An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 5

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

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nation. The chief, whose name is Kagohweto, or Brave Raven, brought a letter from M. Ta- beau, mentioning the wish of the grand chiefs of the Ricaras to visit the president, and re- questing permission for himself and four men to join our boat when it descends; to which we consented, as it will then be manned with tif- teen hands, and be able to defend itself against the Sionx. After presenting the letter, he told us that he was sent with ten warriors by his nation to arrange their settling near the Man- dans and Minnetarees, whom they wished to join; that he considered all the neighboring nations friendly except the Sionx, whose per- secution they could no longer withstand, and whom they hoped to repel by uniting with the tribes in this quarter. He added that the Rica -. ras intended to follow our advice, and live in peace with all nations, and requested that we would speak in their favor to the Assiniboin Indians. This we willingly promised to do, and assured them that their great father would protect them, and no longer suffer the Sioux to have good guns or to injure his dutiful chil- dren. We then gave him a small medal, a eer- tifieate of his good conduct, a carrot of tobacco and some wampum, with which he departed for the Mandan village, well satisfied with his re- ception. Having made all our arrangements, we left the fort about five o'clock in the afternoon. "The party now consisted of thirty-two per- sons. Besides ourselves were Sergeants John Ordway, Nathaniel Pryor and Patrick Gass: the privates were William Bratton, John Colter, John Collins, Peter Crusatte, Robert Frazier, Reuben Fields, Joseph Fields, George Gibson, Silas Goodrich, Hugh Hall, Thomas P. Howard, Baptiste Lapage, Francis Labiche, Hugh Mc- Neal, John Potts, John Shields, George Shan- non, John B. Thomson, William Werner, Alex-

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

ander Willard, Richard Windsor, Joseph White- house, Peter Wiser, and Captain Clarke's black servant, York. The two interpreters were George Drewyer and Toussaint Chabonean. The wife of Chaboneau also accompanied us with her young child, and we hope may be useful as an interpreter among the Snake Indians. She was herself one of that tribe; but, having been taken in war by the Minnetarees. was sold as a slave to Chaboneau, who brought her up and afterward married her. One of the Mandans likewise embarked with ns, in order to go to the Snake Indians and obtain a peace with them for his countrymen. All this party, with the baggage, was stowed in six small canoes and two large pirogues. We left the fort with fair, pleasant weather, though the northwest wind was high; and, after making about four miles, encamped on the north side of the Missouri, nearly opposite the first Mandan village. At the same time that we took our departure, our barge, manned with seven soldiers, two French- men, and M. Gravelines as pilot, sailed for the United States, loaded with our presents and dispatches."

For many days they struggled up the turbid waters, encountering sand-storms, sand-bars and indeed all sorts of impediments incident to floods, frosts and sudden changes of spring weather, some days making almost no advance at all, till, on the 29th of April, they began in- stinctively to scent the nearness of the Yellow- stone river; and, from what we read in the jour- nal, it is probable that the intrepid Captain Lewis with his four men, was the first of his daring expedition to look upon the waters of this river and press the trackless soil of Mon- tana beneath their feet. The journal says:

" April 21 .- Last night there was a hard, white frost, and this morning the weather was

cold, but clear and pleasant. The country was of the same description as within the last few days. We saw immense quantities of buffalo, elk, deer, antelope, geese, and some swan and ducks, ont of which we procured three deer, four buffalo calves,-which last are equal in flavor to the most delicious veal,-also two beaver and an otter. We passed one large and two small creeks on the south side, and reached at sixteen miles the mouth of White Eartlı river, coming in from the north. This river, before it reaches the low grounds near the Mis- souri, is a fine, bold stream, sixty yards wide, and is deep and navigable; but it is so much choked up at the entrance by the wind of the Missouri that its mouth is not more than ten yards wide. # : *

"April 22 .- The day clear and cold. We passed a high bluff on the north, and plains on the south, in which were large herds of buffalo, till breakfast, when the wind became so strong ahead that we proceeded with difficulty even with the aid of the tow-line. Some of the party now walked across to the White Earth river, which here, at the distance of four miles from its mouth, approaches very near to the Missouri. The salts, which have been men- tioned as common on the banks of the Missouri, are here so abundant that in many places the ground appears perfectly white, and from this circumstance it may have derived its name. It waters an open country, and is navigable almost to its source, which is not far from the Sas- kashawan; and, judging from its size and course, it is probable that it extends as far as the fiftieth degree of latitude. After much de- lay in consequence of high wind, we succeeded in making eleven miles, and encamped in a low ground on the south, covered with cottonwood and rabbit-berries.

