USA > Montana > Blaine County > In the land of Chinook; or, The story of Blaine county > Part 16
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This was really and truly a disappointment, that to be appre- ciated to the fullest extent, must have been felt to be thoroughly understood.
Mother and myself, with two of the young people, would leave the farm for the winter, thus placing the care of the stock in the hands of one who would be able to care for it; as it would be much more economical than to try and haul our wood as the boys had done the year before, thirty miles.
We had the flax seed for several acres of ground for the next year's seeding. We did succeed in getting several acres of new ground ready. We put the ground we had had the year before into flax into oats. We sowed a few acres of wheat but put most of our new land into flax. That year (1912) proved that nature could smile on the dry plains if she wanted to.
The birds came back and once in a while a bee could be seen flying among the flowers! Yes, flowers! Many beautiful bloom- ing plants came to beautify the scene and their delicate perfume filled the senses with pleasant memories. Every one who had
145
THE STORY OF BLAINE COUNTY
been fortunate enough to have land prepared had his hope, in a final success, renewed. It was a bumper crop.
How strange it is we do not have all our hopes fulfilled. It must be that being human-and full of mistakes-our desires are not wise ones, or they would culminate more often in pleasure.
So far as we were concerned (I mean all the new comers when I use the word we) the desires were by no means of a selfish nature. We had come to a new country with limited means, which had been too soon dissipated through, to me, the malicious action of Nature itself.
We had tried to produce our bread "By the sweat of our brow," and completely failed. The land had been prepared as well as we knew how, the seed had been sown and cultivation had been given, but Nature smiled in derision on every effort of puny man and withheld her assistance. without which man can accomplish no more than can the most microscopic specimen known to the scientist.
But this year nature smiled on all our work and the pro- duction was lavish throughout the whole world. As has been mentioned. we paid high prices for seed two years before, but when the bumper crop was ready for market the price had become so low-104 for flax, 15 cents for oats and sixty cents for wheat, that no one under those circumstances could make both ends meet.
This made the third season on our dry farm, two of which were complete failures, that would have made us objects of charity (as it did some others) if we had not had other means of support, and one fat one that did not much more than return the cost of production after the haul of thirty miles to the railroad had been made. Surely not much encouragement to one who had expected better results.
People began to feel discouraged and look forward to the time when it would be possible to get a title to something that appeared almost worthless-so they could go to some other place where there was a possibility of getting a sure return for their labor and capital. Others, who had been wiser and had fol- lowed the advice of the "Book farmer" (to summer fallow) had been more successful than those who had gone on heedless of the wisdom of the careful experimenter.
Man, himself, is not more erratic than nature. If there is any- thing in heredlitv man should be excused in the final reckoning for all his peculiarities of temperament and activities because his mother, nature, has treated him with more incivilities and actual punishment than could ever be dreamed of in the minds of man.
She had taught him to be selfish, as he has to hoard the accum- ulations of the fat seasons for the time which is sure to come, the lean ones. If it had taught him a sense of proportion, so he could
146
IN THE LAND OF CHINOOK
have known his needs, and secreted only enough to gratify them, then he would not have developed, to such an extent that he lost all sight of the needs of his neighbors in his blind greed for more than he could use, but which, if distributed, would have relieved the pressure on his more unfortunate brother and made his life a thing of pleasure and not a cause of remorse and misery. (I must admit that I am not writing a work on moral philosophy, simply the story of a new county in the great state of Montana.)
The dry years of 1910 and 1911 made the stockman laugh with glee. No longer could the "Scissorbill" possibly stay in a section that had so wilfully withheld all support.
The writer heard them as they were sitting in the shade of their more comfortable roofs, in town, say : "Another year will get them. They cannot stay." If the homesteader moved the stockman would be more than repaid for the few years' worry they had endured, because the buildings, wells and improvements would be left, things of value to them, but of no earthly use to the man who had tried and failed.
It has been the belief of the writer that those people who came to the state in 1910-11 were more unfortunate-if they were compelled to stay on their places-than were those who came later, when crops were actually raised through their first endeavors.
The years 1912-13-15-16 had proven conclusively that there was a possibility of making a home on the dry plains. The year 1913 had not by any means proved one full of success, but it had not been a failure. These years marked the destruction of the range for range purposes alone. Houses of more pretention began to take the place of the little black shack, stables displaced the sod hovel, trees were planted to break the monotony of the bleak prairie, schools and churches in convenient places had been erected, and peace and plenty began to cause the smile of con- tentment to suffuse the faces of many that had begun too soon to be lined with care.
All the known land that had any agricultural value, was soon in the hands of the private owner and began to take a money value, and was a thing sought for by those who would not at first believe.
