The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-05-26
JUNGLE BILL" HAMILTON DIES IN
BILLINGS OF CANCER or
THE STOMACH.
"A SCOT BY BIRTH
Famous Scout and Veteran of Many
Indian skirmishes viii Be Buried
at Columbus Today Eishty.six
Years Of Age at Time Of Death
Authority on Indian Sign Language.

After a vain struggle Of several
weeks against the rayages of an al
most incurable malady, William 4.
Hamilton, author, trapper and veter-
an Of many an Indian skirmish died
at st. Vincent's hospital in this city
Of cancer Of the stomach, Sunday
morning. The body was shipped to
Columbus yesterday morning for in
terment.
"Uncle Bill,'' as he was better
known to his intimate friends, was in
his eighty-sixth year at the time Of
his death and had resided in Montana
for more than 46 years. Before his
last illness he was hale and hearty.
his step as elastic as any school
boys and his carriage, so erect as to
attract notice. He always attributed
his good health to the simple life IN
the open air he lead from early man
hood.
Very little Is known Of Uncle Bills
relatives II there were any living, but
all who knew him intimately thought
as much of him and mourn his loss
as deeply as most relatives.
Father Settled at st. Louis.
AS stated in his autobiography,
my Sixty Years on the Plains" pub
lished a few years ago, William I.
Hamilton was born on the River Till
in Cheviot Hills, Scotland, in 1922.
Less than three years afterward his
father with q party Of ~ others en-
barked for America, landing at New
Orleans, when Uncle Bill' was two
years and 10 months old.
Later his father settled at st. Louis
where lyears later, the deceased,
then boy Of 20, Joined party Of
trappers bound for the west. This
marked the beginning of life filled
with more adventure than ordinarily
falls to the lot OF one man.
OF his first lessons In trapping and
his first experience with Indians,
Uncle Bill tells in his book, as well
as his lessons in the Indian sign Ian.
guage, in which he was probably the
best versef white man alive during
the last decade.
In his narratives Of the various en-
counters with hostile Indians and his
deeds Of valor. he was very modest.
preferring to give the glory to some
one else.
Hare In Early Sixties.
In the early sixties Mr.. Hamilton
made his advent into Montana. IN
1854 he establised trading post at
Fort Benton and 1--we years later
moved to the Yellowstone valley, To-
eating near where the town OF Co
lumbus now stands. Here he fol-
lowed the profession Of trapping, oc-
casionally acting as guide for hunting
parties and tourists. h
Besides serving his country as q
scout, Uncle Bill was at one time
sherin and q deputy United States
marshal. He took an active part In
the expedition which brought on the
war with the Sioux In 1876 and which
ended so disastrously for General.
Custer and his command. In the
same year as the Custer masscre,
Uncle Bill engaged as scout with
General Crook, resigning at Fort
Laramie from where. he returned to
Columbus which was then known as
Saltwater. J
Uncle Bill was OF q genial disposi-
tion, whole hearted and one OF the
most unassuming Of men. His many
friends have numerous personal ex-
,periences with the old scout to relate
and there Is not one of them, who
does not mourn his loss deeply.
The body Of the old scout will be
buried at Columbus, where funeral
services are to be held today.
MAE {. WOOD GIVES