, and now a school teacher of Galata; Mrs. Florence Whitcomb, born September 27, 1884, at Fort Benton, and now a resident of Boulder, with one child; Warren Thomas, born June 4, 1887, at Fort Benton, who now has charge of his father's ranch; Leonard H., born April 15, 1891, at Fort Benton, and now engaged in the drug business here; Isabel Ruth, born January 4, 1893, a graduate of the high school; and J. Dewey, born May 7, 1898, now attending school.

F. GEORGE HELDT. When a man has been as closely connected with his state as has F. George Heldt with the state of Montana he must feel that it is fairly a part of him. When he has fought to maintain its honor, and has stood by its standard in times of apparent peace, when although no bullets were flying the safety of the state and of her citizens was in as great danger, he must feel a love for the very soil, such as those who have known her only since she has become a great and wealthy commonwealth can never feel. Mr. Heldt has held more offices, perhaps, than has any other liv- ing resident of his state, from the first city marshal in the whole state to a member of the state legislature. He came to Montana when there was little to be seen but buffalo, Indians and a few adventurous white men ready to risk everything for the gold which they be- lieved to exist, hidden away in the heart of the moun-

tains or in the beds of the streams. His first job was shoveling "pay dirt;" he is now one of the best known men in the state. He did not "strike it rich," but found success slow in coming to him. He was too much occupied with living to spend much of his time and thought on the problem of getting rich, but as the saying is, "You can't keep a good man down," and he eventually reached a position of prominence in the business world. In the meantime everyone in the state came to know F. George Heldt, for he did not spare himself in the service of the people. Whenever there was a difficult or dangerous task to be performed F. George Heldt was one of the first volunteers, never taking into consideration personal risk. He is one of the most progressive men in a progressive state, and has played an important part in her growth and develop- ment. He holds an enviable place in the hearts of all who know the story of his life.

F. George Heldt, like a true westerner, believes that a man is what he makes himself and not what his ances- tors make him; he therefore has never bothered his head about the blood that runs in his veins, only know- ing that he is of royal lineage, his paternal great- grandmother being a daughter of the Grand Duke of Hesse, Germany, who was also known as the Gross Herzog of Hesse Darmstadt. He was evidently a member of the younger branch of the house of Hesse, and therefore a member of the line that is yet reign-

ing. The parents of Mr. Heldt were of the stuff that ventures all, and they determined that life offered more in America than in their native land, and that they would immigrate to this newer world. They set sail froni Germany in 1833, their vessel being a slow sail- ing ship. The voyage occupied sixty-five days, and al- though the experience was a new and interesting one, they were indeed thankful to see land again. They settled on a farm in Orleans township, Jefferson county. in the state of New York, and there on the 12th of July, 1839, F. George Heldt was born. He had a twin brother, of whom he was the elder by ten minutes, which fact he always considered gave him authority over the younger.

His schooling was not very extensive, all of his elementary work being performed in the district school. During the season he worked on his father's farm, and thus his school year consisted of three months in the winter. Later, however, he attended two terms, each consisting of fourteen weeks, at Falley Seminary, Ful- ton, New York. With the outbreak of the Civil war and the president's call for "three hundred thousand more volunteers," Mr. Heldt was on fire with patriot- ism and eager to go to the front. He therefore en- listed in the Ninety-fourth New York Volunteer Infan- try, in which he served for two years. He then en- listed in the Irish Brigade which was under the command of Gen. Michael Cochran, remaining in this service for a year. It was during the Civil war that what Mr. Heldt considers the most memorable event in his life occurred. He was at the time in the quartermaster's department stationed at Fairfax court- house, Virginia, and he happened to be in Washing- ton when General Burnside's army was to pass in review before the president. Mr. Heldt very fortunately had room Willard's hotel, facing Pennsylvania a

avenue, and adjoining the balcony whereon President Lincoln and General Burnside stood during the re- view. After the army had passed, Mr. Heldt stepped out upon the balcony, and put forth his hand, and though to the president he was only one of the "boys in blue," it was seized and shaken with, as Mr. Heldt expresses it, "as much cordiality and pleasure as if I were a long lost and dear friend." Just another in- stance of the big-hearted friendliness of our greatest of all presidents.

