An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 104

Author: Miller, Joaquin, 1837-1913. cn
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis pub. co.
Number of Pages: 1216

USA > Montana > An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 104

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The subject of our sketch received his early education in his native State, and was afterward sent to school at Ada and to Oberlin College. After his return to Montana he accepted a position as bookkeeper, and was thus ocen- pied until 1893, when the county of Ravalli was organ- ized and he was appointed County Clerk and Recorder, the appointment being made by the Legislature. In this capacity he is now serving efficiently.

Politically, he is a Republican ; fraternally, an I. O. O. F. HON. C. K. HARDENBROOK, of Deer Lodge, Montana, dates his birth at Mount Gilead, Knox county, Ohio, No- vember 7, 1847.

Mr. Hardenbrook is descended from Holland ancestors, who settled in America about the year 1720 Great- grandfather Ludowick Hardenbrook resided in New York, and Grandfather Hardenbrook removed from that State to Ohio at an early day. Five of the latter's sons fought in the war of 1812. Francis Hardenbrook, our subject's father, was born in Ohio, where the town of Mansfield now stands, in 1799. He married Miss Nancy Kelly, a native of Pennsylvania and a descendant of Irish

cue him. At this juncture one of them shot Lieutenant Bullhead. The lieutenant then shot Sitting Bull, who also received another shot and was killed outright. Another shot struck Ser- geant Shavehead and then the firing became general, In abont two hours the police had se- cured possession of Sitting Bull's house and driven their assailants into the woods." Shortly

ancestors. In 1848 they moved to Monmouth, Warren county, Illinois, where he improved a farm and where he resided until 1874. That year he removed to Iowa and retired from active life. He died in 1883, at the age of eighty-four years. His wife died at the age of fifty-four. They were members of the Presbyterian Church and were people of sterling qualities, highly respected hy all who knew them. They had a family of thirteen chil- dren, eleven of whom grew to maturity and nine of that number are still living.

Charles Kelly Hardenbrook was their tenth child. He was one year old at the time the family moved to Illinois, and was educated in the public schools of that State and at Monmouth College. Upon leaving college, he came direct to Montana and engaged in mining operations, mining first at Cedar cfeek, Missoula county, and coming from there to Deer Lodge county, where he continued mining for ten years. In 1876 he was among the throng that sought the mining districts of the Black Hills. After returning from the Black Hills, he purchased 800 acres of land in Deer Lodge county and turned his attention to farming and stock-raising, in which he has since been interested, now making a specialty of raising horses. He is also still engaged in mining enterprises.

* List of killed and wounded from same report :

1. Henry Bullhead, first lieutenant; died eighty-two hon.is after the fight.

2. Charles Shavehead, first sergeant ; died twenty-five hours after the fight.

3. James Little Eagle, fourth sergeant; killed.

4. Paul Akicitah, private; killed.

5. Jobu Armstrong, special ; killed.

6. David Hawkman, special ; killed.

7. Alexander Middle, private, wounded ; will lose his foot.

INDIANS.

1. Sitting Bull, 56 years old; killed,

2. Crow Foot (Sitting Bull's Son), 17 years old; killed.

3 Black Bird, 43 years old; killed.

4. Catch the Bear, 44 years old ; killed.

5. Spotted Horn Bull, 56 years old; killed.

6. Brave Thunder, 46 years old; killed.

7. Little Assinaboine, 44 years old; killed.

8. Chase Wounded, 24 years old ; killed.

9. Bull Ghost; wounded; entirely recovered.

10. Brave Thunder ; wounded.

11. Strike the Kettle; wounded.

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HISTORY OF MONTANA.

after, when 100 United States troops under the command of Captain Fechet, reached the spot, the police drew up in line and saluted. Their bravery and discipline received highest praise from Captain Fechet. The ghost dancers fled from their hiding places to the Cheyenne River Reservation, leaving their families and dead be- hind them. Their women who had taken part

Mr. Hardenbrook was married in 1878 to Miss Jennie Brice, a native of Missouri, and they have an interesting family of five children, all born in Montana, namely: Herbert B., Abby, Linda, Charles K., Jr., and Hilda K.

Mr. Hardenbrook has always affiliated with the Demo- cratic party, and has been twice elected and served two terms as County Superintendent of Schools in his county. In 1889 he was elected a member of the first State Legis- Jature of Montana, and while in that honorable body he served on a number of important committees, among which was the Committee on Ways and Means and Edu- cation. lle has always been deeply interested in the advancement of educational affairs and has done much in this direction for his county. Mr. Hardenbrook is an active member of the Masonic order, belonging to both the blue lodge and the chapter at Deer Lodge and is a Past Master of the former. Both he and his wife are members of the order of the Eastern Star, and she is iden- tified with the Presbyterian Church. The Hardenbrook family are among the most estimable people of the city.