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HISTORY OF MONTANA.

"The hills of the Missouri, near this place, exhibit large, irregular, broken masses of rock and stone, some of which, although 200 feet above the water, seem, at some remote period, to have been subject to its influence, being ap- parently worn smooth by the agitation of the water. The rocks and stone consist of white and gray granite, a brittle, black rock, flint, limestone, freestone, some small specimens of an excellent pebble, and occasionally broken strata of a black-colored stone, like petrified wood, which makes good whetstones. The usual appearance of coal, or carbonated wood, and pumice stone still continues, the coal being of a better quality, and, when burned, affording a hot and lasting fire, emitting very little smoke or flame. There are large herds of deer, elk, buffalo and antelope in view of us. The buffalo are not so shy as the rest, for they suffer us to approach within 100 yards before they run, and then stop and resume their pasture at a very short distance. The wolves to-day pursued a herd of them, and at length caught a calf that was unable to keep up with the rest. The mothers, on these occasions, defend their young as long as they can retreat as fast as the herd, but seldom return any distance to seek for them."

The two following days the wind was so violent that they made but little progress. The party were much afflicted with sore eyes, which they supposed to be occasioned by the quanti- ties of sand which were driven from the sand- bars in snch clouds as often to hide from them the view of the opposite bank. "The particles of this sand," says the journal, "are so fine and light that it floats in the air like a column of thick smoke, and is so penetrating that nothing ean he kept from it; and we are compelled to eat, drink and breathe it very copiously. To

the same cause we attribute the disorder of one of our watches, although its cases are double and tight; since, without any defect in its works that we can discover, it will not run for more than a few minutes without stopping.

" April 25 .- The wind moderated this morn- ing, but was still high. We therefore set ont early, the weather being so cold that the water froze on our oars as we rowed. and about ten o'clock the wind increased so much that we were obliged to stop. This detention by the wind, and the report from our hunters of the crookedness of the river, induced us to believe that we were at no great distance from the Yel- lowstone river. In order, therefore, to prevent delay as much as possible, Captain Lewis de- termined to go on by land in search of that river, and make the necessary observations, so as to be enabled to proceed immediately after the boat should join him. He accordingly landed, about eleven o'clock, on the south side, accompanied by four men. The boats were prevented from going until five in the after- noon, when they went on a few miles farther, and encamped for the night at a distance of fourteen and a half miles.

" April 26 .- We continued our voyage in the morning, and by twelve o'clock encamped at eight miles' distance, at the junction of the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers, where we were soon joined by Captain Lewis.

"This latter river, known to the French as Roche Jaune, or, as we have called it, the Yel . lowstone, rises, according to Indian informa- tion, in the Rocky mountains. Its sources are near those of the Missouri and the Platte, and it may be navigated in carroes almost to its head. It runs first through a mountainous country, but which in many parts is fertile and well timbered: it then waters a rich, delightful

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

land, broken into valleys and meadows, and well supplied with wood and water, till it reaches, near the Missouri, open meadows and low grounds, which are sufficiently timbered on its borders. * *

"Just above the confluence we measured the two rivers, and found the bed of the Missonri 520 yards wide, the water ocenpying only 330, and the channel deep: while the Yellowstone, including its sand-bars, occupied 858 yards, with 297 yards of water: the deepest part of the channel was twelve feet, but the river is now falling, and seems to be nearly its summer height.

" April 27 .- Left the month of the Yellow- stone. From the point of junetion a wood occupied the space between the two rivers, which, at the distance of a mile, come within 250 yards of each other. There a beautiful low plain commences, and, widening as the rivers recede, extends along each of them for several miles, rising about half a mile from the Mis-

HON. FREDERICK W. WRIGHT, State Treasurer of Mon- tana, was born in Buffalo, New York, March 4, 1844. His ancestors were English, and settled at Buffalo early in the history of that place, where his father, William Wright, was born, and was engaged in business for many years. Frederick W. was the older of two sons, and was reared and educated in his native city.

