The Glasgow courier., 1916-09-29
ROARING DAYS
OF FORT BENTON
HOW MONTANA NEWSPAPER
MAN HELPED TO STOP
WHISKEY RUNNING.
A. A. Campbell, Now Of Billings Ca
zette, Brought Joy to the Thirsty
of Fort Macleod and Lost His
Smuggler Partner.

Billings, Mont.-These days when
the liquor question furnishes an alb
sorbing theme for much discussion,
recalls the time when Fort Benton
was the mecca of the whiskey runner,
who piled in thriving trade with the
thirsty Canadians just across the
border. Whiskey Gap, an opening
through the Sweetgrass hills, was the
route taken by the whiskey smuggler
into what is now the province of Al
berta, and was then broadly desig-
mated as the Northwest Territory.
Whiskey was then taboo north Of
the line, and the red coated "guard-
ians Of the plains'' kept ward and
watch. Woe unto the luckless
whiskey runner whom they caught
smuggling liquid oy across the boun-
dairy. Only nervy and adventurous
men undertook the work, which was,
of course both profitable and precar-
ious.
Everybody Knows Campbell.
Thousands of people in Montana
know A. A. Campbell. For years he
has solicited subscriptions for the Hell
ena Independent, the Anaconda STAN
dard, the old Butte Inter-Mountain.
Now he is with the Billings Gazette.
He is smooth, sauve gentleman Of
southern breeding and gentle man.
days Of old Fort Benton, he was a
bold whiskey runner. Then he saw
great light and reformed. He went
into the newspaper business.
One day, approaching the Christ
mas season, word came to Campbell
at Fort Benton that Fort Macleod's
supply Of whiskey was very short, and
was selling for $15 per gallon.
Campbell loaded up four horse
wagon with 300 gallons of forty rod
and, with his partner, drove boldly
across the border. They arranged
their route so that the last ten hours
of travel would be at night, and in
the gray Of one morning drove to
their rendezvous, a barn on the out
skirts Of the town, and cached their
kegs of whiskey in an old we'll inside
the barn, holding out one keg for
emergencies.
Horse Feed Famine.
In all Macleod there was no for
age for their horses, except slen-
der supply over which the command
ant Of the Mounted Police stood
watch. They had enough whiskey for
. all of southern Alberta, but without
"horse feed' they could not move
about and sell it. In their despair
they went to the commandant.
"You fellows are Americans" he
said, "and I am half inclined to be-
lieve you are whiskey runners
Both made loud and violent pro-
test.
"I'll tell you what I will do,'' said
the cammandant. eff one of you will
take me to Whiskey Gap, and give me
some idea of the underground route
Of the whiskey runners, I will see that
You have plenty of forage for your
horses.'
The runners consulted. They were
in desperate situation. They had
to have forage. Finally brilliant
idea came to Campbell.
Campbell's Brilliant Scheme.
''I will take the old fellow down
and when he is gone and the coast
is clear, you peddle the whiskey." It
, was about two days. trip each way
to the Gap, and with little delay
it meant that the commandant would
: be away for perhaps five days.
!, So Campbell and the commandant
} departed fort the Gap. In "a hours
they were calling each other by their
first names. Finally Campbell in
!, troduced the mounted policeman to
!. a quart of very fine whiskey which
he had taken along with him. When
he was mellow under it's potent in
, fluence Campbell told him of the
whiskey cache at Macleod, spoke Of
the Christmas season, of the short
!, age Of whiskey, and of the liquid needs
of the men Of Macleod, who were
blazing the trail for civilization, and
asked and obtained his permission to
Sci lHc WHIshcy. 1Hc coIumdHuduV
told him he would make it point to
stay away from the Macleod country
until all the whiskey was sold. But
, he insisted that this should be Camp
, bell s last trip into Canada as
whiskey runner. Campbell promised.
Lost Smuggling Partner.
: Then, in high glee, Campbell went
! back to Macleod. He found practi-
cally evryone in the little outpost
town drunk. His partner had dis
appeared. Finally he ran across a
hotel man whose talk was fairly
lucid mad was told that his partner
J had sold the whiskey for something
over $4,000, traded Campbell's team
for fast saddle horse, and had rid
don IN tho 1iraotiOn Of tho hOr1a,.