Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1904-12-20
Donald G. MCCaSkey, a Young Fast
erner, Finds Much of interest
on a Long Stage Drive.
STORIES OF "JIM' DRlSCOll
Old-1imc Stage Driver Who Has Seen
Much of Danger Relates Some
"Reminiscences.

About ten days ago, the Democrat
was favored by call from Donald G.
Mckaskey, a young physician who
graduated from the medical depart-
ment of the University of Pennsylya-
MIA last summer and has since been
seeing the west. He was a newspaper
correspondent in st. LOUIS for several
weeks during the fair and then struck
out from st. Louis through the west,
his capital being just 80 cents when
ne left the worlds fair city. He re-
sorted to various shifts to get along
and when he got to Billings, decided
that he would ride through to Great
Falls by stage. He stopped in Lewis
town long enough to write most ex-
cellent article on the Custer battle.
He showed it to the writer and of all
accounts previously reaa of that now
historic massacre, none were SO vivid
ly written as was the account by the
young DOCTOR
He is young fellow Of splendid
appearance, cultured and very enter
tanning. From Great Falls he wrote
to his home paper an account of his
3OO-mile ride from Billings to Great
Falls, the following of which is an
eXcerp concerning a character well
known in this city.
Many prosperous looking ranches
are passed. the owners of which came
out in early days, settled, took out
their claim from the government,
lived up to the requirements and are
now content to rest on their laurels
having derived a goodly portion of
this worlds goods.
"A passenger cannot stage it" from
Billings to Lewistown, distance of
$50 miles, and from Lewistown to
Great Falls, distance of 12O miles,
without being attracted to other things
of interest beside that of the scenery
and towns through which he passes.
The various stage drivers come in
for a goodly share of ones interest.
Many of these men are old battle scar
red stage warriors.
AT one stopover station that we put
up at became acquainted with man
named Driscall. He was until a few
weeks ago driving stage, but being
now 60 years old he concluded he
would act as stock keeper at one of
the coach stables through the coming
Montana winter He is popularity
known as Jim Clark among his associ-
ates. The name was acquired because
he threw into a mans face named Jim
Clark frying pan filled with FLAP
jacks" Driscoll was cooking these
in camp on the Nabraska prairie. The
man Clark belonging to the same
camp outfit approached his fire and
persisted in kicking dirt into the flap
jack" cooking materials. Warnings
proving Intellectual, Driscall threw the
contents of the entire flap jack pan
into the would-be tough Mr.. Clark's
face. The incident created such
stir in camp that the cook ever after
was known as Jim Clark
"Driscall is most interesting char
acter. Born in Tippecanoe county.
Indiana, he enlisted into one of the
Indiana state regiments during the
Civil war and fought until it's close,
being wounded three times, one bullet
costing him the hearing of his right ear.
After the war he became stock keeper
at Rock Creek. Wyo.. for the Over
land Stage Line.
I'm those days Indians swarmed
through the country, and a man took
his life in his hands who travelled
through the west. One day Driscall
was surprised in his stable on the
prairie by a band OF Sioux who in
tended to take him prisoner. They
surrounded his stable and one great
buck entered the door. saying How
Driscall never waited to reply. He
made flying leap through a side hole
II the stable through which he pitched
manure. Gaining the exit. he maue
for some cottonwood brush growing
nearby the stable. Bullets and ar
rows followed him for many minutes
but he finally made his escape to the
ranch of neighbor 10 miles away