When Mr. Lincoln made his first call for volunteers to put down the Rebellion, Mr. Wright, then only seventeen years old, was among the patriotic young men who re- spooded to the call. He enlisted in May, 1861, in Com- pany G, Twenty-first New York Infantry. After serving two years he was honorably discharged, and the same day on which he was discharged he re-enlisted in the service, this time in the Sixteenth New York Cavalry, with which he remained until the close of the war. He served as a non-commissioned officer, was a participant in many of the hard fought battles of that sanguinary struggle and at a skirmish near Culpeper Court-House, August 19, 1864, was wounded and taken prisoner. After eighteen days he was paroled, later was exchanged, and in the spring of 1865 returned to his regiment. His final dis- charge was dated August 17, 1865. It was a detail from his regiment that followed and killed the assassin of President Lincoln. Mr. Wright participated io the grand

souri into a level twelve feet higher than the river. The low plain is a few inches above high- water mark, and where it joins the higher plain there is a channel of sixty or seventy yards in width, through which a part of the Missouri, when at its greatest height, passes into the Yel- lowstone.

" At two and a half miles above the junction, and between the high and low plains, is a small lake 200 yards wide, extending for a mile parallel with the Missouri, along the edge of the npper plain. At the lower extremity of this lake, about 400 yards from the Missouri and twice that distance from the Yellowstone, is a situation highly eligible for a trading estab- lishment. It is in the high plain, which extends back three miles in width, and seven or eight miles in length along the Yellowstone, where it is bordered by an extensive body of woodland, and along the Missouri with less breadth, until three miles above it is circumscribed by the hills within a space four miles in width.

review of the victorious army at Washington and returned to his home a veteran and a victor, at the time he was mustered out being only twenty-one years old.

The war over, Mr. Wright came west as far as Iowa, and was for a time engaged in sawmilling at Sloan Station. From there he removed to the Cheyenne River Agency, Dakota, where he was employed as Superin- tendent and Farmer of the agency. His next move was to Northfield, Minnesota, at which place he was engaged in the drug business for five years. In 1882 he came to Montana and took up his abode in Livingston, where he continued the drug business a short time. He was Post- master of Livingston during the administration of Presi- dent Arthur, and when Park county was formed he was appointed its Treasurer, being elected twice to succeed himself in that office. In 1892, being elected Treasurer of the State of Montana, he resigned his county office in order to enter upon the more arduous duties of his present position, in which he is now rendering a high degree of satisfaction.

Mr. Wright has been a Free and Accepted Mason for many years. Ile was one of the organizers of Livingston Lodge, No. 32, of which he served as Master three terms. Ile is a member of the Chapter, the Commandery and the Shrine, and has held the office of Deputy Grand Com- mander of Knights Templar of the State.

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

" A sufficient quantity of limestone for build- ing may easily be procured at the junetion of the rivers: it does not lie in regular strata, but is in large, irregular masses, of a light color, and apparently of an excellent quality. Game, too. is very abundant, and as yet quite gentle. Above all, its elevation recommends it as prefer- able to the land at the confluence of the rivers, which their variable channels may render very insecure. The northwest wind rose so high at eleven o'clock that we were obliged to stop till about four in the afternoon, when we proceeded till dusk. On the south a beautiful plain sepa- rates the two rivers, till, at about six miles, there is a piece of low, timbered ground, and a little above it bluffs, where the country rises gradnally from the river. The situations on the north are more high and open. We en- camped on that side, the wind, the sand which it raised, and the rapidity of the current having

prevented our advancing more than eight miles. During the latter part of the day the current became wider, and crowded with sand-bars. The game was in such plenty that we killed only what was necessary for our subsistence. For several days past we have seen great num- bers of buffalo lying dead along the shores, some of them partly devoured by the wolves. They have either sunk through the ice during the winter, or been drowned in attempting to cross; or else, after crossing to some high bluff, have found themselves too much exhausted either to ascend or swim back again, and per- ished for want of food: in this situation we found several small parties of them. There are geese, too, in abundance, and more bald eagles than we have hitherto observed, the nests of these last being always accompanied by those of two or three magpies, who are their insepara- ble attendants."

