Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-12-20

structions to build three fortss the first
of which was to We known az Fort
Philcarney. These forts were to guard
a route into Montana and BOWS out
fit was the first loaded train to at
tempt the journey. He and his party
arrived at the proposed site of the
Philcarney Fort on Wednesday
night and found that Darlington and
his regiment at this point, but learned
that he had not commenced on his
first fort and had no intention of ven
turing further into. the hostile region.
He or his men related the story of &
party of fur. buyers who had all been
killed but a few miles away, the week
before.
Mr.. Dow had with him eight team
sters and a cook, while others had
joined his train until there was an
aggregate of % wagons. Each man
had a repeating rifle and were spoil
ing for a fight. They were shortly
joined by government expedition of
rs or 100 men under Col. Sawyer of
Sioux City and the combined trains
started on their perilous journey. In
dams were in sight all the time and
on the second day out a party Of 20
mounted on Western ponies made an
attempt to stampede the cattle which
were unyoked and grazing. The war
WhoopS of the Indians were answered
by rifle fire from the wagon men, suf-
ficient to teach them n lesson and they
made their retreat. The party. how
ever passed over the exact spot at the
Little Big Horn where the Custer
They found
on reaching the Big Horn river that 1t
was too high to be forded and Mr. Dow
nearly lost his life in the attempt he
made to get the party across.
The journey occupied four months.
On arriving in Virginia City, Mont,
the stamp mill. which had been trans
ferred across the plains was sold to
the Gold Ore Co. of Brooklyn, N. Y.
Later Mr.. Dow operated a mill in Mon
tana for year and a half, at the end
of that time returning to Skowhegan.
1t was while he was east that he mar
ried a former schoolmate. Miss Helen
Folsom, this event occurring in 1858.
A little later he made another trip
to Montana and from there business
called him to Salt Lake City, a stage
journey of over 500 miles. On his re-
turn to Maine in 1869, he bought the
Weston farm on Neil hill, his wife's
birthplace and this he carried on for
three years. At the end of that time
he contracted with Reuel Weston to
build and operate a lumber mill in
Iowa. This occupied his attention for
four years and at the close of the con-
tract referred to, he came back east,
sold the Weston farm and bought the
house on Madison avenue, where he
lived for IS years, and which he sold
only last year to Fred c. Emery. Dur
ing this time he had made four trips
to New Mexico to open up mining
property for Chicago parties. In about
1888 he went into the grocery bust
ness and afterwards was engaged in
the plumbing and clothing business
here. His wife died some years since.
and his two children have also passed
away, one a son, Fred c. Dow dying
only short time before he sold his
home. Since this last change of loca-
ton his life had been quietly and
peacefully passed in direct opposition
to the activities of his earlier days.
He had resided with his niece, Mrs.
E. T. Goodrich, since the sale of his
Madison avenue property.