We would like to write of some of those who have passed through the different stages and name them, but if we should give credit where due to the men and women who have helped to make the county of homes we would only have a book of or a list of names and not conditions.
We have given only a few of our own experiences, as thou- sands of people on the dry farms had the same that we did and they can lay claim to any thing in particular that they wish to
147
THE STORY OF BLAINE COUNTY
take home to themselves-as all went through about the same heartrending troubles before they were successful-if they had families.
The young men or young women were more fortunate, as they could leave and find employment in more favorable locali- ties.
Some one will tell the story of his or her life on the arid plains in such detail that the tears will flow down the cheeks of the sympathetic and the heart will throb in unison with him who was brave enough to stay and win success through hard and self-sacrificing endeavor.
That success has been won is proven by the fact that all the land was taken up in a few years and that elevators that once had not a bushel of grain, were full to bursting, and that instead of one or two in a county, dozens were needed; that banks, stores, churches and schools were multiplied in sections that only a few years ago was the home for a few stockmen whose cowboys and sheep herders "Were monarch of all they surveyed."
148
INDEX
INDEX
Page.
CHAPTER I.
The First Inn, Etc. 7
CHAPTER II.
Squawmen 15
CHAPTER III.
Buffalo and Their Hunters 20
CHAPTER IV.
First Settlement of Whites. 23
CHAPTER V.
Prospecting and Mining. 32
CHAPTER VI.
The Church in Blaine County 37
CHAPTER VII.
Cowboy Days 44
CHAPTER VIII.
Sheep Days 57
CHAPTER IX.
The Last Stand.
61
CHAPTER X.
Stories of Plainsmen 81
Billy Cochran 81
Wm. Bent. SS
Joseph Mosser.
99
George Herendeen 105
James H. Snell 112
Daddy Marsh, Curry Story 115
CHAPTER XI.
Charles M. Russell 119
CHAPTER XII.
Topography of County. .... 126
CHAPTER XIII.
Political History of Blaine County 127
CHAPTER XIV.
Dry Farming 135
149
C.a.
Page.
Aiken, Gene 61
Alexis
21
Canby, General 65
Captain John. 96
Carson, Kit. 88
Carter, Captain 78
Carver, Steven 29
Cecil, Al. 29-30
Arnoux, J. M. 35
Armstrong, Adam 24-83-85
Armstrong, R. A. 43
Arnett, Frank
49
Ashby, Col. Shirley 119
Assinniboines S
Baird, Capt. 90
Baird 43
Ballou
27
Bartzen
28
Barton, Chas. H
28-31-129-134
52-3
Bean. Jack 111-112
Bent, Col. SS
Bent, Bill
13-14-32-48-SS-9-99
Beilenberg, John 46
Beilenberg, Nick J0-58
Bevins. Bill
82
Blackstone, Donald L. 130
Blackfeet
7
Blivens, Taylor 195
Bogy, V. 22-27-28-37
Bogy, Tom. 101-2
Boll, Father. 40
Boone, Dan'l. 99
Bosley, Preston M.
130
Bostwick 111
Bourne, George
128
Bower, Bertha M.
121
Boyle, Frank 2S
Boyd, Geo. S2-3-98-24
Brampar, Louie. 82
Brewster, Horace 49
Brewer, James 99
Brewer. Rev.
43
Brisban, Major 107-S
Brisbeau
22
Broadwater, Col. 134
Brown, Jack.
82-3
Bryan, W. J GS
Buchanan, Buck 111
Buckley, Sheriff 116
Buckley, Mike 31
Buckley, Phil 30
Buffalo Bill 21
Burnes, T. C.
25-26
Butler, Vernon 130
Cabler, John. 120
Calamity Jane 103
Campbell, Prof. 137
Campbell, Tom
94
Campbell, Jim 92
Aldrich, Frank 32-33-35-36
Anderson, Bill
90-92
Anderson, Reese
35
Angstman
31
Arapahoes 7-8
Chapman, Arthur 96-7
Chinook, Who Named 27
Chrisler. Rev. 43
Claggett, Billy. 101
Clark and Daly. 133
Clendenning, Geo. 100-104
Cleveland, President
38
Coburn, Robert
130
Coburn, Bob.
49
Coburn, Wallace
5
Cochran, John
S2
Cochran, Billy
24-58-90-100
Collins, John. 130
Conklin, Charlie 82-90
Conrad, Chas. 30
Cowan, Geo. 27
Cowan, Minn. 59
Cowan, Scott. 59
Cowan, Arthur, Minn., Geo 60
Cooper, Housen 105
Cooper, Naney.
