The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1900, 1888-12-05
SPORT AMONG THE ROCKIES
Armed to the Teeth, Four New Workers
Take in the Mighty West.
From the Troy, N. Y, Daily Times.

~AAS
third was merchant; the fourth was a
newspaper man. We were all fred with
ambition to kill large game, catch big
hsh, and face ferocious Indians. That
ambition was gratified to a greater or less
extent, depending largely upon the pre-
vious experience and expectations of each
gentleman.
THEY WERE ARMED TO THE TEETH.
Each man had provided himself with
Martin rifle Of the most approved pattern
45-calibre, and cartridges loaded with
seventy and eighty-five grains of powder
and 4O5 and 285 grains of lead respective
ly. A box Of express bullets was carried
along for The purpose of experiment, as
It was said they possessed bone-crush-
ing power that no ordinary cartridge
could exert. Beyond question the ex-
press bulletis all that is claimed for it; it is
undoubtedly good thing in its way, but
no member of our party has any distinct
recollection of ever watching its effect on
game. We always carried in our belts
several express cartridges, but when we
saw big game we invariably had our rifle
magazines filled with ordinary cartridges.
Each sportsman had formidable looking
revolver with eight-inch barrel and forty
five bore. This weapon we found by ex-
perience entirely unnecessary and in fact
in the way. 1t might awe Indians; but it
was nuisance to the hunters. Lefever
and Parker shotguns and cartridges load
ed with No. 8, and B B shot were taken
along. Each man carried large hunting
knife, the blade of which when open was
kept firmly in position by spring.
We were all provided with handy
pocket compass for use in case we became
separated from the party and lost our
way. ..
GREAT ANXIETY FOR THEIR SAFETY.
The papers for week or ten days pre-
vious to our-departure had been full of
glowing accounts Of troubles with Indians
In the far West, and especially with the,
Sioux at standing Rock agency. Violent
and alarming speeches were made by the
most noted chiefs of the tribe, calling
upon their braves to resist any attempt at
invasion by white men and uttering
serious threats if the tribe were not allow
ed to remain 'undisturbed. Sitting Bull,
who had been identified with so many
cruel massacres, and whose very name is
suggestive of all that Is bloodth4rsty and
wicked in an Indian, was represented as
attending the "pow-wow'' and favoring
hostile demonstrations against their pale
faced brothers.
OUR PERSONAL SAFETY.
So 1t was question whether there
would be an Indian war or not when we
left our homes, and some Of our timid
friends were really alarmed for our per-
sonal safety in going SO far away among
the red men. They reasoned in this way:
If the Indians are almost in open revolt
on the Sioux reservation, why should not
the same hostile feeling exist and be
more intense 500 miles further west,
where we intended to do our hunting and
fishing? ..@-.
THEY TAKE PICTURES.
The artist and another of the sports
men had cameras. It was new country
and had never yielded up its beauties to
the photographer, so it was determined
to secure as many negatives as possible.
No place, person or position was secure
against the watchful eye Of those cameras.
As we halted at railway stations on the
Manitoba road We would take stealthy
views of the people assembled there
ladies and Indians included. The red
skins were afraid of the machines, and
with yell would sometimes shoot under
the cars and 60 like streak up the hills
on the other side Of the track. The
younger of the camera users made earn
est and conscientious efforts to pacify the
aborigines and obtain their consent to the
execution of their designs upon them.
He gesticulated and tried every known
dialect from the language Of the nursery
to sanscript, using very freely as catch
word the expression "ugh," but he sue
ceeded better when he produced twenty
five-cent piece. The Indian bit at the
two bits. So it happened that many of
our photographs wera silver plated.
Yes, we took everything. If whooping
cough had been around it is believed we
would have taken even that.
Why don't some good shows come here?
The foregoing interrogatory has from
time to time been iterated and reiterated.
In this young city there are those who
are refined and cultivated. A good drama
to such people would be acceptable. An
occasional visitation by good play-com-
pany would be a good thing. The LEAD
ER is conversant with the fact that in