davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-05

When he saw one he would always grab
it up and carry it along with him
ways. They never seemed to resent
anything he would do to them, and he
never killed one. AS we were going
toward this Indian village he picked
up a rattlesnake, and just at the out
skirts of the village he picked up an
other. When the Indians saw him come
in with rattlesnake on each arm they
were awed. He put the snakes in his
shirt bosom and Simmons told the In
dams that he was the great medicine
man of the whites.
"They took us into the medicine lodge,
where there was a big bush in the CEN
ter. They marched us around that
bush several times and finally Bill said
that if they marched him around again
he would pull up the sacred medicine
bush. They marched us again and Bill
pulled up the bush and walloped the
medicine man on the head with it. We
then formed three to three, back to
back. We had refused all along to give
up our guns and revolvers. The old
chief drove the other Indians back with
a whip. They had a council which last
ed from noon until midnight. In the
morning we got our sentence. If we
went on they would kill us. If we went
back and would give up our horses we
would not be harmed. 1t was Hobson's
choice. l got for my three horses an
old horse. blind in one eye, and year
ling colt. For my three pairs of Ore
gon blankets l got a buffalo robe and
half, and for my grub, consisting of
flour, bacon, coffee, beans. etc, l got
a dozen dried buffalo tongues. Sim
mons was left as a hostage.
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-05
Edgar Was One of the Six
Prospectors Who Gave
the Gulch's Wealth
to the World.
BACK IN THE OLD GULCH
Last Week He Visited the Old
Placer and Spent Pleasant
Days With the Pioneers
Gathered There.

Many men whose names are linked
with incidents in Montana's early his
tory were in the gathering of Mon
tana pioneers at Virginia City, last
week-beyond dispute, the central fig
ure for the occasion was Henry F. Ed
gar, one of the six men who discovered
gold in Alder gulch, the man who pan
ned the first gold from Alder creek,
the man who gave to the gulch it's
name In all assemblages in the old
town he was the one to whom most
honor was accorded He was invari-
ably called to a seat at the chairman's
right hand in all the meetings, he was
the constant and accomplishing mark
for dozen kodaks in the hands of the
young people of the town, he was
shown attention everywhere
Yet all the honors and all the atten-
ton shown him. Mr.. Edgar bore with
podesty that was most pleasing
While the central figure in every
group, he never led the conversation.
He talked little, yet he was always
ready to express carefully his opinion
or give his recollection when appealed
to- He speaks in a slow measured way
with the rounded enuncia ton of the
Scotchman. His frame is bent with
the weight of "a hard years but his
face is as strong and sturdy as ever,
and his hair and whiskers are but
slightly gray. He is most picturesque
character and a. splendid type of the
sturdy men who blazed the trail into
Montana and founded this common
wealth.
Curious it is indeed that every one
of the six men who discovered the
richest gulch of gold in the world
should have gone broke" While they
profited by their discovery at the time,
and while each one of them acquired
a modest fortune in the gulch, every
one of them lost it all afterward. Bill
sFairWeather distributed his wealth
with lavish hand. He used to ride
up the main street of Virginia CITY and
scatter the gold dust right and left in
the street in order to see the children
and the Cinnamon scramble for if
What he didn't throw away he drank
up, and he died without money enough
left to bury himself. Others of the
Alder gulch discoveries lost their for
tunes by gambling or dissipation. Mr..
Edgar being the one exception. He,
too, went broke" but he didn't gam
BILE, and he bore the marked peculiar
ity of being one of the very few men
in Virginia City, in early days, who
never drank.
Ten or IL years ago Mr.. Edgar burn
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-05
This Is the Way We Came. ="

