Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1891-07-30
IN A REMINISCENT MOOD.
A Montana Man Relates His Experience in
Fergus County.

NJ. j. Murphy OF Montana, whose
business carries him throughout the
length and breadth of the land. "Just
to think that only three days ago /
ate supper in a Western tavern, and
tonight enjoyed dinner at the Ryan
That is passing from the hovel to the
palace in three days. During my life l
have travelled a great deal. and when
in reminiscent mood often go back
| to the days when, in my Western
journeys, Travelled mile after mile in
a stage. In those days the coach used
| to be such as pictured in romance.
There was the yellow running gear and
the large numbering box painted a
brilliant red, and front and back boots
of black leather. The driver was a
| typical Western character, fearless OF
danger and able to handle the ribbons
over unbroken cayuses. The stage of
the present day is the blackboard con-
cord wagon, with two seats, and there
are two broken down horses driven by
q tenderfoot who is West to make his
fortune, but has failed to connect
But those were the days when good
fellowship existed among the passen-
gers, and we all travelled heavily armed,
prepared to defend ourselves in case
of q hold-up or attack from the red
skins.
81 shall never forget the Western
tavern l stopped at up in Fergus
county, Montana. Coming along in
the coach one evening just as the sun
was sinking we came in sight of long
low log building and 1 asked the driver
| If that was the station. He informed
me that it was the hotel where stage
passengers passed the night. We
drove on for about five minutes, ford
ing a wide, shallow stream called the
Musselshell river, bringing up on the
opposite side in front of the building.
Hitched to long bar placed in the
| crOtches OF two trees were several
horses, young, wild looking animals
fresh from the range, and being driven
by cowboys who ware breaking them.
All of the horses had on big, clumsy
looking saddles; some had on brides
woven of hair, others brides made OF
hide, and in the mouths of all but one
were curb bits with rollers, or little
wheels i'm the curb. These wheels the
horses kept spinning by working the
| tongue. The one horse excepted had
on whet appeared to be a bride with
out a 'it ! found that it was a
| 'hackaI ore that is, a circle about
the jaw running up by check straps
over the head and also two reins,
which, if pulled, shut off the wind; 1T
is very simple arrangement and is
used in breaking bucking cayuses, or
horses.
| On entering the tavern | found that
the main room was pretty well
crowded with cowboys and ranchers
waiting for the mail. ! sized them up
while waiting to begiven room. You
know landlords out there can make
yon wait their convenience as there Is
r, no o.,-. -ctti-l sctil "sithin siytvr miles
Kid" He is a little tiny bit of "A lump
OF humanity, scarcely the size OF bar
of soap after a good wash, and looks
hardly strong enough to kill n chicken,
vet heard him talk OF 'roping that
steer and Judged him to be handy
with the rope and good at throwing
cattle. Seated on box splitting to-
bacco juice over the floor, was the
great bully of the crowd. One thing
that surprised me was to see all OF
these men of the plains smoking cigar
cites. 1t quite knocked me out
| Well the mail was distributed and
the owner of the shack came up, when
the following conversation took place:
supper"
"Yes."
"Bed?"
J Eyes"
.How long be you goin' to stay?"
Tomorrow, stage time"
"Be you q fast dresser"
. "Yes."
sWell, then you need not get up till
first breakfast"
By this time he had shown me into
a room that could not be excelled for
neatness. and yet everything in it was
) crude. The floor was made OF box
; boards, the walls were made OF white
duck nailed onto the logs, the ceiling
, was the same. The bed was made by
I putting up two posts four feet from
, the wall and mailing on one side and
, end boards and putting in Stats, on
which was big feather mattress. The
feathers, doubtless, represented a
slaughter of prairie chickens. Over
the mattress were the sheets and
quilts. There was one chair, but no
washstand or bureau, not even that
vain but useful article, a looking glass
That evening had chance to look
3 over the tavern and | was much sur
priced at it's general makeup. The
large room which at first entered on
nv arrival did service as the general
: store, the postotfice and lounglne
! room tor ranchers, cowboys and
!. guests. On the shelves could be found
everything from a package OF cigar
: cites and chewing gum up to suits o.
clothes. Queer as it may seem, thes'
l. rough, uncouth cowboys smoke cigar
n cites and chew gum much after thu
I style of dudes and school girls. Th'
A,oa xyaS pnfhinO mora nor less
n than a huge dry goods box divided il
. compartments. Over at one end o
this room was a big fire place built o
# fat stones laid one on top OF TIN
% other, which was capable OF holding
\ several logs, cut cordwood size, at 1
,e time. 1t is before this open fire tina
? frontiersmen delight to sit on lon
winter nights and swap lies abou
early days and miraculous escape
from Indians and chases after hors
le thieves. That night listened to tn
a stories of the cowboys and when
is started to bed my mind was full @
=. Indian attacks, horse thieves, hug
: grizzly bears, bucking horses, will
ie steers and other pleasant things, bu
" the soft feather bed was SO temptin
D. that my weary frame was soon In tn
n. arms OF Morpheus and my mind wa
too tired to dream.
Is Just after sunrise there was rap o
IN the partition of the room-there wa
If no door-only a calico curtain-and
A. gruff voice called out, Stranger, tn
&c stage leaves i'm half an hour After
=, fine breakfast OF eggs, bacon, rolls an
oa coffee, I again took my seat In tn
=. stage and started for the railroad an
''s civilization. But that was in thegoo
,,s old times"
ar An Exception.
fe "My son." said the old man, "r