The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1920-10-15

/ Mckenzie ruled the realm of the
upper Missouri country as chief fac
tor OF the American Fur Trading
company, rival of the Hudson's Bay
company, and which controlled the
trade of the Indians of vast stretch
of country. It was by far the most
powerful concern in the west, and
sought to rule the redskins who were
dependent upon it for goods and sup
plies as despotically as did the Hud-
sons Bay company in the north. The
head of the American Fur Trading
company was John Jacob Aston.
Mckenzie was the executive in the
field under Aston. His headquarters
were at Fort Union, first settlement
in the west with the exception of the
forst established by Manuel Lisa at
| the confluence of the Big Horn and
Yellowstone rivers in 1907.
Fort Union was built by Alexander
Culbertson, just outside the present
Montana boundaries, where the wa
tiers of the Missouri and Yellowstone
join. 1t Immediately became the CEN
ter of trade of wide stretch of In
dian country, and was the port of
Montana until the rise of Fort Ben
ton, nearly half century later, caus-
ed 1T to decline, and ultimately to be
dismantled. Now it is but a memory
with the modern town of Mondak
half mile distant from it's site.
Fort Union was the mecca of all
travellers who came adventuring into
the great wilderness of the west. 1t
was the last outpost of civilization
Beyond it the red savages were SUI
preme, and the white man who left
its protection and ventured further
into the wilds took his life in his
hands.
Mckenzie, as chief trader of Fort
Union, was by far the most import
ant individual of the Upper Missouri
river country. He was out of reach
and out of touch with the constituted
authorities, and was a monarch unto |
himself.
Mckenzie and his lieutenants at |
Fort Union were hosts to many men |
whose names and. deeds are part OF |
the warp and wool of the history of |
the west, and also to some of the |
worlds famous scientists and men of |
art and letters of that time.
Here John James Audubon, great
est of all ornithologists, passed more
than two months gathering material
for his "Quadrupeds of North Ameri-
ca" after coming up the Missouri by
with the record of the fast
est trips days-eyer made from
st. Louis.
Macmillan, Prince of Weld, made
his headquarters the same year at
Fort Union, gathering data for a
folio atlas that is described as "the
most luxurious souvenir of western
adventure ever issued from the
press"
Where Catlin Drew Pictures of the
Indians
Here George Catlin, the preceding
year, drew many of his Indian pic
lures that became known as curiosi-
ties of art and are. highly priced as
aids to the anthropologist.
Here Jim Bridger, renowned free
-rapper, used to resort and it was
here that ~Bridger suffered a deep hui ,
initiation. After he had boosted of
he valor of his men, his force fled
rom the Sioux at the very gates of
he fort, and at the funeral of half :
breed victim of the attack, Bridger f
heard the speaker pronounce the !
words: This funeral is caused by the G
,owardice of Bridger's party" The /
'eteran trapper had intended to pass 4
he winter at Fort Union, but now he /
dismissed his men and returned to !
he mountains alone. !
Here Nathaniel ]. Wyeth, who de- /
-oted his life to a vain attempt to 6
ievelop the Columbia river salmon
fisheries, committed what the men of Y
fountain and prairie regarded as a +
ross act of treachery. Wyeth stop
ed for few days at the fort on his
yay back to the states and was en-
by Mckenzie, who. explain
d to him the operation of the whisky
till. When he reached civilization
gain, Wyeth reported the existence
f the still, which was used to make
yhisky for trade with the Indians.
nd William Clark of the famous
lewis and Clark expedition, who was
till superintendent for western
ribes, was instructed to suppress the
licit manufacture. The incident
anne near wrecking the American
ur company, which Immediately or-j
cred the still destroyed. Big in
uences were brought to bear and q
ne affair of the still was allowed to
ass unpublished
Wyeth's Visit Described by Irving
Washington Irving, in his "Adven-
Tres of Captain Bonneville" thusl
escribes Wyeth's visit to the fort. :
On the oath of August, 1893, the OF
ull boat emerged, with its adventur- CO
us crew, into the broad bosom of ri
lie mighty Missouri. Here. about CT
x miles above the mouth of the yell "
,wstone, the voyagers landed at Fort az
MON, the distributing post of the Ell
Fur company in the west til
IN country. 1t was a stockaded sc
,rtress, about 220 feet square, pleas
1tly situated on high bank. Here
ley were Hospitality entertained by af
r. Mckenzie, the superintendent, pa
I'D remained with him three days, ca
ljoying the unusual 1uxuries of til
read, butter, milk and cheese, for Gu
e fort was well supplied with dom su
tic cattle, though it had no garden. wi
he atmosphere of these elevated re- tn
ons is said to be too dry for the ca
Ilture of vegetables; yet the voya- su
rs, in coming down the Yellow Nj