The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1920-07-15

1ttbtNh 6itt IL was aDfhlltlOIiOhs
fraction of the cost, and it ma,
tural college, which is one way
greatly some years ago. The Bea-
yer creek, as the source of water
supply, has not been found reliable
For miles along its lower channel
it often sinks or goes entirely dry
and at a low stage the water is TN
healthful. Several years after the
post was established a large dam
was put in eight miles up stream
and a vast amount of labor was ex-
Ipended in the effort to store the
1ife-giving element. The work
stood through n season but went
out with the first heavy rain and
has never been rebuilt.
A six-inch we'll was bored at
the southern extremity of the post
during 1928 to a depth of 1850
feet when the drill pierced a cav
ern more than 800 feet deep from
ceiling to floor and of unknown
lateral extent, and the work was
abandoned.
The original recommendation of
Colonel Brooke, concerning the
material of which enclosures
should be constructed, makes men
ton of adobe as suitable for that
purpose. He based the suggestion
upon the fact that Fort Benton, a
mammoth stockade built by the
American Fur company in 1916,
was constructed of adobe and had
been proof against the elements for
nearly half a century.
Built by Colonel Lee
Subsequent appropriations by
congress increased the available
building fund of the new post to
$280,705. To this large sum other
amounts were added as required
until the post now represents an
outlay in excess of $4,000. Brick
was finally decided upon as the
better material for walls, and kilns
were burned not far from the site.
Other material, aside from brick
and stone, was shipped up the Mis-
souri, river and freighted to the post
by OK and mule teams. Colonel Lee
was in charge of construction work
and SO vigorously were matters
carried or that the Indians, watch
ing the progress of the same, de-
clared that Fort Assinniboine rose
out of the ground.
The lamented Colonel Broadwa-
ter was then in his prime as an act
i've, energetic man of affairs, and
he opened up and operated a stage
line between the post and Fort
Benton. He also became post
trader, the lucrative business being
conducted under the firm name of
Broadwater, McCulloh & Co. The
vast amount of business transact
ed by this establishment during the
period of IL years waslannually en-
ormous. The traffic in furs and
robes, alone, for a time was an i'm
portant feature. But the post trade
ship came to an end in 1892 when
the exchange system was substi-
tuted.
The postoffice, which was an
important factor in the daily life
of the people stationed at the post
is nearly contemporaneous with the
existence of the post itself. The
affairs of the postoffice have been
from the first intelligently and
satisfactorily administered by Cap
tain D. w. Buck, R. L. McCulloh,
L. K. Devlin, w. C. Broadwater
and w. B. Ferguson.
During the first summer at the
post there was considerable sick
ness incident to bad water, Insult
ficient food of proper kind and ex-
posture. Much discomfort was ex-
perienced from the swarms of
mosquitoes which spared neither
age, sex nor condition. 1t is as
serted by Will Broadwater, whose
reputation for veracity is good,
that such robust choirs of sweet
voiced vocalists, such throngs of
prima donnas, with veins filled
with the best blood in northern