Rocky Mountain husbandman., 1884-08-21

upon with admiration, as also were the
premises of Anderson q Harris.
AS ! stepped from the cars at Big Timber,
! the conductor, breakmen, neWsboy and
others connected with the train, were walk
ing rapidly towards the Town saloon, and
Deputy Sheriff Conrad was following close
! ly in the rear. Entering the house through
the crowd l found Mr.. Conrad smilingly
engaged in putting handouts on Neel Muir
phy. the stage rObber and horse thief, who
broke jail at Helena recently. He had been
arrested by the citizens just before the train
arrived. When the excitement was over
had an interview with the prisoner, and
learned from his own story that he dug out
of the Jail with his pocket knife, covering
the stone taken out with his bedding. Re-
ferring to the efforts of himself and COM
rades to get away with the stolen horses,
he said it was "a great adventure" He
gave glowing account of the fight with
John Heating and party at Henrys Lake.
He was the one who rode the gray horse
and did so much close shooting. He thought
English George was the only good marks
man in the party, as bullets from his rife
played very close to him. He said that
after Keatin's party had captured the horses
he followed them mp and retook them. He
also stated that the band of thieves going
out of the Territory at that time were divid-
ed into three parties, one of which went out
through Horse Prairie, his party going
south, while the other went east. Murphy
is not particularly bright. If he had COM
mitted a murder believe the plea of insani-
ty would be successful.
Big Timber is beautifully located town,
and one, too, that has many commercial
advantages. 1t is the natural galway to
the Rocky Mountains, and commands a
wider business field than many of our old
well built towns. The Grow reservation,
the western line of which is within two
miles of the place, doubtless will before
many years be opened to settlement and
become thickly populated. This addition
of trade to the business which the place will
have built from its present advantages as
supply point to the Musseshell, Judith and
Sweet Grass country, will naturally make
Big Timber a big town, and in all probable
ty the Denver of the Yellowstone. The
town boasts OF two stores, two saloons. one
hotel, and my stay there convinced me that
all were prespering. The shipments of
wool at this point probably will exceed that
of any other along the Northern Pacific.
Already something over 100000 pounds had
been shipped, and the crop had only gotten
fairly under way. The clip of Grande Bros,
A. McGregor and the Smith Bros, among
the largest wool growers III the country,
had yet to arrive tor loading in the cars
The proprietor of the hotel, Mr.. w. X.
Bramble, is an old timer of this country.
He is genial and attentive to business, keeps
a good house, and has hos s of warm friends.
The principal merchants are Messrs. Allen
& Merilees. They have been in business
about d year. have a good store building
and warehouse, and are carrying full
stock of goods and agricultural machinery,
such as their extensive trade demands. The
The Hatch Bros. stage line office is at their
store. This line goes through to Martins
dale in one day, making three round trips
every week and doing Il large passenger and
carrying business. The bridge which is
being built across the Yellowstone river at
this place is now well under way. The
piers have been erected except the last halt
OF the center one which will soon be COM
pleted, and it is highly probable the whole
work will be completed by October lst. 1t
will cost nearly $4,000 and will be splen-
did structure. | regretted that during my
short visit did not meet Mr.. G. S. Poage
and c. Chttenden, who are prosperous resi-
dents. hoped to ride over Hatch Bros.
stage line, stop off at Robert McLatchey's
halfway station and pay visit to the homes
of W. A. Harrison, Mrs. Coleman Pnett, AL
Harrison, Hansart & Shanks, p. NJ. Whea-
ton, E. Salisbury, VIM. Puett, John Cook
q Bro, and II. O. Hicks, but decided after
reaching Big Timber to deter it until later
in the season. WILL.
GREELY- FALSE ORs-CANNIRALISM