The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-11-26
0LD-T|MERS MEET
IN M|SS0ULA
TRAIL OF FLOOD DAMAGE SUIT
AFFORDS CHANCE FOR PLEAS
ANT REUNION.

The trial of the suit of Eugene
Pelkey against the Chicago. Milwau-
kee & Puget Sound railway for dam
ages to cover the ranchers losses dur.
ing the spring floods of 1908 has
gathered together in Missoula a bunch
of Montana pioneers such as the city
has. possibIy-in these later days. at
least-never seen before, and has fin
ally demonstrated the fact that the
past years of the states history have
never seen anything in the high water
line which could touch the floods OF
1908. Those of us who saw the big
floods of last year are pioneers OF
equal standing with any of them in
the flood line. and high water is here
after barred from the old -timer's rem
inscences.
The railroad company gathered to-
gether in Missoula in confederation of
this fact the very Oldest of the old
timers. Among the men who testified
on floods last week were some of the
oldest and most respected citizens or
Montana. Granville Stewart of Butte
and his brother Tom Stewart of Deer
Lodge, who were the first men to set
foot within the confines of what is
now the state of Montana and whose
discovery of the yellow metal on Gold
creek first turned the growing tide of
immigration toward the Treasure
state. were there. These men, who
have watched every move of the He'll
Gate river for the last IS years. and
who have seen the waters of the
stream rise and fall more times than
any white man living, could recall
no flood which even compared with
that of last year.
Lee Montgomery and NJ. Richardson
of Deer Lodge, who came to Montana
AZ years ago, We're able to cite no
instances of a higher water than that
which was seen in 1908. Peter II. Ma
her of Race Track. one of the most
picturesque and best liked men of the
state. who has lived within its boun-
daries for 40 years. A. Rippengale and
John Gerts of Garrison. two men who
have been associated with the growth
and development of Montana for 35
years. and w. w. Royal of Drum
mond. who has, watched the progress
of the Treasure state for 30 years,
We're all here, and none of them was
able to recall anything which was in
the same class with the big flood
ID. l.. ROWieS ana Peter Louquet or
Avon. r. II. Fowler of Gold Creek.
c. w. Morse of Drummond and Frank
G. Wilcox of Ellison. all of them old
timers in the strictest sense of the
word and all of them intimate in
their knowledge of the vagaries and
queer performances of the stream.
We're able to recall nothing which
could put the modern flood in the
shade.
With George w. korte of Seattle.
the assistant general counsel for the
road. who is directing the trial. these
old-timers had a general reunion. Mr.
Korte is no tenderfoot himself and
the stories and recollections flowed
freely when all of the men. who made
Western Montana. got together. By
all of them the meeting here will be
long remembered as PLEASANT re-
union, and to those of us whose too
recent knowledge of the state barred
us from the meeting the gathering
will be of rare Importance for the
fact that it admits us all to the
common ground when floods are I'M
der consideration.