After his years in the army had come to a close he was fired with the ambition to win a fortune by the

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marvelous tales of the wealth recently discovered in the gold fields of Idaho. He started upon his quest on the IIth of May, 1864, going by way of steamer as far as Chicago. His ship was a propeller, and his starting point was Clayton, New York, a little town on the banks of the St. Lawrence river. There were four in this party during this trip through the Great Lakes, P. J. Hughes, a nephew of Archbishop Hughes, of New York, Albert Bushnell, Frank Peck and Mr. Heldt. When the party arrived at Chicago it was de- creased by the withdrawal of Mr. Bushnell and Mr. Peck, who were frightened out of the project, for it was almost certain that hostile Indians would be en- countered and the travelers heard nothing but tales of the dangers and privations of the journey. Mr. Hughes and Mr. Heldt, in addition to being naturally brave, and indeed more daring than was needful, had already had three years of the hardships of an army life, and so were willing to venture. From Chicago the railroad journey to Grinnell, Iowa, at that time the farthest west the railroad had reached, was made. From Grinnell to Council Bluffs, Iowa, stage coach was the means of transportation. Here they crossed the Mis- souri river to Omaha on a ferry boat, and in the latter place fortunately encountered a band of men, seven in number who were on their way to the gold fields of Idaho, having come from Wisconsin. Mr. Heldt and his friend made arrangements to join this party, and they set out on the Ist day of June, 1864. The party as it finally stood was made up of nine men with their baggage and provisions loaded on four two-horse spring wagons. As far as Mr. Heldt knows he is now the only survivor of this band of pioneers.

On leaving Omaha the line of march followed the Platte river to Fort Laramie. There they left the river and proceeded through the hostile Indian country, ex- pecting an attack any day from any direction. In fitting the party for the trip care had been taken to have a plentiful supply of guns and ammunition at the sac- rifice of other comforts, so-called. A close watch was kept and every night a guard was set, the night being divided into watches and each of the party serving their turn at this duty. However in spite of all their pre- cautions, it would have been a simple task for the In- dians to have taken them by surprise and to have massacred them all, for they were no match for the red men, as yet. There is no doubt but that the Indians would have paid dearly for their victory, for a braver band of men never set forth on an expedition. One of the members, however, though not cowardly was yet very cautious, and was in constant expectation of a band of Indians swooping down upon them from the next butte. He therefore awoke each morning with a new idea about safeguarding the party, and his de- vices were not only unheard of, but laughable. When- ever any of the party ridiculed him, or hinted that he might be a little cowardly, he would reply, "Well, I believe in taking ample precaution enough." It was only a short time before he was known only as "Ample Precaution Enough," and he never lost this cogno- men.

Although the men were thankful, when they reached the ruins of what must have been a train of a dozen or more wagons, of which only a smouldering mass of cinders remained, that they had proceeded so far un- molested, yet their blood boiled and they would have liked to have taken a few shots at the marauders who had perpetrated this horror. They passed on, overtak- ing several large trains, but although warned that they would be much safer they could not endure the slow pace that these heavily laden wagons were forced to move. On one occasion, they did join the train of which Capt. J. H. Mills was in command, and traveled with him for several days. This was through the worst bit of country, where every bush looked sus- picious. The passage was made uneventfully, however, and so with a grave farewell, for who knew when they

would again meet, the two parties separated and the smaller swiftly proceeded on its way. It was on the seventy-first day of their journey since leaving Omaha, that a glad shout went up from the weary, travel-worn band; Virginia City was in sight. Success and for- tune lay at their feet. The trip had been made with such comparative ease, and in so short a time that they regarded it as a good omen for the future.

The first thing to be done on their arrival in the town was to build a cabin, and it was fortunate that among their party was a carpenter and also a mason, for they would have had to pay a fabulous sum had they hired the cabin built. This was soon accomplished and then each man turned out to hunt work. Before Mr. Heldt had fairly looked around, he had begun his public service, for he was mustered into the Vigilantes and took the obligation, that is, promised to give his as- sistance towards ridding the country of the thieves, murderers and desperadoes with which it was infested, and at all times to stand ready to do his duty as a Vigilante. Western men know what this band of men accomplished, but for the benefit of those who may be unfamiliar with their record the following incident is related. First, let it be understood that at this time there was no law in the country, and the Vigilantes were banded together to protect the lives and property of citizens, not as some have supposed for the sake of the excitement that was the daily food of these men. Place yourself in Virginia City, on a Sunday, in the year 1864. You are standing on Main street in front of a large gambling house filled with men who have come into town for their weekly spree; the poker tables are full, faro is in full swing at the other end of the building; everywhere are men, filled with the lust for gold, many willing to commit murder in order to get it. The clink of gold, or the soft thump of a bag of dust, are the only sounds save the voices of the players. To your left is an auction stand, presided over by a shifty-eyed, soft footed man who is selling "cayuses," and whenever a new animal is put up for sale, the auctioneer flings himself on the back of the beast, and dashes madly up and down the street, regardless of the crowd, throwing his arms about to show the ease with which the bronco might be controlled, or with the reins tightly grasped, put- ting the scraggly animal through his paces. He is the center of an admiring, excited crowd, and to the right not ten feet from the gambling house door stands his competitor, a clergyman, preaching the gospel to a crowd of several hundred. Every minute or so a man drunk with whiskey, or mad with rage at having lost his "pile," reels from the door, stares a moment at the minister of God, mutters a curse beneath his breath, starts toward the religious meeting, then meet- ing the eyes of a quiet looking man, who is lounging against the house wall, slinks down the street to the mass around the auctioneer's stand. As the afternoon wears away the revelry and intoxication grows, and suddenly with a wild whoop some of the worst of the cut-throats in the gambling house pour forth, bent on mischief. They make their way toward the minister, intent on breaking up the services. Suddenly from every side appear the watchful Vigilantes, and at the word from the quiet lounger, "Men, do your duty !" they stand ready to fire. It is not necessary, their reputation is too well known, and the men who had been so brave a moment before now vanish in the crowd. These were the sort of mien of whom the Vigilantes were composed.