You know well enough if you pike
me down and run me through a sluice
you couldn't get color said 1.
Then all were in good humor We
had dried elk meat Cor supper.
The next morning as soon as day.
light we were all out. Sweeney's first
pan weighed SIS. Hughes and Cover
went up the gulch above. Fairweather
and me and Rogers and Sweeney
went down the gulch below us. We
took two claims apiece, 200 feet to the
man, all the claims adjoining each
other We took so feet on each side
of the creek.
1--WE got about $3.50 that day all to-
gether. We were tired and hungry
and all out of grub. AS we panned
the last gold we saw five antelope on
those hills over there. Bill said to me:
"'Old man, if you ever looked
straight for your supper, look straight
now"
bill went around one way and I
went up the hill the other side and
each of us got an antelope We had
no cOlIee or Dread. our supper con-
sisted of antelope straight and gold
visions.
THE next morning we spent the fore
noon measuring the ground and stalk
ing it off. | wrote out the notices. The
first l wrote was for Barney Hughes.
What shall we call the gulch? 1
asked.
You name it, he said.
80 l called it Alder gulch on ac-
count of the heavy clumps of alders
along the banks of the creek
I'VE finished stalking the ground,
packed our camp. and by noon were
on the road to Bannack, going down
to the Dempsey crossing of Sinking
Water and over the hills"
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-05
THE NOBLE RED MANS SHARE IN It

the country, and the Indian was
doomed.
Mr.. Edgar and a Standard reporter
one afternoon last week spent several
hours together while Mr.. Edgar re-
counted in full detail and with great
care that he should be accurate, the
circumstances of that trip, the trouble
with the Indians, the discovery of gold,
and the stampede from Bannack.
In February. 1853" said Mr.. Edgar,
II sold my claim. which was No. on
Stapleton's bar at Bannack. and went
to Deer Lodge D get out an outfit for
this expedition. We We're to join Stu
arts party, which left Bannack about
the same time we left Deer Lodge. That
was the latter part of April or the first
of May. We were in reality bound for
the Black Hills Simmons went along
as our guide. There were six of us. We
had got two days travel below the
mouth of Clarke's Fork in the neighbor-
hood of Pompeys Pillar when we We're
captured by the Indians. There was
no fighting. They so far outnumbered
us that that would have been sure
death. They just took us into camp
and made medicine over us for three
days.
1t was Jointly through Bill Fair
weather and Lewis Simmons that we
were saved. | don't know how it was,
but rattlesnake would never bite Bill.
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-05
NO STONE MARKS HIS
LAST RESTING PLACE

Old Bill Fairweather, the leader of
the party which discovered gold in AL
der gulch. is buried in the cemetery on
a hill back of the city, from which can
be plainly seen the spot where the dis
covery was made. Henry F. Edgar
went up to the cemetery one day last
week to see the grave of his old part
ner, but much difficulty was encoun-
tered in finding it. There is no monu-
ment to the memory of the man who
found the richest gulch of gold in the
world. There is not even a headstone,
All old residents of Virginia City, how
ever, know the location of the grave.
and one of them pointed it out. The
people of Virginia City some time ago
raised a fund by subscription for the
purchase of a monument to be placed
over Fairweather's grave and it was
hoped that the monument would be
erected before the recent meeting of the
pioneers, but it is not completed. The
monument will, however, undoubtedly
be placed at the head of the grave in
the near future.
Edgar also visited the court room
where the picture of Fairweather
hangs
That looks exactly like Bill" said
Edgar. 1T is exactly like him. Bill
was a fearless man and he was an hon
est man, true to his friends and to his
word. He never had but one fault. Hs
would drink too much whiskey."
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-05
A Summer Evenings Quiet
Quest that Had Reality T..
as Well as Ro- .-l''
nance in It.
EDGAR REC|TES THE STORY

Bright and early on beautiful morn
ing of last week, Henry Edgar stood
by the creek in Alder gulch and point
ed out the route his party took coming
over the hills and down into the gulch,
the place where they camped and the
spot where the first gold was PANIED.
Il remember that it was a warm
afternoon" said Edgar, land the sun
was shining brightly. 1t was. the turn
Of Fairweather and me to make camp
and stand guard. The other four went
up the gulch to what is now Highland
prospecting. Just about shutdown Bill
went across the creek to a kind of bar
to picket the horses.
There is piece of bedrock stick
ing out, said Bill and we had better
go over and see if we can't get enough
money to buy little tobacco
so Bill took the pick and shovel and
l took the pan and we crossed over.
He dug the dirt up and shoveled it
lHto titt pan. went DOWN TO the creek
to wash it. While / was washing the
dirt he scratched around in the bed
rock with his butcher knife. He picked
out piece of gold, and called:
I've found a scadr
Il had the pan about half washed
down, and I replied
If you have one, I have a thou
sand"
And so l had. That first pan
weighed us about $780, We washed
three pans before dark and the three
came to $l2 and some cents. AS we
| stopped the other four came back tired
and hostile because we hadn't taken
| care of the horses. They had only
found color. I showed Sweeney what
| we had and asked him what he thought
| of the pan.
Sailed, by Cd. exclaimed Swee-
ney.
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-05

