The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-04-21
OUR OLDEST INHABITANT
Judge Irvine Preparing for 4 Well
Earned Vacation.
The First Probate Judge OF Deer
Lodge and Silver Bow Coun-
ties to Retire From
Active Life.

BY the standards Special Wire.
BUTTE, April 3O.-Judge Caleb b. Irvine,
who resigned yesterday, rs justice of the
peace with the intention OF retiring from
active life Is the oldest inhabitant of
Montana, born In the United States, so
far rs can be learned. He has been in the
mountains while this district has been To-
Gated I'm four territories M q state. He
was here when II was part of the territory
OF Oregon, afterwards when II was part
Of Washington, then when IL was
was made the territory of Montana,
and now he is living in the state Of Mon
tana. When Mr.. Irvine came To this
country in September of 1851. there were
about three hundred people in the section
now known as Montana. He was first in
the Bitter Root valley ut old Fort Owen,
where S~tevensvillc now is. OF these 200
inhabitants, as far as the judge car learn,
only three are still i'm Montana. Two Of
them are Canadian Frcnchmen,
and one a Scotchman. They are
S %;s.,o,,, the, n"u0,v judge 7 No , ,Ginss; n iS
Montana. when Judge Irvine first arrived.
were mainly engaged in trading with the
Indians in the employ Of d Hudson Bay
company or the American Fur company
nj Fort Benton and were nearly all Cana
dians or Creole French. Mr.. Irvine en-
gagged in trading mainly with horses,
going l ack and forth from the mountains
to Salt Lake, Fort Benton or Walla Walla.
When gold IA discovered. excitement
organized. the Judge mmedi.
ateiy sprang into prominence.
Since ls67, for a period of . years. he
has been continually either q probate
first probate judge Deer Lodge county
ever had, receiving his appointment from
Governor Edgerton. He afterward re-
signed and was appointed county clerk Of
Deer Lodge county. He was also the first
probate judge Silver Bow county ever
Lodge. II is generally believed by
old-timers that Judge Irvine can
justly be called the oldest
American inhabitant of Montana. Mr..
Irvine was born in Robinson county.
Tenn, September 4, ISIS, and lived there
until he was IA years old, except for a
brief period when he ran away from
home. He became clerk in a store in
Nashville, Tenn. and for several years
after was clerk on various steamboats,.
la July, lsi6, he enlisted in the regiment
OF mounted rifiemen, now b Third
United States cavalry. He went
tho, ,S M mar on and scn served line 'hrSs ran
Vera Cruz to Mexico. In ls4s he returned
To Jefferson county barracks, Mo. lie
spent the winter of AZ and ~ in Cincin-
matt in the recruiting service. In the
spring he returned and crossed the plains
with the regiment To Oregon. reaching
Oregon City September -, 1919. The
next spring he was ordered To Dalles,
Ore. rs acting assistant quartcrmaster Ia
build n new post. He remained there until
ISL. when he resigned, the regiment
being Sent bach east, and in August he
obtained relief from military duty. went Ia
Oregon. settled up affairs m came the
next month to the mountains as has been
stated. Judge Irvine resigned because
of i'll health and because he feels himself
worn out. He intends as soon rs he can
settle up his business, or about June, Ia
take a long sea voyage on tho Pacific. lie
will go either To Alaska or the Sandwich
Islands. He is pining for "A sea voyage
and expects to spend the entire summer
on the salt water.