The Ronan pioneer., 1917-02-09
AJAX WRITES OF
PIONEER MONTANA
WORK OF A. j. MOVES is ENRICH.
ING ARCHIVES OF STATE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

Montana Pioneer Is Writing Book
on Blaine County, in Which the
Indians, the Squaw Men, the Pros
pector, Miner, Stockman and Dry
lander Will All Have a Place.
Too little has been told of the old
pioneers of the great state of Mon
tana. No grander body of men ever
emigrated to a new land. They had
either to ford, bridge or swim the
rivers that crossed their paths, to
find trails through trackless plains,
| and force their way through the
mountain ranges that retarded ev-
cry step because of their peculiar for
nation. But ever since the day on
which Jason sailed to bring back the
Golden Fleece, men have struggled
for the gold that the Maker hid
throughout the world.
1t has mattered not that the froz-
en- land of the midnight sun held the
treasure, or that it was in the sands
of Nome, where the storms of winter
washed it from the bottoms of frigid
sea. 1t mattered not if it were the
mines of King Solomon in the fever
affected land of South Africa, or
whether it was in the sunny cline
of California, where the perfume of
sweet flowers filled the air, and
bright plumaged birds sang their
sweetest music, to lull the tired and
homesick miner to a welcome sleep.
And our own state with it's trackless
plains to be crossed, the wild In
dians to be subdued, called the peo-
,>1 ~ ,@3, co,
homes, to seek the rich sands of AL
der, Bannack, Confederate and Last
Chance. And some of these men
emily Gates, and stolen the golden
cobble stones of that remote place,
if they had known the way.
Made Montana Livable.
These men who made possible
the existing conditions of the
state, where people can live with
no fear of the marauder who would
steal their property and take their
exploits. 1t needs men to do this
> work who are themselves pioneers,
as they know something of the early
story of those times and can cor
rect mistakes that otherwise might
creep in.
l Among those who are trying to
: help preserve the material that
e should be of value to the future his
torian, and to the unborn genera
q tions is one who has tried for several
s years, in his modes. way, to write
D of those days. A ranchman and min
d er, he claims no distinction as a
: historian, though he has published
G two books within the past three
(, years that deal with those early,
d and to him, happy days. Him
n self a pioneer, and all that goes to
p make that word reality, he str &
W giles along, trying to do little good
g as he sees it, so that those who are
1. interested may find many things pre-
served, that if not for his pen. would
be forever lost.
It Story of the Big Hole.
e "The Story of Ajax" an autobiogra-
a ply, is not alone the story of his life,
r, but 1t is the story of the Big Hole
d basin, that most wonderful of all
e wild-hay valleys of all the world. He
is was factor in the settlement and
: development of Montana, and has
4, written into the story of Ajax, one of
l. the most thrilling heart stories that
st has ever been told. Not a story of
8, success, but a story of failure.
:: Then that old book of Dimsdale's,
Is that Governor Stewart said should be
read by all of the children of Mon
- tana, took on distinctive value un-
der the new dress at the hands of
AL Noyes. And not alone has he
done this work, but is now telling
= the story of Blaine county, which will
give the story of the Indians, who live
on Balknap reservation, the squaw-
D men, prospectors, miners, Indian
D fighters, cattle and sheep men. and
h the dry-landers; all have their place,
and while 1t will be history, it will
l. be told as story, that should hold
1 the attention of the reader from be-
a ginning to end. In this work Mr..
It Noyes has visited the Indians and
e their white brothers on the reserva-
O ton; he has talked with the old
It plainsmen whose stories have never
l. before been told, and being himself a
y dry land farmer, he will tell that
l. story from the standpoint of expert
II ence.
It Story of Placer Mining.
r Then, too, for long time, he has
been gathering material for the story
of the Placer Mines of Montana,
n work that Miss Fortune of the His
4 torical society has said people ask
- for, but there is none in existence.
O This work requires considerable
h time before it can possibly be CIV
G en- to the public. Mr.. Noyes has been
4 at work for the Historical society
J. gathering stories of the old timers,
a and has done good work in that line.
!, The legislature of this great state
4 should see that money should be ap-
= propriated to carry on the work, be-
: fore it is too late, that these stories
may be obtained and placed in the
+ vaults of the Historical society,
: where they may be had for future
reference.