But for the Indians gold would not
have been discovered in Alder gulch by
Fairweat Their and his companions. AL
der gulch was the mother of Montana,
first attracting settlers to this state,
and the delay in discovery would have
served greatly to Tetard the settlement
of the territory and the exploration of
its treasures.
1t was through the Offices of Indians
that the Fairweather party discovered
the gulch. But for them the party
would have joined Stuart's party on
its world-famous expedition up the Big
Horn, pursued for 1000 miles by hos
tile redmen. The same redmen turned
back the Alder gulch discoveries, with
the result that in less than year Nir-
ginia City was founded, gold had at
tracted the white man from all over
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-05

We came back on the north side of
the Yellowstone one days travel. We
met an old squaw woman, who warned
us not to cross the river, and we didn't.
Instead, We took up into the mountains
and camped there until morning, fear
full of the Indians. In the morning we
saw 80 or 40 of them looking for our
trail. We camped until night and then
crossed to the south side of the river.
We came up on the south side pretty
near to Shields river or Twenty Five
Yard creek, where we crossed TO the
north again. There we found the In
dams were ahead of us and had taken
tin. We came on over the pass where
the city of Bozeman now lies, and saw
the Indians coming up the valley. We
concealed ourselves in the brush along
the creek and exchanged shots with
them. There was parley. They
agreed that if we came out they would
NOT harm us, but we wouldn't trust
them. We waited until dark and then
struck for the Madison river, crossed it
and went into the hills between the
Gallatin and the Madison. The next
day we crossed the Madison river and
came up what is now known as the
head of WigYam gulch. We camped
beside a lake at the foot of Bald noun
tain. We killed an elk there and
stopped during the afternoon and over
night to dry and smoke the meat.
THE next day we came down by the
lake and over the ridge to Alder gulch.
That was on May 26, 1868, about 4
O'Clock in the afternoon"
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-05
"Here Is Where I Planned the
First Gold From Alder Guich.

ed books which showed money owing
to him to the amount of 100000, which
is a greater sum than he ever took out
of the gulch.
That was my great trouble" said
Mr.. Edgar, in his slow, deliberate way,
and with his broad accent II never
could say no to a friend when he
wanted money. Most of this $50, 900
was borrowed money, while the rest
was owed for goods when l kept the
butcher shop"
While he lost all. like the other dis
coverers, yet Mr.. Edgar kept on work
ing, and so far retrieved his fortunes
that he is now we'll beyond want. He
has a ranch at the junction of two
streams about 10 miles from Plains, in
Missoula county
II have good ranch, a good wife
and a good living" said Edgar, land
l have nothing to complain of"
The old prospector however, is not
always content to remain on his ranch
but spends weeks and months of each
year in tramping the hills, wading
streams, exposed to the inclemency of
all kinds of weather.
A Standard reporter had the pleas
ure of driving Mr. Edgar over to Vir-
week, and accompanied him ION many
of his excursions to the scenes of those
wild, rough. exciting days of the six
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-05

treasure before others appeared on the
scene
But the secret leaked out Cover told
the story to Colonel Mclean. The coll
onel impaired the news to a few friends.
We only stayed two days in Ban
mack" said Edgar, and then started
back to Alder gulch. There must have
been 300 people who followed us. When
we reached the Point of Rocks we held
a meeting. l acted as spokesman for
the Fairweather party, and told the
stampeders that if they would guaran-
tee what was right and let us have the
claims we had already staked out that
We would go on and show them the
gulCh. Otherwise we would never un-
picket our horses. All agreed that we
should have these claims. and we went
on. After We reached here a meeting
was held at which DR.. w. j. Steele was
elected judge and l was elected record
er. l declined to serve and deputed
James Fergus to fill the position. 1t
was on June that we got back here
and that which became Virginia City
was founded"
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-05