The first job that Mr. Heldt found was shovelling "pay dirt" from the platform where it was thrown by the miners in the pit below, into the sluice box, above his head. He did not start to work until noon of the day upon which he was hired, and at six o'clock went to receive his pay of $2.50 in gold dust. When he pulled off his heavy buckskin gloves, his hands were

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wet with blood, and when the boss told him he would not be needed tomorrow, his grin was one of joy. The next trial he made at earning his living was in chop- ping cord wood. He and his partner, Mr Hughes, took a contract for cutting a hundred cords of wood at the rate of $2.00 a cord, and since they had no money to buy food in the meantime, they were to be supplied with "grub," the value of which was to be taken from their pay. They had only to chop the wood, their boss cording it as he hauled it. They worked at this for three weeks, and then concluding that the huge pile they had chopped contained considerable more than a hundred cords they called for their pay. On measuring the amount done, the sum total amounted to about twenty-three cords, thus making $46.00, out of which they had spent $48.00. They were a crestfallen pair, but their employer, while laughing at their discom- fiture, exclaimed, "You are pretty good boys and I will call it square."

Mr. Heldt's next job was hauling wood from the mountains to the city, with four yoke of oxen and two log wagons. He only held this job for two weeks, for when his employer found fault with him, the lad's high temper would not endure it and in the quarrel which followed, the man thinking Mr. Heldt a tenderfoot whom he could bluff, tried to cheat him out of his pay, but he did not succeed, Mr. Heldt turning the tables on him and getting his money. The next day Mr. Heldt happened to meet Bob Hagaman, who was clerk and recorder, and he said that since Bob Hill, his deputy, was going to Bannack, as private secretary to Governor Edgerton, the place was vacant and Mr. Heldt might have it if he wanted it. Being just out of a job, this was very opportune, and Mr. Heldt began his duties immediately. In the early spring of 1865, Bob Hill, having misrepresented Mr. Hagaman to the governor, secured his appointment as clerk and recorder in Mr. Hagaman's place. In September Mr. Hill resigned and the governor appointed Mr. Heldt in his place, for he had continued in his position, in spite of the change of superiors. Until November, when the new clerk and recorder was elected, he performed the duties of this office, and after the election he remained with the new official until June, 1866. This was the first election held in Montana, and Mr. Heldt tells the story of his experiences as follows:

"The Democrats in those days outnumbered the Republicans in Montana by about ten to one. I went to the polls to vote and found the Democrats in pos- session and was informed that Republicans could not vote. I said nothing, but proceeded at once to find Colonel Sanders, who was the Republican candidate for congress. I was but a few minutes in finding him and told him the 'Rebels' had possession of the polls and would not let me vote. After a moment's thought the colonel said, 'Let's go and find Colonel Nelson and Con Orem,' both prize fighters and both good Repub- licans. We had no difficulty in finding them, and the four of us went to the, polls. I never will forget the twinkle in Nelson's eyes and the expression on his face. After taking in the situation he said to Orem, 'Well, Con, we will have to make a passageway through this mob,' and pulled off his coat, and Con pulled off his, and at it they went, and I at their heels. When anyone showed any hesitancy about stepping back and making a passage it was-Biff! they fell right and left, and in less time than it has taken me to tell it, I walked to the polls unmolested and deposited my ballot."

