Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1885-07-23
MY FIRST NIGHT IN MONTANA.
The Experiences Of a Miner IN the
EARLY Days Of Montana. A Close
Call From the 1io,iIantes.

The first night which I spent i
Montana Territory came SO near be
ing my last one on earth, that to thi
day the recollection Of it sends
thrill along my nerves. 1t was six
teen years ago, in 1869, and [ was b,
no means a ''tenderfoot" even then
for | had spent year III Colorado
another in Arizona, six months j,
California, and about as much more
III Oregon. Now IN the regular ordal
Of peregrinatica which a young MAJ
once fairly atioat in the far West, i
apt to follow out, I Swung round
into Idaho and thence headed for Tir
ginia City, Bannacl1 City and Miles
City.
Why was I going there? Gold, anG
as a miner and an honest one: [ can
honestly claim 50 much; III fact, I was
rather too ''lnnocent' ffor that place.
IS my story viii show. Montana was
a hard country then; may say SO
now, with no offence to its good citi-
zens Of to-day They viii all agree
with ne [ think The Henry Plum
mer gang" was not then all cleared
out, though most determined yigi-
lance committee, composed Of the
''best men" in the Territory, had al
ready hanged score or two Of them.
without judge Or jury process.
Such rude acts Of justice are apt to
make eastern people shudcer. But
really, Montana could never have
been settled without its ''vigilantes"
and the aid of lynch law. The Plum
mer gang Of road agents and robbers
had previously terorized everybody,
and had brought all business to a
standstill. It was impossible to pos
sess any property Of value and live.
Court and law there were none
This condition Of things lasted for
year or two Then the honest ele-
ment rallied and formed secret league.
sworn to establish order, or die in the
attempt.
From 1867 to 1880 the vigilantes
sometimes had peculiar symbol
which a rogue sometimes found af-
fixed to his cabin door on morning,
or otherwise posted where he could
not fail to see it. 1t sisnified that his
further residence in the Territory was
not desired-in a word it meant 'sgo,"
and If he was wise man he obeyed
the hint thus conveyed sometime that
day, and did not return.
But as this mystic symbol has to do
with my story, I will speak Of it in
that connection.
On the afternoon in question was
jogging forward, perched ON mule,
with my outfit la5ked and cinchel to
the back of another, expecting to get
to Bannack by sunset; and / should |
have done so but for taking a wrong
trail, eight miles back, and going off
to the east Of the town. 1t length, t
seeing shanty with smoke, down
beside creek among a copse OF dia-
mond willows, I rode in to inquire !
my way.
A lank, quick-eyed man of twenty
two or three appeared at the door as
[ came through the willows, nd I
noticed that he seemed to regard NV
approach very sharply, not to say sus-
piciously. But [ did not much won
der at that, for all strangers are sus-
plclous characters in these settle
ments.
| noticed, too, what did arouse in
ne certain queer feeling Of curios-
ty, namely, a placard Of white paper,
about seven inches square, pinned to
The trunk Of a cottonwood ten Or
5welye feet from the cabin door. On
his placard, roughly drawn with a
very black pencil, was most traculent-
" grinning skull with crossbones, un-
lerneath which We're the large figures
g 33-7-77."
At that time [ knew nothing what
sver OF the interpretation Of this ca
oallstic inscription; had never even
leard Of it. ] merely glanced at it,
hen addressed myself to the occu-
pant OF the shanty and asked my way
o Bannack. Meantime Grow Indi-
N squaW made her appearance at the
ioor.
''Nell, you have missed your way"
eplied the man, il exceptionally good !
English; not at all Of the frontier
ort, nor were his tone and infection
7hat We usually heard in those parts
It that time.
''You are a matter Of eleven miles
'ut Of the city, he continued, re-
'ardlng me closely as he spoke. i
loubt il you could get there tonight.
he trail is blind one. But (he
vent on in tons that seemed to con
ey to me some occult signifcance) Il
N rather looking for a party Of old !