CHAPTER IV.

FIRST OFFICIAL REPORTS ON THE ANIMALS, CLIMATE, SOIL AND SCENERY OF MONTANA.

丁 HE climate, like the soil of Montana, has from the first been esteemed rare and re- markable.

But to proceed across the Rocky mountains with the first men in Montana: Here is what Captain Lewis found in the great wonder-world on his approach. The picture is perfect and in such vivid setting, too, that it is pleasant to contemplate it. He seems to have seen every- thing soil, wood, water, plums, grasses- every- thing to be seen but gold! and we fall to won- dering what might have been the future history of civilization the world over had they dis-

covered gold, silver and precious stones, these first inen in Montana! The journal says:

" April 29 .- We proceeded early with a moderate wind. Captain Lewis, who was on shore with one hunter, met, at about eight o'clock, two white bears. Of the strength and ferocity of this animal the Indians had given us dreadful accounts; they never attack him but in parties of six or eight persons, and even then are often defeated, with the loss of one or more of the party. Having no weapons but bows and arrows, and the bad guns with which the traders supply them, they are obliged to ap-

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

proaeh very near to the bear; and as no wound except through the head or heart is mortal, they frequently fall a sacrifice if they miss their aim. He rather attacks than avoids man; and sneh is the terror he has inspired that the In- dians who go in quest of him paint themselves, and perform all the superstitions rites custom- ary when they make war on a neighboring nation. Hitherto, those we had seen did not appear desirons of encountering us; but, although to a skilled rifleman the danger is very much diminished, the white bear is still a terrible animal. On approaching these two, both Captain Lewis and the hunter fired, and each wounded a bear. One of them made his escape; the other turned upon Captain Lewis and pursued him for seventy or eighty yards; but, being badly wounded, he could not ran so fast as to prevent him from reloading his piece, which he again aimed at him, and a third shot from the hunter brought him to the ground. It was a male, not quite full-grown, and weighed about 300 pounds. The legs were

THE MONTANA UNIVERSITY, situated on the electric road near the city of Helena, had the foundation stone of its fine college building laid in 1889. In 1890 the build- ing was completed. It is 110 x 140 feet, five stories in- cluding basement and attic, and is finished and furnished throughout. The culinary department and beating ap- paratus are in the hasement, reception and assembly rooms on the first floor, and students' rooms on the floors above. The supply of excellent water is abundant, and its three bath rooms on different floors are furnished with both hot and cold water. The ladies' apartments are en- tirely separate from those of the gentlemen. Young ladies and gentlemen meet in the recitation room, dining hall, and at socials, in which the professors participate. The whole building is heated by the hot-water system, considered by far the most equable and healthful. The walls are of brick and granite, and the building, as a whole, is a most substantial and beautiful piece of archi- tecture. It is just three miles from the city of Helena, and the electric railroad stops at University Place, by which the grounds are hereafter to be known This loca- tion is a choice one. Helena is in full view and the scenery in every direction is picturesque and beautiful. Good ventilation, equable beating, good water and

somewhat longer than those of the black bear, and the claws and tusks much larger and longer. Its color was a yellowish brown, the eyes small, black and piercing. The front of the fore legs of the animal, near the feet, is usually black, and the fur is finer, thicker and deeper than that of the black bear; added to which it is a more furious animal, and very remarkable for the wounds which it will bear without dying.

" We are surrounded with deer, elk, buffalo, antelope, and their companions, the wolves, who have become more numerons, and make great ravages among them. The hills are here much more rough and high, and almost over- hang the banks of the river. There are greater appearances of coal than we have hitherto seen, the strata of it being in some places six feet thick, and there are also strata of burned earth, which are always on the same level with those of the coal.

" * * * The game continnes abundant. We killed the largest male elk we have yet seen. On placing it in its natural erect posi-

good drainage are essential to health, and bere all have been secured. The altitude is 3,800 feet. Indeed, no more suitable locality for a seat of' learning could be found in America.