121
Crain, Tom 49
Crawford, Toney 123
Crawford, Hank 46
Culbertson. Major
91
Cumm, Lee
27
Curry Boys 29
Curry, Kid 115-116-118-119
Curry, Johnnie and Lonnie. 116
Curry, Hank. 115-116
Curtis, Miss Lizzie. 28
Custer
10S
Darwin 82
Davis, A. J 16-S
Dawes. Station 27
Day, Rev
43
"Delaware" Jim 66
Dempsey, Bob.
47
Denton. Drew
101
Devine. Richard 33
De Smet. Father
De Yon, Joe. 122
Dillon, John. 24-83-4-5
Dinier. Father
40
Dolman. Henry A 99
Dorrity, Mrs. James 80
Dowen, Thos.
98-130
Dryden, Charlie
110
Duke, William 28
Dutch Lonie. 29-32-3-5-6
Duncan, Willard 33
Du Boise, Judge.
118
Dwyer, Jimmie.
94
INDEX
Page.
Barrows, Gep.
150
INDEX
Page.
Eberschweiler, Father 37-8-9-43
Eckerson, Lieut. 77
Edwards, Sen. John 51
Ekergren, Ernest 31
Ellis, Lon. 31
Emery, Bill
86
Eulalia, Sister
41
English, Lieut.
61
Everett, T. M ..... 26-9-58-128-9-139-142
Everett, J. M. 26
Express, Pony 90
Featherly, Senator
51
Fenton, Agent 91
Field, Major 103
First Land Plowed.
7
First Irrigation Ditch
26
Flannigan, Jerry
134
Flynn, Tommy
52
Forgy, John
138
Fox, James E.
20
Fox
82
French, Walter 29
25
Gamble 49
Gibbon, General
8-63-70-79-107
Gibson, Paris
137
Glick, Dr. 47
Gill 118
Giorda, Father
37
Landon, Frank
52
Landusky 32-87-8-115-6
Leader, Jake
14-82-100
Leavenworth, Col.
90
Lee, John 29
Lehfeldt, Julius 38
Lepley, John
35
Letcher 28
Lewis, Johnnie 27
Lewis and Clark 61
Lincoln, Major
103
Lincoln, Mrs. W. L.
23
Linfield, Prof. 137-9
Linderman, Frank 52-121
100
Looking Glass
65-8-9-70
Lohman, A. S 29-56-92
Logan, Major
42
Logan, Capt.
64
Lowery, K. 123
Maginnis, Martin Hon. 133
Main, Bob
35
Mallison, Al 123
Maloney, Cris 59-60
Maney 28
Manning, Mrs. John 29-31
Marlow, Tom 118
Marsh, F. M.
28-32-45-29-115-126
Martin, J. A.
43
?- 2
Jardine, William 138
Jerome, Lieut. 114
Jew Jake 117
Johnson, Albert S 90
Johnson, Liver Eating. 90-100-101
Johnson, William 130
Jones, Dick 82
Jones, Bill 120-1
Jones J. Dwight 130
Joseph, Chief
63-5-8-71-78-9-80-1-
94-97-114
Josephine, Sister
41
Kaufman, Louie 120
Keiser, Henry
81
Kelsey
27
Kemp, Charlie 31
52
Kennedy, E. M. Kennedy, J. M
128
Kenyon, Dan'l. C. 130
123-4
Keyes, Cris
33-5
Kinney 67
Kingsbury 27
Kohrs, Con
15-6-9-50
Kosciusco, Dr. 130
Kuhr, Jurgan 58
Larpenture
12
Goff, Cortez 64
Gorsuch, Bob 139
Grant, General 37-41-90-102
Grant, John 48
Grant, Jesse 102
Great Northern R. R. 25-6
Grinell 91
Gros Ventres 7-8
Grounds, Frank
106-111
Haddow
75
Haley, Tom 35
Hale, Captain. 76-7
Hamilton, Bill 13-32-91-111
Hammer, A. W
43
Hanson, Chias.
21
Hardrick, John 82
Harlan 63-9
Hart, Bill
31
Hatch, Mr.
29
Healey, Col. 41
Herendeen, Geo
33-105-9
Hill, J. J.
138-40
Holmes
56
Iloover, Jake.
120
Hopkins, Dr. Clias. F.
28
Houston, Samuel. 28
Howard, General .... 27-64-9-79-1-3-8-80
Hubble, Lewis. 98
Huidekoper 120
Lomire and Lee
28-124-5
Logan, Geo.
29-130
Kendrick, J. B.
Kester, W. C.
$50,000 Check
Page.
151
INDEX
Page.
