The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1921-07-28

Anton M. Hotter, pioneer, who died
in Helena last week, lived a life OF
achievement. He was one of perhaps
a dozen men who stand out as empire
builders in the development of Mon
tana. He came to the state in the
placer gold days, and was Montana's
pioneer lumberman, bringing the first
power mill into what is now Mon
tana. He discovered and developed
mines. built smelters and ore reduc-
ing plants, established enduring mer-
camille houses, and there were few in
dustries in the early days in which he
did not have a hand In any en-
deavor that was for the good of the
state he was a leader, and while his
efforts were rewarded with much
substance he will be remembered
longer for his good works than for
the fortune he accumulated. In his
native country, Norway, he is regard
ed as one of two Norwegians, the
other being Senator Knute Nelson of
Minnesota, who have achieved most
in the land of their adoption.
Mr.. Hotter was born in the little
seaport town of Moss, on a ford 80
miles south of Christiania, Norway,
June 20, 1881, a son of Foin and
Berta M. (Floxstad) Hotter.
Ambitious and self-reliant, of alert
mentality and vigorous physical pow
ers, MI. Hotter determined to seek his
fortunes in America, to which oun
try a tide of immigration was setting
in from the Norseland countries. He
matured his plans, and or the Sth of
April, 1854, about two months prior
to his tw~enty-third birthday amir
versary, Mr.. Hotter, in company with
others of his countrymen, set sail for
Quebec. They arrived in the Canadi-
an city on the 25th of the following
month. They thence set forth by
railroad for the United States, and
this was Mr.. Holter's first experience
in railway trayeling-an experience
which proved most d-isconcerting and
sorrowful, since in an accident to the
train five members of his party were
killed, while others were severely in
jured. Upon arrival at Rock Island,
Illinois, it was reported that some of
the immigrants had suffered attacks
of cholera, and the quarantine Off
GERS forthwith were on the alert, bel
sides which none of the immigrants
could gain accommodations in any of
the hotels or lodging houses. Mr..
Hotter determined not to be detained
and scarcely knowing what was the
difficulty, as he had no knowledge of
English, seized his trunk and forced
his way through the quarantine ranks
to a boat on which he embarked,
without any idea as to the destina-
tion of the vessel. He proceeded up
the Mississippi on this boat and final
ly made his way to F%reeport, near
DEBORAH, Iowa, where he Joined one
of his boyhood friends and where he
soon found employment at his trade
of carpenter. He received for his
services $40 a month, twice the
amount given him for a whole years
labor in his native land, and the
young immigrant accordingly gained
renewed faith in the tales he had
heard concerning the wonderful OPP
portunities in America. His initia-
tive faculty did not long remain in
allegiance, and he carefully saved his
earnings and began to speculate in
lots, upon a modest scale, with
the result thai at the end of the year
he had accumulated property valued
AZ IuI6t nuIQICu dOlldlO. 4
In Indian Country. ]
Mr.. Hotter passed the winter of s
in working at his trade in the s
city of st. Louis, Missouri, and in
assisting in construction work on the /
line of the Missouri Pacific railroad, {
which was being extended to Jeffer- 7
son City, that state. In the mean t
while he had passed some time in the {
state of Iowa, and returning to that /
state, he passed the major part of {
the ensuing four years at Usage, the /
judicial center of Mitchell county, so a
that he was thus identified for a time I
with the pioneer activities of the q
Hawkeye state. Within the period
mentioned he made several trips into
the Sioux Indian country In western {
Iowa and Missouri, and on one of q
these expeditions he was among the
first to arrive on the scene of the his {
.oric Spirit Lake massacre. h
In Rush to Pixies Peak. t
In the spring of 1860, MI. Hotter i
was in the gold rush to the Pixies p
Peak gold fields. In Colorado he 4
vas joined by his brother, Martin, \
engaging in mining and farming. Aft '
IT three years there, he returned to t
iowa, but not for long, returning in y
he spring of 1863 to Colorado, where t
lie Joined an outfit of 200 men leav- v