EUGENE STARK, one of the reliable business men of Virginia City and a Montana pioneer of 1863, is a native of Ohio, born in Cincinnati, February 22, 1843.

Mr. Stark is a descendant of French ancestry. Ilis father, Valiant Stark, came from France to New York in 1830, and in 1835 removed from there to Cincinnati. A musician and composer, he was for many years promin- ently connected with that profession. While in Cincin- nati he was for seven years professionally connected with the St. Xavier College. Later he was prominently en- gaged in his profession at St. Louis, where he died in 1860. At this writing, 1893, his widow still survives, now in her eighty-fourth year. They had nine children, of whom five are living. Eugene was their fourth born. He was educated in Chillicothe and Cincinnati, and since his eleventh year he has earned his own living.

When he was twelve years old Mr. Stark began to learn the trade of watchmaker, and was in that business for eight years in the East. In 1863, in company with eight others, he started from Atchinson for California. At the Sweetwater they met the Stewart party and were influenced by them to come to Montana. Others joined their party from time to time, and on the 4th of July, 1863, they landed safe at Bannack. Mr. Stark made the long journey most of the way on foot. After remaining at Bannack about two months, he came to Alder Gulch, where he has since been in business and thoroughly

in the fight had been disarined by the police and placed under gnard and were turned over to the troops when they arrived. The losses were six policemen killed (including Bullhead and Shave- head, who soon died at the agency hospital) and one wounded. The attacking party lost eight killed and three wounded."-Report of Indian Commission for 1891.

identified with the interest of the place. He first engaged in mining at Brown's Gulch and met with satisfactory success. From there he returned to Virginia City and opened a jewelry store, thus becoming the pioneer in that business of the town. He was also engaged in erect- ing cabins, and with "the boys" went to all the stam- pedes and did considerable prospecting throughout the county, as well as traversing the whole Territory. For a time he was engaged in mining at Butte City. In 1866 he returned to Virginia City again. And next we find him successively running a billiard hall, restaurant and watchmaking business. From 1873 to 1876 he conducted the last named business at Deer Lodge; moved back to Virginia City, and from 1876 till 1880 was in business here; and since the last date he has been a raoch owner. He is now engaged in the stock business, making a spe- cialty of Normau-Percheron horses. He owns the jewelry store on the corner of Jackson and Wallace streets, and has his office there.

In 1861 Mr. Stark enlisted for service in the Union ranks, and served under Generals Fremont and Halleck for three months, after which his company was disbanded and he was honorably discharged. He is now an active member of the G. A. R. Also he belongs to the A. O. U. W., in which he has served as Foreman and Financier. For two years he has served as a member of the City Council, and in every way possible he has aided in the growth and development of the place. When the busi- ness men of the city decided to build a telegraph line to Darris he became interested in the enterprise, took stock in it, and took charge of the construction of the line; and in this way he brought his town into more intimate con- nection with the rest of the world. After its completion he had charge of the office a year, and he also served for some time as treasurer of the company. Another organ- ization with which Mr. Stark is intimately connected is the Pioneer Society of Madison county, which he helped to organize and of which he was elected first secretary.

A resident of Montana since before he reached his ma- jority, Mr. Stark has had an extensive experience here. Through all these years he has so conducted himself as to have the entire confilence of all with whom he has had dealings.

DENIS COLLINS, who resides in the Middle Ruby val- ley, near Laurin, is a Montana pioneer of 1863 and a prominent stock-farmer. A brief sketch of his life is herewith presented.

517

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

CHAPTER XXIX.

PLACER MINING-PROFIT AND LOSS REDUCED TO SCIENTIFIC CALCULATION-MONTANA'S GOLD PROD- UCT UP TO 1894-ORIGINAL DEPOSITS-GOLD DUST-THE MILLS OF GOD-HOW GOLD DUST GOT TO MISSOURI AND OTHER REMOTE PLACES-PROSPECTING BY THE LIGHT OF SCIENCE- MON- TANA MINERALS-PRECIOUS STONES WATER AND WOOD-IRON CAPS-IRON DEPOSITS.

BY DR. G. C. SWALLOW.

