Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-10-05

and getting the next team and con-
tinuing their journey.
William Nolan. afterwards the first
banker in connection with Con Weary.
of u train in Montana, was one of
the passengers, and he put 1t that
the sight Of that fire was as much as
they wanted TO see. but when they
saw our mule herd their hair acted
so they could hardly keep their hats
on and when they say our wagons
they were in no humor to go that
night.
Our object now in view was Ban.
mack, in fact that was all We knew
We were making good lime. We
crossed the Pleasant Valley Range
Jule 2nd, and arrived at Bannack at
10 o'clock on June 4th, 1868. Soon
after arriving we learned that a por-
ton of the Fairwether party had been
in Bannack the night before, that is
they came in during the night, purch-
ased provisions, packed them On
THEN horses and in the night started
on their return TO the digslngs they
had discovered in Alder Gulch.
About half of the men of our train
started on the next day going horse
and mule back and without saddles.
MY brother. A. NJ. Walker, aud Alex.
~Eldrdenbrook of our own mess went.
received a letter from them on the
SIN of June. Four of us put four
mules 10 a light wagon and started,
ours being the second wagon that
started from Bannack TO the new dis
coyery.
Hamilton & Co. had started with a
wagon in the night and had so much
the start of us that we never caught
sight of it. Hamilton had lived at
Bannack and knew something of the
country, we knew nothing of the
country so tried to follow their track,
but We would lose it so often that
VIC were losing time; we found, how
ever, that that wagon was holding to
an Indian trail, so we then travelled
on an Indian trail whenever we could
and leave II when W. could not, but
always worked back to 1t. But not.
withstanding We made the 80 miles
in two days.
On the 10th of June. John Rogers
and | took a pick, shovel and gold
pan and went up the gulch to the
formation of the canyon. We had a
pan of gravel and were at the creeks
edge washing il out wnen | heard a
cracking noise and ran up the bank
and saw that the tall grass was on
fire and the flames were leaping into
the dead alders, which were like tim.
Der, and the blaze from them going
through the green alder leaves.
called to Rogers that the gulch
was on fire and that we would have
to run. He came up the bank: we
grabbed our tools and ran UP the
mountain as long as we could, then
lying down and placing our hands ov-
er our mouths. would breathe as best
We could. when a little rested We
would Jump up and make another run,
then lying down again. We made -four
such runs before reaching the top OF
the mountain, the smoke keeping
ahead of us all the way. OF course
it was not so dense as back in the
gu.cli. Miners and campers had lei
The fire get out in four places in the
gulch at the same time, and every
thing in that gulch that would burn
Was burned for four miles. Rogers
and | we're in the worst portion ol
the smoke region, the gulch being mar
rover there it would fill up with
smoke sooner. and the mountain sides
were sleeper to climb and wcce high
er.
A great many had made their
camps in the high grass and when
the fire came they were away from
their camps. AS the fire ran owe
their camps burning fire arms and
cartridges il sounded like an infantry
fire as far as we could hear. When
the smoke cleared away We could see
a line of men on the high ground on
each side of the gulch for four miles
When the smoke had cleared Out
of the gulch we could come back to
it. We came angling down the noun
tain and just when WI came to the
creek another man came there from
the other side, and he was looking
over the remains of all the years
gatherings he possessed. He said that
he had just been to Bannack and paid
out fifty dollars, all the money hi
had, for provisions and packed II
there. His provisions were burned
his bedding, clothes, saddle, bride
arms, ammunition and everything.
doubt II | have ever seen a bluer look
inS man In my life. No m knew al
this time what the mines would prove
to be. The discoveries had prospects
satisfactory to them, but the masses
did not know but there might be only
a lew paying claims.
This was my first day spent in AL
der Gulch, and It was a pretty hard
one.
The emigrants would not at this
time and for some time after part
with their teams, not knowing but
what they might be compelled to &c
to Salt Lake City to winter. II was
true that there was quite a population
in Alder Gulch, but the mines. II any
had yet to be developed and their ex
tent tested. so at this stage II was q
guessable proposition. but very soor
some of the miners were taking Out
an ounce a day with a rocker, and
very soon parties commenced putting
I'D buildings, which afterwards became
Virginia City. BY August the min
ers we're making II pretty lively IN
the gulch. The town was building
frcighters were bringing in goods
: non.miners were entering various oc
equations and by October everything
was humming.
About the midle Of october Mr.
JamesGammell came to Virginia City
bringing a horse power saw mill, one
he had gotten at FIT. Union. | made
a contract to put up the mill and run
IL for him. We took the mill u td
a certain creek and from that day on
the creek has been called Mill creek
In the early part of November VIC
,,a,tad tho mill and rim five dayS