Mr. Heldt was filled with delight by the arrival in March, 1866, of his twin brother, John. They only re- mained in Virginia City for a few months, going to Helena in June. This city was now on the "boom" as the former had been in 1864. The brothers took up a placer claim in Thompson's Gulch about eight miles from Helena and sunk a shaft eighty-five feet deep.

They did not place a single stick of timber to guard against a cave-in, but nothing happened and since they found no pay streak they gave up mining in disgust. The next year another man worked this claim, and gathered in about ten thousand dollars. They therefore returned to Virginia City, but the summer of 1867 saw them back in Helena. John Heldt secured a position in the postoffice and his brother George went into the United States marshal's office as deputy and office man. The close resemblance of the two brothers was the occasion of a number of laughable incidents, among them being the following. They boarded at the St. Louis restaurant, of which Joe Appolona, an Italian, was the proprietor. John ate his meals an hour or so before George, and atter they had been boarding at the place for about two weeks. Tommy, the Irish waiter, began to observe that there was a man who was eating six meals a day instead of three. He thought that the fellow must have been starved for the past month, and that he would soon get filled up. But no, the same thing continued, so Tommy considered it his duty to report the case to the proprietor. To convince him that he was speaking the truth he dragged his master in when John arrived for dinner, pointed him out, and said, "Now, in about two hours he will come again." When George arrived, he therefore grasped the pro- prietor's arm, and pointed in his direction. Joe Appo- lona knew them, and bending double with laughter, said, "That's all right, Tommy, he pays double." It was a long time before the Heldt twins could live this down.

A short time ago an article appeared in a St. Paul paper concerning a murder which had been committed by George M. Pinney in Montana, in which reference was made to his almost losing his life at the hands of a mob. Mr. Heldt was almost an eye witness on this occasion, having just left the room where Governor Beal was trying to pick a quarrel with Mr. Pinney, when the shot rang out and Mr. Heldt rushed back to find Beal dead. It was a clear case of self-defense, however, and Mr. Pinney was tried and speedily ac- quitted with nothing resembling a mob, or even any threats being made against him.

In the autumn of 1868 J. X. Beidler and Mr. Heldt as deputy United States marshals went to Fort Ben- ton to arrest some men who had been plying the whiskey traffic with the Indians. The trip was made on horseback, the first day's journey being made to Dear- born Stage Station, and the afternoon of the next day finding them at "Sun River Leaving" where the road branched off towards Fort Benton. The two men were about to push on, when the stage from Benton came into sight, the mules staggering from the effort they had made, for the coach had been chased by a war party of Indians almost to within sight of the station. The best plan was to remain at the station over night and then start in the morning with fresh horses so that if the Indians were met, they might run for their lives if necessary. The next morning the horses were allowed to walk, and for about twelve miles nothing disturbed the peace of the fresh morning, then after crossing a low bottom and coming out on the bench land, a band of about twenty-five Indians appeared. It was impossible for the two men to retreat, it was simply against their natures, so deciding that there would be a few "good" Indians to their credit, even if they finally had to retreat they proceeded on their way, though Mr. Heldt remarked, "If there were twenty- five of us and two Indians I believe I would feel more comfortable." All of their preparations went for nought, for on a nearer approach, the leader of the band was seen to be Indian Jack, and after exchanging a friendly "How, how," they passed on, Indian Jack heing friendly to the white men. This was rare during that year for the Indians were hostile throughout the whole country. Travelers were waylaid everywhere, and many travelers lost their lives on the road between

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Fort Shaw and Helena, the savages becoming so bold as to attack men within twenty miles of Fort Benton. In 1865 an Indian war threatened, and the pioneers will never forget that time. General Meagher, then acting governor, called for volunteers, and among the number of brave men who sprang to his call, was Mr. Heldt. He had met General Meagher several times when they were both with the army of the Potomac, and when he offered to serve for the Indian war, the general said, "You remain with me, you have done your share of the fighting; I may need you here before this trouble ends." After the Indian matters were settled, Mr. Heldt went to Fort Shaw as clerk in the quartermaster's department. General De Tro- briand was stationed here in command of the Thirteenth United States Infantry, and it was during this winter that Colonel Baker gave the Piegan Indians a lesson that they never forgot. The temperature was forty below zero, and the march to the camp of the Indians was made through the snow and by night. The sur- prise, however, was complete, and the Piegan Indians never again went on the warpath.

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A history of Montana, Volume II, Part 28

Author: Sanders, Helen Fitzgerald, 1883- Publication date: 1913 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1002

Author: Sanders, Helen Fitzgerald, 1883-
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1002