Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, D.T. [N.D.]) 1875-1878, 1878-08-02


all phases OF river life.
You have been up the river bcfore:" querie
'he reporter.
| ,r. wen, reckon have been mp there severa
Times,
| .Can You give a little history OF navigation
upon inc upper Missouri: ltwould certainly b.
interesting. 57 +
Nv ell. reckon might talk long time abon
matters and things on the Missouri. but the oil
man can 40 II better than can. and II you re
mind to get ont of this sun, and walk up to 81
Ollve street with me, shuldnt wonder but wha
you VIII get about what you want.
II ne Old man on the river means the particu
, lar man n who has the most to say about things
VAIN the crew 'tIc old man ls the captain
win that parsonage II ls the owner SO 1.-THE oil
man was on thls occasion found IN the persoI
OF COL d. u. Baker, the st. Louis representative
OF mammoth northwest supply ana transporta
line '"'' "nN'' 'n' N"'ne "a 'Ae D"A'
Said r., po,,or .s;t ,,;rh+- h.. n ;,+or.,. O.. .,
nnhI;c -, ino1of ~ sn oe VI ~ inteies' " 'n'
- Ats''N V 'NA
EARLY DAYS OF BOATING
on the Missouri. 1t was St. Louis firm that frs,
opened up the northwest 10 trade and ciyiIiza
tion. Pierre Chouteau, Jr. 6 Co. was the nam.
OF the firm thOuo.l th.y were, better Eno,yn n.
the American Fur Co. This was away hack in
the early th1r,ics and for thirty ycars and more
the Choutcaus held monoplyof the northwest
fur trudc They conducted business OF a mann
moth scale, and built. owned and naintaincd
Forts Pierre. .Union Berthold Fort Benton and
Fort Sarpy on the Yellowstone Their one boa,
made but one trip a year. taking up supplies and
money and returning with buffalo skins and 9th.
cr hides. They found it impossible for 4 long
time to get beyond the present site of Ft Bufurd,
then Fort Union, at the mouth Of the Yellow
stone, although they could reach Fort SHroy on
the Yellowstone. \ big business in flrs and
at great expense and labor that ticy we're obtain
ed and supplies sent overland by OK trains
lit was cherished ambition of the old com
pany TO sc; their supplies through TO Ft Benton
by steamer, and many attempts we're made. :, In
1858. after being Obliged to turn back twice a
boat forced its way through TO Fort Benton. 1t
was ST. Louis boat in every respect. and the
success attending this effort was luuded through
out the west as it opened M glorious country
to the rcaci, OF trade Twice that year the boat
got through 10 RI Eenton. ana the trip ceased 10
mind'.J nj nf W. D""'' vas q 'n'9 ni'''n' ''
, ia.. .r-... .. ..-.
~ TX io'A
Business at the forts was done with the In
dlans Incy iad readliy acquired the taste lor
hrS Mater. which mas always Obtained WIN the
reu 1nal Since ne came IN contact Win ciVll1Za-
ton. In the spring of 1889. some one OF the
agents OF the company was smuggling TWO bar-
!e'S VI aehohoi Ill .he hoiuol Tue steamer through
10 ~ 1 ott ~ Eent9i. phe nlshx Mhen the noat was
a ano' ~ niles aoosc sns aei'ows.1ne. Geek
Ut supper aho ciInDco lHto me Eoia WIN Sin!et
ana an strai.' 70 sst qnlct swiS at the aich9ho
ne TOOK iignteu cahdie WIN MN lie borcd the
hoie, ana tne iiauld spuFied out. IL lghitcd from
thc candle IN ah instant inc ooat was wrapped
IN iiamcs ana n an hour she was burned to the
Wate! cage. lhc dcck-hahd Paia win MS NE
for liquor. ana the FUR company sustained 4 loss
OF :iDW al on account OF TWO barrels o! aIcho-
MOI; whlch they nad no business to carry
Having related this incident: and having duly
impressed the moral contained il it. Col. Baker
resigned:
wen. IN 1903 the Montana mining lever broke
out, aiiG ,nc'i came nusn tihes On me His=ouri
river; Boats Degan 10 set up TO Fort Benton ana
hltic lo"h sprung up uhcc. tnc shanOw o! Inc
Tort. II was then that fancy prices were paid to
steamDoathcn.
a.