For Once, and Without Intend
ing to Do Anything of the Sort,
the Indian Packed the White
Mans Burden by Forcing the
Fairweather Party Along the
Route That Brought Them to
the Spot That Had Millions in
1t. How 1t Happened That the
Six Prospectors Didn't Join
Stuart.
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-05

Ties. On the morning aIler MS ARRIVAL
MI Edgar led the Standard artist and
the Standard reporter to the spot
where he and Fairweather found the
first gold in the gulch The spot is
about three-quarters of a mile up the
gulch from the town and on the south
west bank of the creek. Mr.. Edgar
good naturally consented to pose for
the artist with gold pan, on the spot
where he panned the first gold He
also pointed out the ridge over which
his party came down to the gulch in
1868. and the hill where he and Fair
weather each killed an antelope,
steaks from which furnished the sole
supper for these men who had just
discovered a gulch from which, GER
tainly, not less than 100000, 900 have
been taken. Edgar visited the dredges.
They scoop up the rich gravel. yards
at a. time; they are in striking contrast
to the aged prospector and his pan of
the days of long ago.
Edgar's full name is Henry Finnis
Edgar. He was born in Dumfres, Scot
land He will be "A years of age on
Oct. A. He came to the New World
when years old, his parents settling
in New Brunswick on the Marmachi
river He crossed the line into Maine
when IS years old and has been in the
United States ever since. He was at
first a lumberman and went West to
Michigan in 1850 and to Minnesota in
1854 He located the town of Fergus
Falls in 1851 Leaving there the follow
ing year. when he went to Fort Geary,
on the Red river. In the spring of 1859
he crossed the mountains into this
country. He was with the boundary
survey party of Lieutenant Parks from
the autumn of 1859 to the spring of
1861. Then he bought a claim on Rock
| creek, in British Columbia, and did his
| first mining. He abandoned the claim
| the same year and went to Florence, in
| Idaho, which is close to the Buffalo
Hump. In the spring of 1862 he went
| from Florence to Elk City and in the
| following October he went into the
| Bitter Root country and thence to Ban
mack, where he worked on a claim To-
| Gated for him by George Orr and Bill
| Fairweather.
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-18
THE ARMSTRONG FUNERAL.
obsequies at the Assembly Hall This
Morning

Arrangements for the funeral Of Fran
els Armstrong were perfected yesterday.
with the exception of the selection of
speakers. The remains may be viewed
At the residence from $50 until 10 a m.
when the cortege Will move to the Assem-
bly, hall, the services beginning at IL
The procession will move in the following
order from the Assembly hall TO the
cemetery:
County officers.
Mayor and city councillors.
Bishop Morris and counselors.
Pall-bearerS-
Hearse-
Mrs Francis Armstrong, W. Armstrong
and wife and family.
Misses Emma. Sadie, Florence and Irene
Armstrong.
dren.
Mrs. r. T. Burton.
Mr. and Mrs. D. II. Livingston, Charles
Livingston and wife.
Mr. and Mrs. r. w. Madsen, Mr.. and
Mr.. and Mrs. Thomas Armstrong, ST..
and family.
o. Armstrong, Mrs. Emma Gray and
daughter.
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Armstrong.
Mr. John Siddoway and family.
M Robert Siddoway and family.
MIR Richard Siddoway and family.
Emma Siddoway and family.
Mr. George Hassard and family.
Mrs. NJ Moyle and family.
Mrs. Mary Gray and others.
Officers of the Relief society.
Associate officers of corporations.
Citizens
Cars will be at the Deseret News corner
for choir
ments and Bishop Robert Morris will
conduct the services.
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-18
Agency In the Philippines.

Dallas, Tex, June 1.-THE Texas &,
Pacific railroad has decided to take the
initiative in a step of much enterprise
engagements for establishing passenger
and freight agency in the Philippines,
with headquarters at Manila. j. l..
Logan has been appointed to the po-
sition and will leave for San Francisco
in a few days, whence he will embark
for Hongkong and Manila.
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-18
BOYS ARE SICK OF IT.
Utah Volunteer Contradicts State
ment of General Otis.

