The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-08-07
PRETTY STORY OF CROW INDIAN
AND AUTO.
TRIFLE SHAKY BUT CLEVER
veracious Bubble Seller RegaIes East.
erners With Interesting Tale
from Billings.

1t may be true narrative of oc-
currences that really transpired, but
the little yarn written from Billings
by the enterprising agent of an auto
mobile concern of Minneapolis and
printed in the Journal of that city,
is highly suggestive Of an effort on
the part OF the versatile prevaricatOr
who under different Montana date
lines at brief intervals startles the
world with tales that have their ori-
gin in his active and overworked i'm
agination. Even the halftone cut OF
what appears to be an Indian seated
in one of the bubbles is hardly per-
missable as testimony OF the truthful
ness Of the story. Since they hayL
taken to wearing high heeled boots
and going to circuses the Crows
have become more accommodating
than earlier in their history and it
would require but little persuasion
to induce one OF them to permit him
self to be photographed as
"chuffer," especially il the promise of
package OF cigarettes were held
out as bribe.
And then, at last accounts Plenty
Coues was still the recognized chief
of the >tribe and would undoubtedly
resent the auto mans attempt to- de-
pose him and place Big Mouth bnt6
the tribal throne.
Those who saw the agent and wit
messed his exhibitions will probably
be interested in his story of alleged
Incidents in connection with his re-
cept visit here, which is as follows:
Wit wasn't painted red and it wouldn't
drink water from the y ellowstone riv-
er. Such were the only important
objections made by big Mouth" chief
of the Crows, when he bought last
week, at Billings, Mont, the first auto
mobile ever sold to wild" Indian.
This machine was an Olds mobile run
about
Maurice Wolfe, travelling representa-
tive of the Olds company, with head
quarters at Minneapolis, ''bubbled' in
to Billings to find that his machine
was altogether a novelty In that re-
gion. The cowboys and other white
men knew OF the autos" by reputa-
ton, OF course. Many OF the whites
had seen the machines elsewhere.
But the Indians were as much aston
ished as redmen will permit them.
selves to be.
On the road to Billings Mr.. Wolfe
became stalled in an irrigation ditch.
He heard shout behind him, and was
presently surrounded by group of
cowboys. Two OF the horsemen rode
into the ditch and fastened their
lar4ats to the front axle of the auto.
Il turned off the gear" wrote Mr..
Wolfe, ANA the lariats, stretching
from the pommels of the COWBOYS
saddles, soon yanked me out on the
prairie. The bronchos galloped off.
I'd gone about mile before my
friends suggested that I'd better push
behind Then they took off the Ia
riats and five minutes later was wav-
ing my hat at the fastest broncho
in the bunch. Say, boys, don't you
wont a tow? yelled before they
dropped too far behind
And when the auto entered Billings
at speed more moderate Mr.. Wolfe
was escorted by half the crows upon
| the agency-braves, squaws, pap
pooses -everybod that could catch a
pony and keep up with the parade. =
Chief "Big Mouth" however, would
not condescend to look. His friends,
who insisted that he was not indlf-
| ferent to the latest styles, suggested
that the auto go over to his house.
When the machine stood before his
door the chief consented to come out
and see ''the white mans pony" AT
ter half an hours silent observation
big Mouth" evincing no special in
terest, became willing to take ride
behind the lever. During ten-mile
spin around the outskirts of the
town the distinguished guest was
moved to ask if Mr.. Wolfe's engine
wouldn't go better on the track"
It was a kind of locomotive, as the