The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-12-16
THE COWBOY ARTIST.
He Has : Contract to Furnish Ton Pic
turUa.

He Has = Contract to Furnish Ton Pic
turcs.
Charles M. Russell. tho cowboy artist, Q
Montana, is n Of the Rroateat Of prod
giss in his way. He Ia known all owe
Montana BY his marvellous oil Representa-
tions OF western life, all tho more remark
able because they are the productions Of
natural and not a cultivated talent. Their,
have been many ''cowboy'' specialists, sucl
as Mitchell, the cowboy poet, Babel, til,
cowboy pianist, and Redding, the cowbo,
ventriloquist; but. mono was such a mastel
OF his particular speciality az Charley Rus.
sell, says the River Press. In 1880, when
but = boy, Russell camc to Montana, but II
Was not until ak years later that he be-
cane known a. the possessor Of the remark
able talents that have made him famous.
While his little sketches had amused the
boys on the roun6-up and In camp, the re-
ports of the ability Of Russell were never
credited by the public until a peculiar inci-
1861, which made the cowboy artist"
famous.
During that awful winter, which will long
be remembered by the cattlomen of Mon
tsna, when the cattle on the range wore dy-
ing by thousands, Russell was in the en-
ranging IN tho Judith Basin. Mr.. Phelps.
of the OH company, was in camp all winter
with the boys, and the work of the latter to
save the cattle was a severe task and quite
faithfully performed. On the same range
with the OH cattle were Bar n cattle. and
MIR. Hartmann, Of Helena. a member of
the latter company, wrote Mr.. Phelps in the
Judith asking for full particulars regarding
the condition of the Bar II cattle. That
evening when Mr.. Phelps eturned to camp.
Russell was busily engaged on a piece of
work at the camp table. In . few moments
Dr. - .z.~~z -1-A Ah.A Ia r,yS-tI 49, -
swer Kaufmann's letter. Il have his answer
here" remarked Russell handing Phelps a
sheet OF paper.
1t was only . picture, but that picture
was the most complete answer that could
be given. II was tho perfect representation
a starving steer, standing knee deep in
the drifting snow. the picture Of distress,
but a short distance away is q coy
ote, awaiting the time when the animal
must finally sucoumb to hunger and cold.
II was the great Last OF Five thousand
Waiting for a Chinook" Without . line
of comment Mr.. Phelps placed the sketch
an envelope and sent il, the fullest reply
that could possibly be given, to Mr.. Kauf-
mann. From that day Russelrs reputation
as an artist WAS established. Everyw here
The Last of Five Thousand made a hit.
In almost every business house in every
and town in Montana a fac simile of
The comic and expressive picture was to be
seen, and almost every cattle or sheep man
Is in the possession of a copy.
Afterward a number of Russsll's friends
on him to go to st. Louis to take
Instructions in painting, but the contine-
nent of the close room was SO different
rom the freedom Of the n that after a
,sw days he quit it in disgust and returned
10 Montana, whore he has since produced
many oil paintings and crayon pictures of
he highest order. During the past season
Russell has been associated with the Judith
pool at Chinook. These outfits closed their
'perations for the season about two weeks !
lnce, but Russell will winter there. At
present he has under contemplation an
'ffer to produce ten large pictures for n
'arty, and will be kept hard at work until
he spring work on the roundup begins.