The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1920-12-24
GLASGOW LEADING
CITIZEN IS DEAD
Lemuel w. Gibson, Pioneer
StOckmen, Found Dead in
His Hotel Quarters Sun
day Morning.
The PASSING OF A PIONEER
Was One of Earliest of Pioneers to
Lecate in What is Now known as
Valley County. Was Most
Successful StOckman.

Lemuel w. Gibson, one of Valley
countys most prominent citizens, and
one of the earliest of the pioneers of
eastern Montana, passed to the great
beyond, early Sunday morning, De-
cember 10Th. He was found dead in the
quarters he was occupying in the
Glasgow Hotel. Although he had been
ailing some for several days previous
his condition had not been considered
serious, and he was not confined to
his bed. Consequently his sudden de-
mise came a shock to the entire
community, who, as a whole had
come to look upon the man as one of
the real pioneer fathers of this part
of Montana.
stitutes the passing of another Of
of Montana. His residence in the
a little farther than most of those still
settlement of this section Of the
Northwest.
He was little more than GA years
of age at the time of his death, and had
spent practically all of his entire ca
reer on the rough frontiers Of western
America. He was born in the state
of Pennsylvania, and when seyen-
teen years of age, he migrated west
to a frontier settlement in Kansas,
where he worked as a section hand
and later as a contractor building rail
road grades. Shortly after reaching
the Kansas location, he met one, Hen
ry Carpenter, who was then about the
same age as the deceased These two
boys become devout pals. This was in
1874, and the two men have been to-
gether as partners in every venture
and enterprise since that time. Mr..
Carpenter survives the deceased and
is a resident of Glasgow.
After a few years in the railroad
contracting business the two men,
who seemed bert On frontier adventure
became buffalo hunters, and finally
they freighted overland in 1886 and
settled in old Dawson county, where
they embarked in the cattle business.
In the following year, 1887, the de-
ceased crossed the Missouri into
now what is known as Valley county
and entered the sheep business. This
proved his most successful venture,
and at different times, he has had one
of the largest if not the largest band
of sheep grazing in the west. AS
years went on and the homesteaders
came to Northeastern Montana, he
gradually disposed of his sheep and
has since the advent of the dry land
farmer, been devoting most of his
time to his many Valley county prop
erty interests.
Mr.. Gibson was always found ready
and anxious to promote as far as was
in his power, and with reason, all
those ventures of enterprise which
meant the future development of the
community in which he lived. Conse-
uuently at the time of his death, ne
was financially interested in many of
the largest and most successful busi-
ness institutions of this part of the
state. He was very enthusiastic over
the future of the oil activity in the
state, and his efforts were in no small
sense responsible for the first test well
put down in the BoWdoin field.
A patriotic citizen of the very first
degree, every cause which represented
the welfare of the nation and of the
state received his financial and moral
support When America declared
war against Germany, and solicited the
support Of her citizens, L. w. Gibson S
name was always well toward the
first of the list. In the First Liberty
Loan Drive he subscribed and paid
for, $50 100000 worth in one allotment
A uuiet nature, and always busy
either in his own interests or the in
terests of the community, Mr.. Gibson
never sought the glamour of notoriety.
Thousands of acts of benevolence, of
which few have ever known, are re-
crded in his favor. He never sought
notoriety or publicity and never took
an active part in politics. He was
elected once to the office of county
commissioner of old Valley county.
This was in 1904. The other members
to serve with him at that time were,
S. P. Mitchell and L. H. Mills, both
of whom have passed away.
The only known surviving relatives
of the deceased are a sister in Kansas
and brother in Oklahoma. Funeral
services were held from the Methodist
Church on the afternoon of Tuesday,
December 21st, Rev. Allen officiating.
The remains were shipped to Burton,
Kansas, Mr.. Henry Carpenter, the
lifelong partner, accompanying the
body to its destination where inter-
ment will be made.