Martin, Bill
S2-4-5
Matherson, Martha
31
Matt. Cyprenne 24-35
Matt. Alex
67
Meadors, Senator
51
Meldrum
92
Merchant, Fred
91
Middleton, A. G.
130
Miles, General 22-13-73-4-6-7-8-9-81- 94-5-6-7-114-135
Mills, Rev. Jacob 42
Miller, Wallis 119
Miller, Col.
64
Minugh, "Daddy"
32
Montgomery
94
Montgomery, William
49
Moody, Dr.
62
Morehouse, John
82-87
Mosser, Joe
14-58-99
Murphy. Spud
32
McCone, Senator
51
Resor, A. II. 27-S
McCommick 107
McDonald
90
McGregor
94
McKinzie
32
McNamara 128
McQuirk 67
Neibaur. Isaac 130
Nelson, Ole. 29
Nelson, Prof. 139
Nevins, O. B. 82-3
Newton, Henry 82
Nicholson, I. 41
Nicholson, Murray 95
Norris, G. R.
100
Norris, Edwin L.
136
Norton, Harry
23
Noyes, Raymond 140
Oker, Joseph
136
Old Nosey 92
Olson, B. G. 58-104
Owens. Chas. 29
Owens. Frank
53-4
Shelby. Nigger
31
Short, Miss A. L.
130
O'Neal. Frank 28-118-124
Shultz.
104-44
Sinclair
121
Sitting Bull 78-96-106
Skillen, Billy
32-34-35-117
Smith. John R 49
Smith. Chas. A. 29-32-35-141
Smith, Frank 100
Smith. Billy 02-01
Snell. James II .. 112
Snyder. Captain 76-7-114
Solomon, Mose 94
Picket, Col. 109
Pinkerton
56
Playmondin, Henry 30
Stam
28
Point, Father 37 Stadler & Kaufman. 53
Page.
Point, Priest's 38
Potts, Gov. 65-7
Potter, Capt. 33
Power. T. C.
28-102-3
Price, Ed.
Price, Kid 124-5
Quantrell 90
Rainbolt Bros. 28
Randall, Steve 37
Rash, Harry
32
Rawn, Capt.
64-6-7
Ray. Thos.
99
Raymond
28
Reavis, Old Man
21
Reed, Bill
31
Reed, Chub
52
Reed
02-4
Reservation Open 25
Rhoades, Jay 31-52
Richardson 112
Rideont 27
Riel, Louis 29
Roberts. I. N.
43
Robertson, John
64
Roberts, Ben.
120
Rodgers. Allen
43
Rosenbaum Bros.
53
Russell, C. M. 22-52-119-122-3-4-5
Russell, Tom
ST
Russell, Mrs. C. M. 121
Saddler, Jack 31
Sands, W. R. 31
Sands, W. B. 28-130
Sanders. Col. 134
Saver, Frank 59
Scott. Lee
32
Seiben, Henry 49
Schultz 31
Shambow, Louie 21-12-73-79
Shankland, Sam 106
O'Hanlon, Tom.
.. 27-8-30-38-14-5-103-4
O'Neal, Mrs. Frank. 118
Paxon, Ed 126
Pease. Major 107
Pease, Dave 24
Pepin, Simon
45
Pepperberg 36
Perkins, Jeff
82
Phelps. Jesse 120
Phillips, B. D 7-52-58-130-1-3
Spencer. Dr. W. B 12
Sprinkle Bros. 5S
152
INDEX
Page.
Page.
Stevens, Judge
28-67
Story, Nels
106-7
Stringfellow. Rev.
43
Wells, Jim
24-82-92-100
Stuart, Bob
52-123
Stuart, Granville
15-50
Sullivan, Sarah
89
Whitehead, J. 2S
Whitson. Bert
99
Wild Bill 103
Tabor, Steve 92-4
Talcum Powder
12
Taylor, L. B.
19-51-130
Terry, General
108
Thompson, Rev. Peter
41
Thomas, John 91-2-4
Woodruth, Lieut.
64-72
Thompson, John
123
Thornhill, Jim
117-119
Titus, N. C.
77
Toomey, Joe
5S
Wynkoop
27
Treacy, Dr.
53-56-7
Trimble
123
Turner. Henry
142
Twete, Hans
139
Ziebarth
2-28
Williams, Charlie
49-101-124
Williams, Bill
S2
Williams, Dr.
21)
Willson, "Two Dot"
51
Winters 116-S
Wise, Mrs. J. A.
29
Woolridge. W. N. 28
Woolsey, Eph.
9
Wye, Joe
91
"Yellowstone Kelley" 73-5
Umstet 39
Waite, Jack 119
White Bird
97
Sweeney
96
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY This book is DUE on the last date stamped below
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