The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1917-06-29
Howard Eaton Has Been Guide for
Many Celebrates in the Rockies

AlCCCA Ill1CS dCloSS VIC w
line from Montana, not far from the
town of Sheridan, lies the famous
Eaton ranch, which has entertained
more of the notables of America and
Europe than any other habitation in
the Rocky mountain region, and
which has been the mecca of big
game hunters among the wealthy
sportsmen from the east for many
years.
The Eaton ranch consists of up
ward of $500 acres of land and has
500 horses on it, which is some herd
of horses for these times. 1t also has
several hundred cattle and an inter
esting equipment of cowpuncher's, a
group of picturesque ranch buildings,
Accommodations for 125 guests and I'M
surpassed scenic surroundings, but
the outstanding feature of the estab-
lishment from the standpoint of in
terest is Howard Eaton, Stetson-hat-
ted. tanned, keeneyed, erect and ac-
tive at the age of 81, a typical west
erner, who calls an astonishing num-
Der of celebrities by their first names
when he grips their hands in well
come, and who has the Indian and
frontier lore of the western plains
and mountains at his finger tips.
Merely to enumerate some of the
experiences of Howard Eaton's life
would fill a lengthy chapter. From
the first time he saw the plains in
1868 at the age of seventeen to the
completion of his S3rd trip through
the Yellowstone park last summer he
has spent the greater number of his
days in the saddle. He could keep a
crowd around a campfire evenings
entertained for a year with the re-
miniscences of Indian fighting, buff
falo running, big game hunting and
tales of interesting characters he has
met, without ever a repetition or a
dull moment.
Knows Famous Writers.
Eaton knows most of the noted au-
thors who have written western
stories, and has camped and hunted
with many of them. Ernest Thomp-
son, Seton, Dan Beard, and a score of
others whose names are familiar to
everybody are his friends Mary
Roberts Rinehart, the most celebrat-
ed of modern women writer's, has
taken several trips with parties guild
ed by Eaton, and the material for the
series of stories by her on the Glacier
National park, which ran in the Sat-
urday Evening Post last winter, was
secured last summer with an Eaton
party. of which Charles M. Russell
was also member.
Eaton is close friend of the Rine-
hart family, which he considers an
extremely interesting one. Mrs.
Rinehart is known best to the pub
lie through her magazine stories and
books, but in the medical world her
husband, DIR. Stanley NJ Rinehart, is
also we'll known as a specialist on
heart and lung diseases. There are
three sons ranging from 20 to 13 in
age, and they have spent some of
their summers at the Eaton ranch
They had an interesting trip with Ea-
ton planned for this summer, intend
ing to start late in August for ride
from Glacier park and ride north into
the Belly river country. They also
expected to go through Yellowstone
park in September, and later in the
fall, Mrs Rinehart expected to join
another Eaton expedition at Adama-
ma, Ariz., for 30day trip on horse
back through the Navajo, Hopi and
Zuni countries. But their plans have
been upset by the war, and Mr.. Rine-
hart, who is attached to the First
United States Army Base Hospital
corps, will probably go to France
shortly The eldest son, Stanley,
is a member of the Harvard
regiment which will also go to
the front, and Mrs Rinehart will
go abroad as a war correspond
ent for one of the big magazines,
having four offers under considera-
ton at present. The younger sons
will go into boys training camps.
Admirer of Russell.
Last week Eaton took a trip
through Montana to Glacier park, to
make arrangements for his camps
and parties there for the coming sum-
mer months, and he stopped off day
at Great Falls for visit with Charlie