This chapter on gold deposits in placer mines, and also a following one on the mineral wealth of the various counties of Montana, are from the pen of a learned scien- tist who was famous in his line of work long before Montana had a name or a place on the maps. I am grateful for it, although not entirely in line with my own theories, which I should not have intruded had this reached me in time, but, like the special article on the history of the Republican party in Montana, it came too late either to take proper place in the order of this work or appear in entirety, as, I regret to say, some of the early data are already in print from my own far less capable hand.

J HE profits of placer mining can be calcu- lated with as much certainty as the prof- its of selling groceries or of raising a crop of wheat. By properly prospecting the amount of gold in each cubic yard of any given placer can be determined with great cer- tainty; and when we know the character of the boulders and dirt, the grade of the bed-rock, the position and extent of the dumping-ground, and the amount and fall of the water, the cost of working a cubic yard can be very accurately calculated.

The following table gives the annual product of our gold mines:

MONTANA GOLD PRODUCT TO 1894.

1862 }

$ 86,384,200

1881.

2,330,000

1867 §

1882. 2,550,000

1868

15,000,000

1883 1,800,000

1869

9,000,000

1884 2,170,000

1870.

9,100,000

1885 .. 3,400,000

1871

9,050,000

1886 4,422,000

1872.

6,068,000

1887 5,978,536

1873

5,187,722

1888 4,200,253

1874

3,844,047

1889.

3,500,000

1875. 3,573,600 1876. 3,078,013

1890 1891 2,890,000

1877

3,200,000

1892. 2,891,386

1878

2,260,511

1893 3,100,000

1879

2,500,000

1880

2,400,000 Total .$212,178,768

The great difficulty in the way of successful and more successful placer mining, is partial ownership of the gulches. In early times the gulches were taken by claims, of greater or less extent. Alder Gulch and almost all our placers were taken up in this way. This would do where men could make fortunes with rockers, shovel and sluice box; but with the giant and other improved apparatus the entire gulch must be worked to give success. Partial owners of gulches should unite or sell out that the mil- lions in these idle gulches may be added to our scant circulation.

" Placer " is a Spanish word, meaning pleas- ure and delight. When the uneasy prospector discovered the shining dust in Last Chance, on which the business part of Helena is built, they were certainly both pleased and delighted, and very properly called it a " placer." The Span- iards called these deposits " placers," where na- tive gold was found in loose sand and gravel, above or upon the consolidated strata called "bed-rock." They are most commonly found in mountain gulches, in sands washed by rivers, and sometimes in the gravels of the drift de-

3,000,000

518

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

posits. All gold, so far as known, was origi- nally deposited in veins imbedded in quartz or other minerals, and that now found in placers has been worn out of these veins by the action of the weather, water and glaciers, and depos- ited with the decomposed rocks in its present positions in gulchies and river beds.

Denis Collins was born in county Cork, Ireland, in 1831, son of Michael and Ellen (Caughlin) Collins, worthy and respected farmers. After the birth of their third child Mrs. Collins died, Denis at that time being only four years of age. His father lived to be sixty.

Iu 1852 the subject of our sketch emigrated to America, landing at New York, where he worked for wages until the spring of 1860. At that time he crossed the plains to Colorado, arriving at his destination on the 1st of May and at once giving his attention to mining and prospect- ing, taking out some gold. In the spring of 1863 he left Denver (then a small place) to come to Montana, attracted hither by the gold excitement. At Bannack he secured employment in the mines at $10 per day. Ile washed the dirt after hauling it a mile, and at that also he received $10 a day. Next he came to Virginia City and mined on his own account." Ile was without money when he landed in Virginia City, for the noted Plummer had fol- lowed him when he left Bannack and had taken his oxen and $36 -- all the money he had. IIere, however, he met with success. He employed three men and they all took out from one to three hundred dollars per day, and he himself in a single day took out $202. When winter came on he sold his claim for $4,000 and went to Bivin's Gulch, where, with Aleek MeCoy as partner, he had two flumes and was successful in securing considerable gold. He remained there five years. Then he turned his attention to ranching, taking up 160 acres of land in Ruby valley. In the fall of 1881 he sold this property to J. B. Laurin, after which he purchased his preseut fine farm of 500 aeres, paying $10,500 for the same. Here he now resides, prosperously engaged in raising horses and cattle. He has two fine stock horses, a Clyde aud a shire, and also has some fine Devonshire cattle.

