The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-10-04

At 4 clock this afternoon the last
marker of the old Mullan trail through
Montana will be dedicated. The dele
gates and entertainers of the editors
convention viii journey by automobile
to Bonner. and there the monument
erected in memory of the pioneer tran
blazer will be unveiled.
The ceremonies this afternoon will
include speeches by several OF the
ncwspapermcn of the state in which
many tributes will be paid TO the man
who opened this section of the north
west to travel by hewing a military
road out OF the wilderness from Walla
Walla, Washington. to Fort Benton.
Montana.
The erection of the marker is due to
the efforts of Colonel Frank Brown,
of Philpsburg, himself a pioneer of
Montana who panned gold in the early
days under the picturesque name or
"Sandbar' Brown. The monument
was donated by ex-senator W.. A.
Clark.
Mullan Was virginian.
In little town in Virginia. in the
year 1928, John Mullan was born, and
20 years later he WAS appointed to the
United States military academy at
West Point. On July I, he was eradu-
ated and promoted to the rank OF
brevet second lieutenant of the First
artillery, and was stationed tor
short time at Columbus, New York.
1t was the next year, in 1898. that
he entered the far west, being as
signed to a position under Governor
|. l. Stevens of Washington territory to
explore a proposed railroad route
along the forty-seventh parallel OF
latitude. He remained in this service
until transferred to the Second artll-
lery, in February, 1885.
Explored Montana Wilderness.
While upon this railroad duty the
Young lieutenant explored much OF the
wilderness that was to become the
state of Montana; an exploration That
was the training school for the stu
pcndous work that he later undertook.
and comprehensive captaincy OF the
expedition that built a military road
from the great falls of the Missouri
river. In Nebraska territory, to inter
sect with the highway which later LED
from Walla Walla to the Puget Sound
For the construction of this road the
sum of $4,000 was appropriated by
an act of congress on February 5th
1886.
Work Lasted Five Years.
Actual construction of the great
connecting highway was not com
NO, no as,isE
did start it lasted for five years, be-
ing financed by an army appropria-
ton bill of March 3, 1859, that carried
one hundred thousand additional dol
lars to the cause.
The old road now almost oblitcr-
ated and hardly more than II memory
was at tho time the pride Of the west
1t is virtually paralleled in its course
by the Great Northern railroad from
Helena to Fort Benton, and by tho
Northern Pacific line from Helena Il
the Idaho boundary. The milwaukee,
electric locomotives, running between
Garrison and the western end of th'
state also cross the old road that on'
time echoed with the cries of Ions
line SINNERS" in the days when thu
west was young.
Muiian Left Workers.
The monuments that have beer
placed along the route by the pioneers
of Montana are not the first markers
| that have lined the highway. tnde
the direction of the secretary of wal
Lieutenant Mullan placed at interval
along the road small markers. which
| bore the initials m. r." military road
The simple initials, M. R. how
| ever. signify something else besid
| military road. they meant also "Mul
lan's road" and this latter translation
was the one that the settlers of TIL
country accepted. From that time t
this the highway has retained the In
trepid captains name. and now, as
treasured memory. it is still known a
the Mullan road, and has been give
a place forever in the annals of tn
treasure state by the granite shaft
that dot the highway that is now over
grown with grass where steel rail
have not followed il.
| Faced Great Danger.
To establish the road that was I
connect then impenetrable wilder
ness with the two most importar
military posts of the northwest, job
Mullan packed his kit in St. Louis
May, 1853. Accompanied by part
under Lieutenant Donelson. he ira,
eled DIP the Missouri river on, Il
steamer Robert Campbell to Fo
. Union. post located Mt the mouth