R. G. Sleater of this city has just
received letter from his son, Thomas
B. Sleater of the Utah light artillery.
now in Manila TIE letter is dated
May 8, and says, among other things:
The order is here for our discharge
now, but they will not discharge us,
and the boys are getting very sick of
this sort of thing. | am anxious for
the good of all that we shall get away
very soon. General Otis has sent word
that the boys want TO stay, but that
is not true, as most of them want 10
come home right away. The rainy sea-
son has started in, and it is very hard
on the boys in the trenches"
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-18

bhIIloh UUAfNDo bAND,
SALTAIR,
Saturday and Sunday, June II and IS.
FOUR GRAND PROMENADE CON
CERTS-FOUR,
Afternoon and evening.
Grand ball Saturday night, the band
and Christensen's enlarged orchestra
furnishing the dance music.
25c FOR ALL. 25c FOR ALL.
REGULAR TIME CARD.
EXCURSIONS FROM ALL OVER
THE STATE.
Popular Music.
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-18
SPECIAL SALE MONDAY
At the Sc and loo Store, "a Main St.

Flour sifters .........-:..-.-.. 1oc
Square bread pans -. DC
Round pudding pans DC and &c
Meat broilers .......... &c
Granite pudding or milk pans. 10c
Vegetable SraterS .--..-..-. &c
Tea or coffee strainerS ....2c and &C
Lemon squeezers, glass or wood. Zoe
Ladies' and misses belts Zoe
New jelly glasses ..............2 for &C
Crystal butter or preserve dish.... Zoe
White cup and saucer .. for Sc
Fruit or ice cream dishes ...3 for 10c
White vegetable dishes, full size Zoe
Toasting or meat forks $3.50. &c
Feather busters :. -. .....-...... 1uc
Best machine oil ...... =. $500. &c
Pure vaseline, 10c quality for 80. DC
Yellow cake bowls 80. =. .......... Toe
Milk or water pitchers -. 10c
Dust brush or SnCe brush .......... Ice
Scrub brush or paint brush 49,. &c
Big lot of ribbons, all colOrs lie To 10c
Laces at bargain prices lie 10 10c
Ladies hose, black or tan, only. Zoe
Carpet lacks -. E. =. ........ 1c
Tooth brushes GmpOrteD =. 49,. &C
Luncn boxes ....-. ...-.-... lOc
DlSh pans ...........-. Iuc
Best parlor matches, j. boxes for :. Ice
Ladies summer vests =. DC and 1Gc
Pretty fans -. Sc. &c and 10c
Dress shields $3.50. :. . &c
Paper napkins -. :. =. -....j5 for 1Oc
We have bargains of all kinds. Don't
miss this opportunity.
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-18

The United States Fidelity & Guar
anty company OF Baltimore has depos-
tied $4,000 in New York City bonds
with J. IT. Hammond. secretary of
state. This company is represented bv
Brainard & Ritter at Ogden. and
George H 1ngham in Salt Lake. 1t
has a paid-up capital of $1,000. 600 and
furnishes bonds of employees, contract
ors and all court bonds.
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-18
PERSONAL MENTION.

il. c. Hoffman, the well-kpown real
estate man. has gone into partnership
with r. D. Miller and the firm will here
after be known as Hoffman & Miller.
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-18

GROOM MODERN. 9Th East. near
LIST South ......... ...................S $, 900
1881 e I'd South, Groom modern, Sex
1872 feet........ -. ..........'...,. $3.50
20x10 rods, I'd street, south 'front.'. -.
10x10 rods. 10th E. and 9Th So........ 80.
10x20 rods. 18th 4. and 18th So......... 80.
4-roOm cottage eth East........ $50
10-room modern 9TH East.............. T. $50
Broom cottage, +. I'd South............ 1900
Groom modern, McCleland avenue 1,00o
Groom modern, Sd street 4 200
7-room modern, LIST street. $500
Market street property. $50 feet...-.... 80.
Groom cottage, Euclid avenue..... 800
Lots 9Th West. near Sd South. .......-. 30
Property. improved and unimproved, in
all parts of the city for sale and rent
HOUSTON REAL ESTATE INV. co.
244 Main.
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-18
Utah Coal.

Castle Gate and Winter Quarters
lump. nut and slack; anthracite, all
sizes. d. J. SHARP, Agt..
IS South Main. Telephone No. 429.
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-18
Every Sunday.

free stage line runs from Fort Dong
las to Wagener's grove from u to o
p. M, connecting with street car lines
Nice place for family or picnic par
ties Refreshments and light lunches
served.