The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1917-12-07
SHIPPED FIRST
FIGHTING HORSES
JOHNNY CONWAY SENT THOUS-
ANDS OF ANIMALS FROM
MONTANA TO BOER WAR.
Saw Prices Go From 81 Per Head to
$40 Per Head in Single Year; Now
Buying Animals for United States
Government; III e l p ed British,
French and Italians Get Mounts.

Back in the early days of Montana
when the capital was at Virginia
City, and the Conway's were one
of the prominent families Of Alder
Gulch society, Bob, Frank, Johnny
and Billy Conway used to swap
horses with the neighboring boys, and
before the quartet was of age, they
had big herd running on the ranges
of Madison county.
This statement best answers the
query as to when Johnny Conway
first started buying horses. He is at
it still. Frank, who became one Of
Montana's best known writer's, an
swered the final summons years ago;
Billy has made a fortune in business
in Billings, and Bob is rich stock
man down in the Sarpy Greek coun-
try of Big Horn county. Johnny
makes his home in Billings and for
a livelihood he buys horses. In fact,
he has probably bought more horses
than any other buyer, native of Mon
tana.
Montana horses are said to be the
best that ever lived. Her big Per-
cherons take the ribbons at the live
stock shows and her standard bred
animals cut down the marks on the
grand circuit, while in the past such
horses as Ogden from the old DAILY
stud. have set up world records. That
is why Johnny still buys them.
Montana War Horses.
There has never been a war since
Montana had any white folks living
in the boundaries of the state, in
which her horses did not play an i'm
portant part. They served with dis
tinction in the Spanish-American and
Boer wars and passed through the
rigors of scores of Indian compaigns.
In providing mounts in the Boer
war and for service abroad in vari-
GUS armies, several Montana horse
men have made great fortunes. OF
these, Johnny Conway was the plo-
neer, for he is said to be the first
horse buyer in the state to ship Mon
tana horseflesh to foreign lands to
serve with the artillery or cavalry.
When the Boer war broke out he
bought 500 head of Madison county
horses. over around Virginia City,
where he was born. They were of
the famous VT brand, and he paid
$4,000 for the bunch. They were
trailed to Billings and contracted to
an English buyer who planned to use
them for polo ponies
Melted Eighteen Thousand.
The war broke, and the English
took the animals to Cheyenne, sold
Dri% ;c1 horcnhnvnr
and netted a profit of $4,000. The
war had sent the price of horses from
81 to $40 per head. The following
year he paid $4,000 for 25 head in
the same territory, the sum he had
paid for 500 head IL months before.
During the Boer war he bought
5000 head and helped ship $4,000
head to South Africa.
Compared with the shipments he
and associates, as well as other buy
ers have made this year, the ship
ments during the Boer war were
small indeed Thousands Of animals
have been taken to the east for ship
ment to Italy and France and train
loads have carried as many as that
big herd he bought in Madison coun-
ty.
Mr.. Conway is now purchasing
horses for the United States army.
Previous to the declaration of war
with Germany he bought for the
French government, most of the time,
though furnishing some to English
and Italians.
"Horses are becoming more valu-
able every year." says Mr.. Conway"
and they will never be as cheap again
as they have been in the past"