The University is divided into two general depart- ments, the Collegiate and Sub-collegiate. The first em- braces those courses of instruction whose graduates re- ceive a degree, and the second department embraces the following subordinate departments: college preparatory, English normal, common school, commercial, shorthand, typewriting, military, music and art. Besides these, two courses of study are offered, the seminary and industrial science, which embrace studies from other courses; also a common-school education for those needing it. The seminary course is designed simply as a cultural course, complete in itself, for those students who may not wish to take a full college course. The industrial science course is one of great importance, as it unites the cul- tural with the practical and technical, and will be emi- nently useful to young men. It furnishes also a good preparation for admission to the best scientific schools in the East.

The trustees of the Montana University are as follows: llon. Wilber F. Sanders, president ; llou. Richard Lockey,

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

tion, we found that it measured five feet three inches from the point of the hoof to the top of the shoulder. The antelopes are yet lean, and the females are with young. These fleet and quick-sighted animals are generally the victims of their curiosity. When they first see the hunters, they run with great velocity: if he lies down on the ground, and lifts up his arm, his hat, or his foot, they return with a light trot to look at the objeet, and sometimes go and re- turn two or three times, till they approach within reach of the rifle. So, too, they some- times leave their floek to go and look at the wolves, which crouch down, and, if the antelope is frightened at first, repeat the manœuvre, and sometimes relieve each other, till they decoy it from the party, when they seize it. But, gener- ally, the wolves take them as they are crossing the rivers; for, although swift on foot, they are not good swimmers.

"May 3 .- The weather was quite eold, the ice a quarter of an inch thick in the kettle, and the snow remained on the hills, though it had

first vice-president ; Rev. Jacob Mills, second vice-presi- dent; James U. Sanders, secretary, and Hon. Fred Gamer, treasurer. The following trustees were elected by the Montana Methodist Conference, with their term of office to expire in 1893: Rev. W. W. Van Orsdell, Rev. Will- iam Rollins, A. B., D. D., Hon. Fred Gamer, and J. J. Aylesworth, Esq .; term of office to expire in 1894-Rev. Jacob Mills, Rev. George D. King, A. M., IIon. J. E. Rickards and Hon. Richard Lockey; term of office to ex- pire in 1895-Rev. F. P. Tower, A. M., D. D., Rev. Frank E. Brush, A. M., B D., Hon. Wilber F. Sanders, and IIon. John W. Thompson. The Board of Trustees elected the following members, with lerms to expire as given: 1893 Il. L. Hamilton, Esq., Mrs. H. II. Barnes, and Joseph Scott, Esq .; 1894-IIon. Massena Bullard, James Maul- den, Esq., and W. Il. II. Dickerson, Esq. ; 1895-Hon. A. G. Clark, Hon. W. A. Chessman, and Peter Winnie, Esq.

Faculty: F. P. Tower, A. M, D. D., President, in- structor in ethics, psychology and philosophy ; J. C. Tem- pleton, B. S., science and mathematics; Osmer Abbott, A. B., modern languages, Latin and English ; Mrs. M. S. Cummins, preceptress, modern languages, Latin and Eng- lish; Miss Laura Fitch, common English ; Miss Mary Jackman, principal of the shorthand and typewriting de-

melted from the plains. The wind. too, con- tinued high from the west, but not so violently as to prevent our going on.

"At two miles from our encampment we passed a curious collection of bushes, about thirty feet high and ten or twelve in diameter, tied in the form of a faseine, and standing on end in the middle of the low ground: this, too, we supposed to have been left by the Indians as a religious sacrifice. The low grounds on the river are much wider than common, sometimes extending from five to nine miles to the high- lands, which are much lower than heretofore, not being more than fifty or sixty feet above the lower plain. Through all this valley traces of the ancient bed of the river are everywhere visible; and, since the hills have become lower, the strata of coal, burned earth and pumice stone have in a great measure ceased, there being, in fact, none to-day.

" At the distance of fourteen miles we reached the mouth of a river on the north, which, from the unusual number of porcupines near it, we

partment; M. Francis Nunvar, piano, violin, organ and harmony ; Miss Bessie Stevens, vocal music; Miss Mary C. Wheeler, art director and instructor ; Rev. T. V. Moore, lecturer on English literature ; J. J. Leiser, M. D., lecturer on hygiene; Rev. I. Wesley Hill, lecturer on special topics; Prof. R. G. Young, lecturer on didactics, etc .; Rev. F. E. Brush and Chaplain C. C. Bateman, lecturers on special topics.

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An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 5

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