Mr. Collins is in politics a Democrat, and in religion a devout Catholic. During his residence in Montana he has witnessed its wonderful transformation, and is justly proud of its growth and development. He has a wide acquaintance and is favorably known by most of Mon- tana's pioneers.

GEORGE M. HAYS, assistant cashier of the first Na- tional Bank of Billings, was born in Jefferson county, Pennsylvania, in 1862, a son of John L. and Sarah E. (Miller) Hays, of Irish and Scotch descent. The ances- tors were among the early settlers of Pennsylvania. The father of our subject was a prominent Baptist minister. George attended school in Erie, Pennsylvania, aud also the high schools of Cleveland, Ohio. Seeking the wider field of opportunities for young men in the West, he

During the countless ages since the gold wes deposited in the veins of the rocks, and these rocks were elevated into mountains, the agents above named have worn away vast quantities of the rocks, and those containing veins of gold, and carried the materials and the gold down into the gulches and ont into the valleys, form-

located in Billings, Montana, in the spring of 1783, when the place was in its infancy, and has devoted his time, means and energy in the improvement of the town. Mr. Hays was appointed Deputy County Clerk of Yellow- stone county, under Dr. II. II. Bole, the first County Clerk; and during that time he was also Deputy County Treasurer; was elected County Clerk and Recorder in 1886, re-elected in 1889, and elected Clerk of the Dis- triet Court from 1890 until 1893. Ile was also elected the first ('ity Treasurer after the incorporation of Bil- lings. This has always been a Republican county, but by his fitness, devotion to business and genial courtesy to all, Mr. Ilays has rendered himself so deservedly pop- ular that he has been liberally supported by his Repub- lican friends. He is Past Master of Ashlar Lodge, No. 29, A. F. & A. M., is Eminent Commander in the Com- mandery, and holds an office in Algeria Temple at Helena.

Mr. Hays was married in November, 1886, to Jennie Jones, a daughter of Thomas Jones, a native of Wales, but now deceased. Three children have been born to this union: Donald L., John Lambert and Ethel Maude. Mr. Hays has taken an active interest in all enterprises conducive to the growth and prosperity of the town, county and State. IIe is chairman of the County Demo- cratie Committee, a member of the State Central Com- mittee, and a member of the Montana Board of World's Fair Commission, representing Yellowstone county. Mrs. Ilays is a member of the Congregational Church.

MORTIMER HEWLETT LOTT is the founder of the town of Twin Bridges, Madison county, Montana, and as such is deserving of more than a passing notice on the pages of this book.

Mr. Lott is of Germau descent. His grandfather, Har- monious Lott, was a seamau. Ile lived on Long Island, was the father of six children, and lived to be ninety years old. One of his sons, Hewlett Lott, the father of Mortimer H., was born on Long Island in 1789; married Maria Ditmar, a native of the same place. Both the Lotts and the Ditmars were of German ancestry, and both families had moved to Pennsylvania in 1814, where they became large land owners and founders of the town of Lottsville, Warren county. There Mr. Lott, the sub- jeet of our sketch, was born, December 25, 1827. He wasone of a family of four children, two sons and two daughters. Their father died there in his eighty-fifth year, and their mother was about the same age when she died. She was a Methodist and he was an Episco- palian.

GOLDEN MESSENGER MINING CAMP.

519

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

ing the deposits of clay, sand, gravel and gold. But the most efficient agents in this work were glaciers or streams of ice, such as are now at work in the mountains of Alaska, grinding out the precious metals.

The evidence is absolutely conclusive that there were vast ages when the temperature of

The subject of our sketeh spent the first twenty-four years of his life on the farm on which he was born. In 1857 he moved to Kansas and settled on the Little Blue river in Marshall county, where he took up 160 acres of land. He and his brother, John S., were together there, and they became the owners of 1,000 aeres, which they cultivated three years, but on account of its being a malaria district they were obliged to seek another loca- tion and crossed the plains to Pike's Peak. Then fol- lowed months and years of prospecting, their travels taking them over Colorado, into New Mexico and Arizona, and finally to Montana, the most of their expeditions being fruitless and attended with many hardships. They discovered Big Hole and began to work it on the 1st of Angust, 1862, but, hearing of the discovery of gold at Bannack, they quit work and went to that place, finding about 200 men had got there in advance of them. There our subject, in partnership with Hiram Conly, purehased a claim on Jemmie's Bar, which they mined for three months, and in that short time took out $20,000. In July, 1863, Mr. Lott went to Alder Gulch, where a large num- her of miners had already congregated, making the journey from Bannack to that place on horseback and carrying his gold dust with him. For about fifteen miles of the trip he was pursued by the road agents, but as he ran his horse and as darkness came on le eluded his pursuers and reached his destination in safety. He did not engage in mining in Virginia City. Going to Salt Lake he purchased 100 head of cattle, drove them to Virginia City and sold them to the miners for beef. In November of that same year lie was again joined by his brother, and they purchased a stock of goods and opened a store, and as prices were high and money plenty they dld a prosperous business. Since then their interests have been identical. In 1865 they sold their store and came to where the prosperous town of Twin Bridges now stands.

