The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-08-19
LITTLE EARLY DAY HISTORY
David HiIger's Interesting Sketch Re-
lating to Infancy Of M~ontana's
Great Industry.

ASS
This was in the summer of 1868 and
the sheep belonged to St. Peters mis-
sion., They were driven across the
country from Walla Walla and num-
bered between 300 and 400. Mr.. Hill
ger, then a boy of 9 years, watched
them for about a week on the Little
Prickly Pear, 18 miles from Helena.
AS historian of the North Montana
Woolgrowers' association Mr.. Hilger
included the foregoing information in
a paper he read before that associa-
tion.at Great Falls a short time ago,
although the article was intended
more~particularly as a history of the
wool markets of the state. 1t was
not until a dozen or so years after
the arrival of the Walla Walla sheep
that the industry of sheep raising in
Montana began to assume proportions
emitting it to respect, when timporta-
tons of sheep from many of the west
ern states and territories began to
be made, while not a few we're also
brought in from the south. Fort Ben
t0eHthen was the wool center of Mon
tana and retained that distinction, for
many years, in fact until the two
stranscontinental railroads were built
across the state, when other towns
took it's laurels. Upon the completion
of the Montana Central and Great
Northern roads Great Falls be.
came Fort Benton's northern
competitor and in turn Great Falls
had to give way to Billings as being
the greatest wool market of the state.
Comparing the methods of the wool
buyers of the early days with those
OF the men who now do the buying
forces the conviction that the Sheep
men of the old times had the best of
it. There was not the nice regard
for quality that now drives the seller
to distraction and no attention was
paid to spear. grass, buck wool or
tags. Everything was wool and went
as such, regardless of condition. Here
is a sample of the manner in which
wool was bought in those times, ac-
cording to Mr.. Hilger:
Many of us can remember when
Major Davenport of Helena turned
out a Woolbuyer in 1879, and for a
few years thereafter. While l have
the profoundest respect for the ma
~jor's abilities in every other direc-
ton, for his keen knowledge of men
am affairs, l am free to confess it
was difficult for him to tell the diff
ference between wool and hair from
a tannery, and the majors methods
OF examining wool would hardly pass
muster in these enlightened days,
His usual method was striking the
wool sack on the side with his cane,
n then announcing with a wise and
serious look: I will give you 81 cents
a pound for that WOOL
Major Davenport was certainly a
picturesque representative of the ear
~ w~oolbuyers, and the history of the
wool industry of the state, but | am
under the impression that the majors
limits ranged somewhere between 25
and 80 cents a pound for wool, and
anything sacked in a wool sack was
a pretty good buy for the major at a
point midway between the two ex-
tremes of his limit. | remember sell
ing him a wool clip, wet and dirty,
n from as scabby a band of sheep
as was ever shorn, badly sacked, and
In a %frightful condition, for % cents
Q pound, $50 miles from Fort Benton,
on the ranch at that. A wool clip of
a similar quality at the present time.
would scarcely be entitled to a bid
at any figure"
But the methods of the buyers are
not the only changes that have &C.
CURED since the days of which Mr..
Hllger speaks SO ENTERTAINMENT.
There is a difference of prices also.
Well may he say that sit seems like
a dream that 80 cents has been paid
for wool at Fort Benton especially
"~' - IN SolCllluSS, uuIluG InG
past ~ or 20 years we have watched
it gradually decline from that famous
point as low as, in '94 and 90, 6 and
z cents a pound.'
Senator Gibson was also among the
buyers OF those halcyon days and ac-
coraing to Mr.. Hilger, while a little
more particular than Major Daven-
port, was still liberal as to prices and
had a large amount of faith in the
honesty of the sellers. as he paid Mr..
Hilger Fl cents a pound for a clip that
he bought on a sample Of not more
than five pounds.
All the Benton wool was shipped by