The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1883-07-25

O0AH x61 Av4 OVNSANOs~s
m. mn o, yur 80. &.
In February 1875 oidsncaae rom the
1aterior Depatment at' Warrington to
change the aesncy from Mission creek to
saltwater. Agent Clapp put men right
to work and by the first Of April the
buildihss ss Shs new Crow Headquarters
were far enough advanced to move into.
At pearly tho same time Horace Coun-
tryman, who had kept . trading post for
the Indians opposite the Mission creek
agency, went dows the liver and built
him . large log hoase. ~ above and on
the opposite side 6f tho Aver from the
mouth Of edllwatsr, and stocking il with
goods had quite trade with the Indians
and tzappsrA
Soon aftsr Coantryman had started in
Hugh Hoppy, who had been running .
hotel and salooo at Benson's Landing,
sent party of mn dewnto saltwater to
build him . house suitSb1e for his bus.
iness.
One day while putting up the logs for
this building the boys were surprised by
. queer visitor. He was . small wiry
built man apparently about sixty years
old. He had On . belt made Of . piece Of
rope. His coat had been cut of ct the
waist and the belt was attached by loops
to his jacket. Fastensd TO the belt was
toy pistol. that could BY no possibility
be induced Is % a: ! 'sin. box contain
ing Aint, steel and tiaAsr, -and- another
that held large quantity Of string and
several Ash-hooks; hanging between the
boxes, without scabbsrd, was butcher
knife thas I'D ssen long aad hard serv-
ice. IN 4 a. fsfS
His r1nhtat ~ bon showed that be
was haruuosnWanAss lunatics when
asked where he was going, his only
,answer was, to the end Of the road.
In an account of his wanderings that
he nave, 3 sppearedtAat he hadtraveled
CoaaanehD ~ Ines who though
hostiles, Id 1t stSbsblsa him, but in-
stead he'd been vsrv kind, for fool or .
madman i held sacred and are allowed
to have their own way by Ill Of the west
ern tribes.
He would not take matches, saying
that the Indians always wanted and took
them. He took little Aour, but said he
probably should throw il away. His
entire dependence for food, when away
from the setslsnents, wers his fsh-hooks
and lines, and snares for rabbits and
prairie dog, and he wanted nothing but
little salt TO take With him.
Not wishing him to 90 any further in
the Sioux country, the boys sent man
!. with him to the agency and asked them
not to 1t him 30 on. He stayed there
for . week and then disappeared.
About two months aftsrward, the
Crows found the body Of . white man
near the mouth Of Clarke's Fork, that had
been shot through the head. Nothing
had been taken from his person and the
Crows recognised him % the Grassy man.
The Indians by whom he was killed
must have come upon him unexpectedly
and shot him down before learning hi
character. This Indian, who could tell
by the fantastic rig that the old man
wore that he was . lunatic, must have
fed in dismay. for many gifts must be
made to the spirits and much bowling
done BY himself and squaw. before this,
.the greatest sin, could be atoned ioe.
This old man, who, possessed by .
.restles spirit, had wandered without
,object or aim for % many years, had
found rest. He had reached the end Of
the road. ~sse