The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-06-02
IN HER OLDEN DAYS
How the Wide Plains Were Crossed in
Pioneer Times.
ITS ROMANCE AND REALITY
One of Butte's WeII-Known Citi-
zens Tells of the Trials OF
Going to the West Forty
Odd Years Ago.
Written for the Sunday Standard.

IL was about the 10Th OF May, lo4J'
that a company of 62 young men, some
of them mere boys. had gathered at
Kanesville-now known as part OF
Council Bluffs-to make their final
preparations before launching out upon
the Great American Desert, over
which they must pass to reach their
objective point-California- newly
discovered El Dorado. where. II was
said. gold could be picked up by the
handsful. The aggregation was COM
posed principally of farmers sons, ro-
bust, hardy youngsters, full of animal
life, insensible to fear, for they were
too young and inexperienced TO APP
preciate near or distant dangers, ana
all Astounding with a hope born OF the
glittering tales from the Pacific. They
had hidden fearful farewells TO doting
parents, loving brothers ana sisters
and sweethearts. and all else Whlch
bound young hearts to home ana It's
surroundings, to make a nearer cut 10
fortune. They had cut loose from the
slow, plodding, uneventful ways or
their fathers neighbors, and, having
taken their lives in their hands. they
felt a new ambition and inspiration as
the difficulties before them began 10
unfold themselves.
Nearly all of them came from the
lake states in good, strong covered
wagons, drawn by oxen. Not a rev
were QUILTED with sufficient proVis-
ions, clothing and mining tools 10 lasu
Is months. for all expected TO reap
golden harvest within that time and
TO be at home again. Alas, how few
realized their dreams. Some fell under
the knife or arrow of the savage; many
found a drunkards or a suicides grave,
while the remains of Others were borne
from the gate of an insane asylum
But as the genial John Shober OF Hell
elna would say, There are rev OF
off and w GnmDlnE on Ine
trail"
There were no railroads in the west
ern states in those days, and many OF
the adventures had been travelling at
least two months before they reached
Kanesville This was a little Mormon
settlement on the outer wall OF west
ern civilization Iowa City was then
the capital of Iowa, and Pisgah, an
other small Mormon town, about ma
way between the capital and the Mis-
souri,, was the only settlement OF note
on the line of the road from the CAPT.
tai and Kanesville. The place boosted
of a few business houses, which TRADED
in a small way with the river Indians,
trappers and settlers. George Frahcls
Train had not startled the country
with his great colonization scheme; the
Union Pacific railway was unheard or
and Omaha rested in the womb or the
future Western Iowa was compar-
alive wilderness. and hence tne lew
who had not hauled their supplies from
their several starting points found IL
difficult to find even the flour ana pa
| con they wanted. In few days, now
| ever. everyone was ready for a start
| The cattle were rested and well grazed;
| the wagons were oVerhanled anu
| creased the few tents on mann We're
| repaired-the larger number slept IN
! their wagons-and the call was made
| for the organization of the company.
Looking backwards over the 40 years
which separate the events, that seem
| TO have happened but yesterday, from
| the present, the righteousness IN each
| prominently projects itself. There
/ were assembled 62 men and boys the
! possessors of % wagons and ABOUT ZOo
/ head of oxen and mules. They were
! about to venture over 1000 miles or
| TO them an unknown country ana
were destined to face unknown ana
unheard of dangers. There were not
| a dozen serviceable firearms IN the
/ crowd. Certainly all were armed; put
| such arms! Squirrel rifles. old SPRING
| field muskets single barrel Shotguns, a
| few short range pistols ana quite
| number of well sharpened butcher
/ knives comprised the war material
/ The writer sported, ana glorieu III In Ine
| nossession of n double-barrelled brass
/ pistol, a Spanish dirk, handed down
/ from n revolutionary grandsire, ana
a rifle owned jointly with ms protner.
/ All the firearms were muzzle loauers
and were about as dangerous 10 a
friend as they were TO a zoe 1here
| was not box of pills or flask or
whiskey in the whole outfit. n few
/ lunches of herbs. some slippery elm
| bark and a pair of pinchers Tor tooth
| pulling, equipped the medical Depart
| ment. But as no one Thought or dan-
| ger from savage or disease the poverty
| of the two departments was not no
| ticed. ,..
| IL was thought necessary, however.
| 10 organize as il was agreed all hands
| should go TO California together, mine
| together and come back over the same
road together. So meeetlnS was
| called and officers were elected. These
consisted of a Mr. Hillyer of Wiscon-
sin as colonel Under the signed agree
ment he was clothed with autocratlc
power 4 refusal to obey his order
was to be followed by expulsion in the
wilderness. \ captain was also select
| ed He was to see that the colonel $
orders were properly carried out. The
election Of one George Light as SER
geant and DIR. Scoville as surgeon com
pleted the roster of officers. But the
name of the aggregation OF Argonauts
was its GROWING glory. After much
elaboration and consideration II was
christened '"The Mutual Protection
Mining Company No. l." If any living
member of that small band OF gold
seekers should see this brief sketch he
will add his testimony TO that or the
writer that II was not possible another
company started from the banks OF
the Missouri for the shores of the Pa
cific i'm 1919. with a more connding, IN
| spring title; with higher resolve tc
succeed. and "A nobler ambition e
make creditable mark I'm the golc
fields of the new El Dorado. And h
will also testify that while the purpose
did honor To the men. the Unseen Hand
directed their footsteps i'm divers paths
and ways To- the land of the settinl
sun. and that the few who have no
crossed the Great Range now fine
n irnpossihle To- answer To the roll cal
as il was heard at the crossing of tn
| Big Muddy ON the 18th of May. lN4s
| The Mutual Protection Mining Com
/ | pany No. I died the death years az
, ! uusung and unrecorded.
The Missouri was ferried ut it'll
Indian trading post on the west side
| called Bellevue. and the Great Amer
| {4ar, D..1ar-f the rnufru TN