Here they seeured a traet of rich farming land two miles square, and in 1867 they built two bridges, one aeross Beaver Ilead river and the other aeross Big IIole river. This brought the travel to their place and re- sulted in the founding of the town. They first engaged in farming. During the first two years they paid $10,- 000 for seed oats and liad the misfortune to have both erops eaten up by the grasshoppers. After this they tnrued their attention more especially to hay-making and to stock-raising. As many of the travelers stopped at their place and asked for entertainment, Mr. Lott and his brother were indueed to open a hotel, and it was

the northern hemisphere was much colder than now, and when all the gulches and gorges of the Rocky mountains were filled with glaciers or rivers of ice. There is nothing in the nature of art so well calculated as glaciers to grind up the rocks and carry the sands, gravels, boulders and gold down into the gulches and deposit them as

no unusual thing for them to entertain as many as 100 people at once. Indeed, nearly all the early pioneers of Montana stopped with them. In 1867-8 they ran a mercantile business in connection with their hotel. Iu 1873 a grange store was started here, under the manage- ment of George T. Lewis, and did a large business for a number of years, but was finally abandoned, and in 1886 the Messrs. Lott again opened a store. In 1889 they platted the town of Twin Bridges. They have given much time and means to improving the town, and to that end became deeply interested in educational affairs and gave 100 acres of land to induce a normal sehool to locate here. A substantial brick builling was erected and a good school has since been maintained. They made a strenuous effort to get the State Normal School estab- lished at Twin Bridges, but failed in that, and in lieu of it secured the location of the State Orphan Asylum here, the building for which was erected in 1891. To this in- stitution they donated twenty-two aeres. They have also donated lots to the different religious organiza- tions.

The subject of our sketch was married May 20, 1880, to Miss Melvina J. Carson, a native of Pennsylvania, and they have had four children, only two of whom, Maria Eliza and Mortimer J., are living. Mrs. Lott is a mem- ber of the Methodist Church.

Politically, Mr. Lott was a Whig, but since the organiza- tion of the Republican party he has been identified with it, and has filled various important publie positions. When he first settled at Alder Gulch he was elected Recorder of the mining district, and when the road agents began their work of murder and robbery it was in Mr. Lott's store that the notorious Ives was guarded after he was arrested until he could be tried and hung. Mr. Lott drew up the papers for the miners to sign, in which they agreed to stand by each other when they started out to find the murderers of the Dutehman; and out of this first organization grew the Vigilant Com- mittee. In 1871, he was elected Probate Judge of the county, and served two years. lIe also served one term as County Commissioner, was a Justice of the Feace for several years, and for twelve years was Postmaster at Twin Bridges. In 1891 he built the brick hotel in which he and his family are now loeated, and where they en- tertain in a most hospitable manner the traveling pub- liv. Mr. Lott is a charter member and Past Master of West Gate Lodge, No. 27, A. F. & A. M.

John S. Lott was the first Auditor of the Territory of Montana appointed by George Edgerton.

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IIISTORY OF MONTANA.

we find them in onr placers. These facts estab- lish a good knowledge of the action of glaciers and the manner in which they grind up the rocks and carry down deposits of sands and clays, and boulders thus produced will help the miner to understand where he should look for the richer portions of the placers thus formed.

JOHN TEMPLE, a Montana pioneer of 1863, and now one of the respected farmers of Ruby valley, is a native of Ireland, born in the town of Killegonda, county Donegal, February 15, 1823. ITis remote ancestors were English' but several generations of the family were born on the Emerald Isle. In his native town he received his early educatiou, and in 1842, about the time he was merging into manhood, he emigrated to America, crossing the ocean on the Rob Roy, and being forty-two days in making the voyage.

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An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 104

Author: Miller, Joaquin, 1837-1913. cn Publication date: 1894 Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis pub. co. Number of Pages: 1216

Author: Miller, Joaquin, 1837-1913. cn
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis pub. co.
Number of Pages: 1216