The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-08
JACKSON, OF THE HOLE"
THE ORIGINAL FREEBOOTER OF
THE FAR MONTANA BASIN.

Gay Life I'm His Bandit Lafr-He Had
Horse ThIeving Reduced to a Very
Fine Point, and While His Fun
Lasted II Was Flush Times for the
"Heavy-set, Bow-Legged, Red
Headed Man." Teton jackson.
From the Anaconda Cdont) Standard.
One of the first things did after arriv-
\ ing west. while still boy was to join a
band Of cowboys and aid in taking a herd
of Minnesota cows to the Sioux stationed
at what was then Fort Standing Rock. 1
| Joined the party for the sport that was in
it and to write a series of newspaper ar
| ticles regarding a country then new but
now thickly settled. went for the fun
of the thing. but was not long in ascer-
tanning that I was about to be the most
/ disappointed youth in seventeen counties,
and now as think of the trip about the
only thing 1 got out of it was some use
full experience and a start on the highway
to good health. But then, this is another
story that may be worth the telling to
the Standards readers at some future
period.
on this memorable trip was associated
with a wild, harum-scarum young man
named Jones. who with the balance of the
party took a perfect delight in playing
tricks upon the 'tender-foot kid" who was
myself. 1t was my. constant desire to even
up with Jones, and finally the time came
to do so.
In the band Of cattle was an especially
valuable Jersey, being carefully watched
that she might be presented to the quar-
/ termaster of whose good Offices the con-
tractor stood in need. In the widest and
/ most unacceptable part of the country the
Jersey was missed, and Jones was di-
/ fected TO take the back trail and not to
! return unless he brought the COW with
/ him. lie supposed that he would overtake
/ her IN a day, but he was gone three
days, and he was the maddest man to be
/ FOUND IN the whole of the Dakotas when
ne showed up at camp. 1t was my duty.
| AFTER each meal, to take a supply of pro-
/ Visions and place them in a conspicuous
! place near the camp fire for the use Of
Jones, who was presumed to be close at
hand. The opportunity for revenge was
50 strOnS that could not evade it, and as
result Jim had mighty slim eating for
the next three days Had I thought that
| he would have been gone so long, / might
not have carried the matter SO far but
| truth compels me to state that Jones did
] 1000
| 10 serve as a square meal. Eggs being so
cheap in Minnesota a whole barrel of them
| was taken along. Consequently we had
| eggs of ripe and mature age in every con-
ceivable style, until the very word was
| sufficient to gag one. Accordingly, / left
Jones nice fried egg at every station,
| and candor and truth compel me to say
that, In one or two instances, / carefully
| laid the egg upon nice Well-dred buff
! falo chip. But for the Interference of the
men Jones would have committed murder
as soon as he reached our camp and this
! story remained unwritten, and needless
| to add, as Tar as the story Is concerned,
kindness done TO the Standards thou
sands of readers. 1t was long years after
/ before l met Jones, and then he was in
\ trouble He asked my assistance, and
/ cheerfully gave It. for / had suffered
pangs of regret every time l thought of
/ his long ride on an egg diet and the too
| severe punishment l had inflicted. The
story he told ne is this:
Soon after he last saw me he started
! for Montana and in due time Joined
stampede to the Big Horn Mountains.
| Here, one day, he was confronted by
/ party Of about thirty men at the head of
whom was the notorious Teton Jackson"
after whom the now celebrated Jack
| sons Hole was named, and the most arrant
! freebooter who scudded the plains. Jack
/ son and his party had with them large
/ band of horses and, recognizing Jones
/ as one who suited their tastes, strongly
! invited him to winter at their rendez-
/ vous, which Jones speedily prepared to do.
| The highest mountains of the Rockies
surround the basin with Jackson called
/ home for eight long winters. 1t was app
| preached through a deep defile opening
into a sink or basin of some twenty
square miles, where grew the succulent
| bunch grass in rich profusion. Below
| and cottonwood afforded abundant shade
and shelter, while streams fed by rivulets
and warm springs gently meandered
/ through the undulating valley and freely
watered the broad and extensive meadow
lands.
Here it was that this lawless chief.
with his followers. often numbering thir-
/ ty as hardy and desperate characters as
himself, brought their bands of stolen
horses and kept them to fatten during
the winter months. Only two canyons
through the mountains afforded an OPEN
ing TO the Hole, and these were so mar
row that in winter they were practically
impossible. BY November they became
so deeply filled with snow that it was
foolhardy to attempt their passage Even
the expert snowshoer was effectually
barred out, for he dare not brave the
dangers of shifting snow and the unseen
holes eaten out by the warm springs,
which had lured the intrepid intruder to
! their yawning depths and to sure death
in time agone.
Such was Jackson's hole, where for
eight winters Jackson himself held full
sway complete monarch Of all he sur
veyed, chieftain to be feared by his
men as well as the horse raisers for miles
and miles around. Secure he was during
the long winter. No herders were needed
to keep the stolen stock in hand and in
the three long log cabins that served their
purpose well, the jolly crew held high car
nival. No one could possibly enter the re-
treat from either side without the knowl-
edge of the band, so admirably was the
habitation located; and indeed, there was
but little danger of anyone doing so In
those days when it would require a larg-
er posse than any sheriff could muster
and involve danger from the elements
which few cared to face.
Perfectly secure then, with their ILL
gotten steeds fast fattening on the rich
grass the men gave themselves up to the
pleasures of the chase and Toasted upon
the fat flesh of the game which was al
ways in sight of the cabins outlook When
there was no need to hunt, they gambled
and drank the whisky which Jackson am
ply provided. Shooting matches horse
races and other eniOymeDts served 70 on