Piot. sot such salaries as Sl'oo month IN those
I..nt 4t,ss, t~,,.o he s;;,-co =, COW ..po.,.o,,
YOU heard about right.
ruoru.xn ro,,.,S <oru.Sc
actHuii! rciu:cu S--in moH'!l as piIoi- because
was engaged with another boa! nt Si.6D
month tor the season: bn: tncE don pay any
such wages now not ny decided jug 'uil. 1hIs
iael very s!oW ana rcntctl'ciy.
what did deck hands get then! question b.
reporter.
''Oh: as hiSh as s-cc month.
"A ucCk-HaIG Mist nave been quite dls-
tIngu!shcd citizen at tina; tl!nc:
"a Duke was nothing ine; are not much pct
ter now. 1t l. easy enough TO get men 10 go 10 the
mountains Tor S25 month bHt II lS not easy 10
get them to come. back for legs than so ard $40.
But talking about the early days. II used TO be
considered something wonderful FOR a boat TO
make the round trip In ninety days. Why the
Macleod will reach Fort Benton i'll 20 days. ard
she could get back in about - days. This upper
Missouri traffic has grown INTO great pTcpor;loie
since le53 The forts marked On III: maps al
represent liit.e Towns WIN lh.n:cs. Montana -
rapidly developing. and the immigration is i'm
proving Inc coiipictlcn oi Tie y: +. raiiroadt 10
bismarck mas done much towards eeve.3pins IN"
Ii VIII be man: :eaTs before the road Is
pushed any further West. In fact. railroad from
Fort Benton to Helena is mich Nearer pc-sibl-
ity. Inc distance Is hnt iio miles. Al present
oood road from BENTON by OK train. a dozen
boats are now enpIuyed on the river between Bis
murck and n BENTON.
What future has Fort Bcuton:'' oueried the
..,,, ,,,.--,-,,r
A"Lo'''"Sa
I is now the most important supp!y, station i'll
the Northwest. being. as il is. tic hcadqiaricrsoi
the Baker line. when Is 10 the Northwest what
the Wells. Fargo i Co. overland express used 10
be to the Far West.
Col. Baker then gave n little outline OF the
business OF the Eakcr line: They have four steam
boats on the Missouri. and employ uwards OF I'D
men in the management of OK trains. \ sketch
of one of these hangs upon the office wall. -Four
large covered wagons oi the builG pccH!iar 10 inc
plains arc coupled together and drawn By siE
yoke of oxen. These trains peHct :ate TO tie most
remote paris oil tie Northwest ana MahiioDa Inc
great supply firm Of j. G. Baker tS Co.. composed
of the gentlemen Interviewed, whose hcadquar-
tiers are in this city, and c. e. and W. f. Conrad
who arc ut Et. Benton have the contracts Tor sup.
plies Tor ;orts McCicod walsh Eni@arry ana I'd
monton. all Sarrlsons OF Canadian Mounted foilce
i'll Nanitoba. Col. Baker was confident that Fort
Benton could not become othcrWisc than the
city of the Northwest. nature having
uONc al sue cUulO III tuc uuttcE VI HatuTol aUNdH
ta.es.
'.lt strikes me as peculiar said the Colonel.
mat our -. LOUIS hiercnuIi.s "ic 70 s!o" III
,hnrn n mrst he that th.v are ipnoront of tL,
rrsnurccs Of the country and lis possibilities.
Thcv ,-r aiIovinr Oh; ;cago to come right il, and
..a.,,.,,,.,, ~
S'"'i iH'' w o1 ''
he property Of St: Louis by right OF discovery.
II some person who Understood ms business
should give 10 scrics oi newspaper letters pen
OF the country up tncre tell what the
people say, how they want TO 10 more business
md to grow, 1t would DC long before inc mcr-
.hants would wake up. and Instead OF the depart |
arc of a boat for the mountains being hut rari-
y subject for extended ncspapcr mention-it
would be nothing more fhan part OF the daily |
.ecord OF the river. Inc Doats can taRc itelSnts
rom st; Louis cheaper than Chicago can send it
~ rail through st. ttn!- Ouluth ana BISMARCK !
The Globe Democrat Il alivS 10 ihcsc thhgs; ana
CT IL call hiiciitoN ~ .i!s e'"sS: "hie " III hoi
llways remain open. A general discussion as to |
he commercial interest oi the mountain country |
ollowed: ana the reporter opened MS eyes.
Vow let us walk down to the boat ana see
What some OF ST. LoHis business men are SEND
n3 out taere.
..snr,,,,..,t ~. I "f fr,;,.6, nh"ard Cont;ny
tovcs always iound wncrs n ci'iiila',oh mas pene-
rated. canned ltti's; coni-o 'anps anu cill'a
cys. sides OF meat, barrels ol nour, boxes Oh