The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1883-06-27
The Chronicles of the Yellowstone.
An Accurate Description Of Country ndans the Early
Settlers Their Struggles with the Aborgines and
Interesting "reminiscences Gathered from
The Early Pioneer.
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CHAPTER XII.
THE DrsCoyERY OF THE CLARKEs FORK
xIxU-EvAR1s LOST FOR THIRrY-NINE
DAYS IN THE PARK.
In the spring of 1870, an expedition
was organised at Cheyenne, Wyoming,
TO prospect the Big Horn range and prob
ably the Black Hills. Just as it was
ready TO start an order came from the
Secretary of War, instructing the COM
mandant at Fort Russell, to stop it; and
not till its leaders had solemnly promised
not to 20 to the places spoken Of, was it
allowed to move. Some of its members
now backed out, but the remainder, l2O
in number, concluded to 60 on and pros
pect the country between the Big Horn
and Rocky Mountain ranges. The expe-
dition went up the Platte river, to the
mouth of Sweetwater, and up that stream
to Burnt Station; thence across the
Sweetwater mines to Wind river. The
day before this party came away from
the mines, three men had left there with
a team and wagon to go to the. post on
Little Wind river. Just after they cross
ed Po Pa Argie creek, they were attacked
By Arnpahoes and killed. They had
TUNED up their wagon box for a cover to
protect them, and had fought long time
for the ground near the wagon was
strewn with cartridge shells. The expe-
dition took their bodies to Camp Brown,
where they were buried. One Of the
three was Harvey Morgan, an old timer
from the Yellowstone.
The expedition crossed the Owl Creek
range and prospected every stream from
there to Sinking Water. Here it divided
and part went back, but the greater num-
ber came on to the Yellowstone. This
party brought with them cannon that
has become historic and bears the name
Of the Big Horn Gun. The expedition
dissolved on this river. Some ofits MEM
bers stayed in the country and took a
hand in the expeditions Of lS74-75. Com
stock, the discoverer Of the great Nevada
mines, that bear his name, joined the
expedition at Miners Delight, Wyoming,
and came through to Bozeman. He was
at times respondent to the verge OF
lunacy. In one of these spells he COM
mitted suicide by pistol shot, during
the ensuing fall.
Early in this summer James Gourley,
Ed. Hibbard, Horn Miller and Bart Hen
: derson outfitted and started from the
Crow agency for prospecting trip in the
mountains. They went up the river to
the mouth of Bear gulch and up that to
its head. They prospected the divide on
each side from here to the head of Soda
Butte creek, finding in the latter place
some float galena ore, and small gold
prospects IN the gravel of the creek.
They then went down Clarke's Fork a
short distance and finding nothing on
this stream went up to and crossed the
divide near Pilot Knob and down to the
east fork of the Yellowstone; crossingth this
they went up on speciman ridge and
over to where they could look into the
lower end of the Grand Canyon of the
Yellowstone; then back to the ridge.
which they followed up for quite a dis
tance, then across the east fork again and
up creek to a high mountain from
which heads the north fork of Sinking
Water, Crandall creek and the east fork
of the Yellowstone. The party laid over
here to examine the country. In the
forenoon of the first day after their aEri-
val a band of Indians dashed into camp
and drove off all of their horses. The
party now cached their things and went
across the mountains to the agency.
They chose and went on trail impassa-
BILE for horses and arrived tired out and
willing to rest. The stream on which
they cached their things now bears the
name of Cache creek.
They told their tale at the agency and
expressed their intention of going back.
Some others concluded to 20 with them
and Sam Shively, Pat O'Hara, Banks,
Parker, Dutch Bill, with all of the origi-
nal party but Bart Henderson went up the
] Boulder to the divide, and along that to
where the ore had been found. They
went to work at once and q vein of ar
gentiferous galena was soon found by
Horn Miller. Several lodes were discov-
cred and staked this fall, but the locality
being very high 10000 feet above the
sea level), snow soon came and drove the
prospectors out.
Bozeman's paper, the Rck and Plou
gave the mines great name, and many
people drawn by its glowing accounts
came to the country the ensuing spring
the writer of this being one of the num-
her. The placer mines proved of nc
value, but many good lodes Of silver
bearing ore was found, but this section
I. being on the Crow reservation, capita
could not be induced to invest and the
mine owners just represented and ne
more. In 1882 all ofthat part of the res
ervation lying in the Rocky Mountains
was ceded to the government and severa
sales have been made in this district
since.
Accounts of the Yellowstone lake ant
falls and the Madison geysers were at
tracing much attention through the Ter
ritory, and party left Helena in July o
this year, 1870, to explore that country
Judge Lawrence and Messrs Gillette 4
Evarts were in the party. They joint {
Gen. Washborn and Liert Doanes' ex
pedition at Mammoth Hot Springs, ant
together went up the Yellowstone to th'
head of the lake, where Evarts was lost
He left the party to climb hill that wa
about two miles to the left of the trail
In coming back he lost the way in tn
thick pines with which this country i
covered and missed his party, who trav
eled but a few miles, and as he did no
come in camped. Men were sent bacl
to hunt for him. They ranged tn