The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-27

ment found itself obliged to take
hand in Geographic construction. 1t
moved with lis line ahead Of the North
ern Pacific Railroad company across a
part Of Montana and northward To Fort
Assinnihoine. Along that line Sherwood
Wheaton. formerly the manager of the
Western Union office at Helena. had
experiences. For the Standard he writes
the following paper, touching some Of
his experiences:
The winter Of tsS0-Sl was remarkable
in Montana for unusual snowfalls and
low temperatures. / believe the record
Will bear out the statement that the
average mean temperature Of that win
ter was lower than for any preceding
or succeeding winter since the records
have been kept, and also that at Fort
Assintboine there We're II consecutive
days during which the maximum tenn
perature was II degrees below zero and
the minimum 81 degrees below.
1t was during this winter that Lieu
tenant Colonel Black. in command of
/ the Eighteenth United States infantry.
and four companies If the Second cav
airy, made his unsuccessful attempt to
round up Sitting Bull in the lower Milk
river country, though l believe it was
later in 1881 that the great Sioux chief
and his followers We're taken, thus prac-
! ticaily putting an end 10 Indian trout
bles in the Northwest. II was pitiful-
yet glorious in a way-to see Colonel
Blacks command return from this
campaign. They were grimy from
| campfire smoke and disuse Of water:
they came ploddng through the deep
| snow, every fellow trying 10 make the
best % it, all more or less frost-bitten,
some SO seriously frozen as to lose a
1 hand or foot or even beth, but all
taking ii as matter of course, be-
/ cause the colonel said so.
/ Up to the time Of which / write the
/ general government had been the pio
! neer in the construction of telegraph
| lines. With the exception of the one
! Western Union wire which came in
/ from the south, from salt Lake and
/ Ogden Via Dillon, and or to Helena.
/ The government constructed in 1878 or
/ earlier line from Bismarck-the then
western terminus of the Northern Pa
cific railroad-up the Missouri and Yell
| lowstone to Livingston, thence to Hell
ena, thence north to Fort Assiniboine
| and from Helena west 10 Spokane con-
Meeting all Of the military posts and
! establishing repair or other stations at
| convenient distances. many of which
| points have since acquired the dignity
| Of cities.
The construction of this line. or at
least so much Of il as the writer Is
personally familiar with, il notable with
/ particular reference to the manner Of
4 procuring material and its cost. The
poles used were cedar or juniper, about
u feet long, inches in diameter at the
! larger end. They We're cut i'll Minneso-
a.. hauled by rail Ia Bismarck. thence
/ frefohted m the Missouri river by
steamboat banded 81 convenient noints
and hauled nv bun teams il the Tine
| ~ construction have been Told that
| these p01es cGSt The government about
s. each, and Why this method was en-
ployed instead Jf using native timber.
l which was of fair nualitv and abundant
and which in some Instances had to lie
cleared away IL make room for the
importad article. is hard to say.
was stationed al Fort Assinihaine
during 80 and ST as United States
weather observer and military teie-
rraph operator and hy the wax the
life of the weather man" nn station
i'm Montana in those DAYS was very
different from thsf of the present time
The weather bureau was then a branch
Of the regular service; the pay of a
high private" my class. was about
a73 per month The regular obserXa-
lions which were condensed by ciph i
and Immediately forwarded by wire L.
Washington were taken at I rs a. m
12:45 and SIS ~ M. the observer VAS
usually alone ON station he WAS his
own batfervman. his own ianitor3 III
handled all the commercial telegraph
ing that was offered. which included al
there was except that offered along
the line or the ont. Western Union wire
and he also. III most instances. repaired
the line over a given section about
which last duty hangs the incident oi
this story:
1t was one Of The coolest DAYS during
the remarkably cold thrse weeks re.
farred 10. that The line went down.
shutting Off all communication to and
from the fort. The campaign after Sit.
ting Bun was about on; military dis
patches of the greatest Importance Were
fu9aitina transn3icsfay1 and same i'm.
nortnnt government contracts Wer,
about ia he lei in Helena. upon which
bidders residing al ana near Assini.
boinp were very anxious "a bid. i
having been their intention 10 fafWar,
their bids Nv wire that dax. Shortly
aftaI, the trouble was announced, Lieut.
ToVf called al my office and asked i
| Thought il possible Ia repair the line
adding thai he would furnish anythins
| tbnI1aht necessary remarked Tina