The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-12-15
An OLD-1|ME REFORMtR.
How the Vigilance Commuters En-
voys Dealt With a Suspected
Horse Thief.
Morgan Needed the Warning ana
Afterward Was Elected
Sheriff of Choteau.

The Party Crossed Lower Main Street
When There Was Not Cabin
In Last Chance.
In March, 1864, old man Clark, Jim
Balch. Dutch Charlie Brown, Capt. Jim
Williams and John X. Beidler were ordered
by the vigilance committe to go. down on
the Fort Benton road and hang man
named Morgan.
1t seems Morgan came overland from the
states with party of emigrants bound for
Washington territory. He had wife and
children whom he abandoned and left to
make their with the emigrants over the
rough country as best they could. He
stopped on the Dearborn. married a Black
foot squaw and commenced career of
crime by driving emiRrant teams into the
mountains and stealing them and aiding
the road agents in their plans and deprsda-
tions until the vigilantes we're compelled to
take notice of him. The party. consisting
of the five men above named, left Virginia
City on horseback, with two pack animals
to carry their blankets and provisions. It
was in early March and the weather was
cold and disagreeable. On arriving at the
Jefferson river they found it partly frozen
over at the old Indian ford, SO that it was
dangerous to CROSS bnt they finally effected
a passage near Jetferson canyon. There were
no ranches, pleasant homes, hocks ana
herds in the valleys Of Montana then, and
the traveller had to shift for himself. After
crossing they followed the Jefferson until
thew struck the mouth of the Boulder, then
followed up that stream to where the CAPT
tai of Jefferson county now stands and
camped over night three miles above there.
In the afternoon, as they were travelling
along, they saw six horses feeding i'll the
foothills, and finding no owners for them
they took the animals alhng. The horses
were fat and sleek and looked fine. The
party had instructions to look out for all
stray horses and for any remaining road
agents that might be encamped in the
mountains. A great many had been
hanged, it is true, but it was Thought that
others of the same gang might be lurking
about. ready to rob and murder at the first
opportunity.
They had to remain in camp the next day
on account of terrific storm, and were
without shelter other than that afforded by
the old cottonwood trees that stood on tho
banks by the stream. Next morning. just
at break of day, they were aroused by a loud
and angry voice asking why they had
stolen his horses, and on looking out it was
discovered that they were surrounded by
three men who had the camp covered with
attacking party was recognized by X. Beid-
Ter and thew were invited to come into
camp, which they did.
It proved to be Ed Thomas and two COM
panions, who were prospecting and who
lived in cabin close to where the horses
vr,or 1<yrn NhaI haze
and party missed the horses and followed
the trail Immediately, supposing they had
been stolen by horse thieves. Mutual ex-
PLANTATION followed and all sat down and
took breakfast together. After bidding
each R;e6,. other goodbye e., ths party With x
to cross into Deer Lodge pass and look out
for stragRlers, but were obliged to turn back
on account of snow.
Up in Boulder canyon they found party
consisting OF Sam Mccain, Judge Irwin,
mine. X. and his party came down the
Boulder and crossed over the range where
the old stage road is and camped. During
all this time it was showing heavily. Next
day they followed down the Prickly Pear
and camped eight miles from Helena. At
this point theS met Judge Corbett and a
party endeavoring to prospect the ground
Corbett's camp was about starved out and
they were living on venison straight. \.
and his party had bought hog previous
to their departure from Virginia, from a
Mormon freighter, and had most of it with
them. In the morning when breakfast was
over, they had frylng-pan about half full
of grease, and having no further use
for it, were on the point of throwing it
away, when the judges party called out to
them to hold on, that the grease was Just
what they wanted to fry venison in. X.
said 1T was duck soup for them. They got
ha NJ In:
ing here the party crossed Last Chance
gulch near the lower end of Main street and
went over to Ten Mile, about where The
fair grounds are now situated, aud camped
for the night.
There was plenty of deer and antelope.
put they were on business and had no time
to hunt.
They, crossed Last Chance before it was
known by that name. Gold was not dis
covered by John Cowan and party until
late IN the fall of 1864, and but little mining
was attempted until the spring of 1865.
when number Of other rich gulches were
discovered and the town of Helena became
an important center of trade. The Prickly
Fear valley was barren waste so far az
human habitation was concerned. Not a
soul lived there. nor was there single
cabin in what is now the capital Of Mon
tana.
-, Next day they saddled up and went by
OAAN SSp1uHS III lar as
Basin, but there was no habitation there
then. They camped at the Little Prickiv
Pear for the night and pulled out the next
morning by way of Lion Hill and reached
Wolf Creek by shutdown. Thew were then
on the Old Mullan road, which was hniit
from Butte to Walla Walla. This road fol.
lowed an old Indian trail nearly ain the
way. The trail was doubtless originally
made by game in their semi-annual micra-
tions, and was afterwards followed by the
Indians then enlarged into wagon road
and now the Northern Pacific has the right
of way-a regular progression from the
lowest to the highest.
Lion Hill afterwards derived it's name
from the fact that man named Lion acci-
dentally shot himself there while in the act
of taking gun out of a wagon. It is a
tough old hill of smooth, solid slate. with
just enough loose sand to make it yery diff
cult for an OK team to ascend. It is nearly
mile long. How the old freighters used
to swear and whoop, and yell at their teams
till the summit was reached. 81
At the foot of Lion Fill is Medicine Rock
creek. traveller passing down the we'll
kept road of Prickly Pear canyon to-dny
would hardly see it, but it has been wit
ness to many curious orgie. On it's banks
stood the old medicine tree of the Black-
feet, around which they danced in wild de-
light, and to which they made their offer
ings. The medicine man who choose this
weird spot for his strange incantations