Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-07-20
MONTANA MEN
IN ARGENTINA
Cow Men Search Through That Sec.
ton Looking for Desirable
Range Lands.
The Mission Failure, Although the
Experience Gained Was Worth
Something.

tory that a 1.2OO-mile ride across the
vast, dreary pampas of Argentina in
search of profitable cattle lands is on
ly an incident in the years experien-
Ces, and, from the point of view of
the men themselves, scarcely worth
the relating. Still, there is another
point OF view and so, even if damp
winds mutter unendngly across the
bay, making these hardy men of deeds
shlver and wish to withdraw from
the storytelling field. it is well worth
while to insist that something be said.
Hitler on the steamer Arabistan
the other day came two strapping
Montana cattle growers named Will
liam Coburn and Abe Gill, recent
travellers from Bahia Blanca, east
ern Argentina. to Lake Manuel Huapi,
western Argentina-unheard of places
only TO the well informed members
specialists in other parts OF the world.
These two men We're in Neu Qucn last
February-and thereby hangs an it,
teresting tale.
First of all, they had been living
many years in the cattle growing
lands of Montana. Back in the eigh-
ties and early in the nineties the state
OF Montana was scantily populated
and there was land in abundance SO
hordes of men wistful of wealth di-
Vlded up the state until eventually pos.
SCISSORS of gorgeous imaginations CON
ceived that crowded state of affairs
existed, says the Chicago Chronicle
From time to time came to these men
lumors of the valuable lands of South
America. Especially the word pam
pas was used in descriptions in the
most glowing terms.
Montana Cow Men.
And that was how Abe Gill, of Ian
dusky, and William Coburn. of Brook
side, two men from settlements in the
county of Chouteau, Mont mounted
their bronchos last THANKSGIVING day
waved goodbye to their assembled
friends and rode to the nearest rail
road station bound for the pampas of
Argentina for an inspection of the al
legged magnificent cattle lands there
They We're typical men of the west
10 whom the name Roosevelt was the
name of god; hence their first des
tlnation was Washington And about
week later they drove up to the
white house and sent in their names
to the head of the nation. They ac-
companied their cards with a letter
from a man of the west who knew
the president, and eventually some
body came posthaste and inquired for
Messrs. Gill and Coburn and urged
them to follow him into the executive
office. And there these two travellers
remained for nearly an hour
Thence they went TO New York and
sailed for Southampton, and one man
went to Paris and the other to Wales.
but after an interval they met in Lon
don and thence journeyed back 70
southampton anu IIeHCe 10 BuenOS
Ayres.
At the capital of Argentina officials
told them loud tales about the hard
ships OF the pampas-loud tales es-
pecially of the dry, sandy pampas,
where men could travel for days with
out water and food, occasionally meet
ing only stray Indian people. and al
so these informants told of the I'M
explored wilderness in the foothills
of the Andes and of the brigands
Whereabouts, and of the stern char
whom, il was rumored traced their
descent from the Incas and knew
nothing at all about white people
Not in Least Discouraged.
This news, however, was not at all
alarming to the cattlemen from Mon
lana. for they had seen sandy wastes
before and had ridden many DAYS with
out food or water and had looked up
on Indians and bad men.
They dismissed the malodorous in
formation and began to ask questions
about their course, the character of
The land itself and the enduring DOW.
ers of horses in Argentina Argen-
tine men heard all these questions
With amazement. Obviously. these
strangers were not joking. They in
tended 10 travel across that weary
waste from Neu Quen 10 Lake Manuel
Huapti-from Neu Quen. which is l..
600 miles beyond Buenos Ayres 10
Lake Manuel Huapti. which was !.
coo miles beyond Neu Quen. More
over, these strangers. instead of wish.
ing to remain in the region OF good
air and enjoying the cafes. painted
70 go out into the waste. Just like
hounds at the leash-to leap away
from civilization and into the wastes
merely to learn if beyond the limit
less places there were grazing lands
for cattle.
"Caramba." said the Argentinos
All the cattle lands in the disputed
territory are not worth a months all
sence from the cafes and the haunts
of men of the world" So they call
ed the Americans from Montana very