The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1921-02-10
[. A. HUFFMAN, FRONTIER PHOTOGRAPHERS OF BUFFALO DAYS,
is WRITING BOOK OF HISTORICAL REC0lLEGTD0MS OF MONTANA

OlC VI llC h1Oo ilISA otA45 PN@
of Montana from a historical stand
point is that great southeastern area
that includes Miles City, the Powder
river country and the Sioux battle
grounds-that great old cattle range
where Teddy Roosevelt owned a
brand in the old days. 1t has been
the last stamping ground of the cow
puncher. There frontier tradition
abounds and the romance of the west
still seems to linger.
Fortunately it has not bsen with
out it's historians. Sam Gordon has
written an interesting, il somewhat
condensed, volume of the annals of
Milestown. There have been other
books, especially on the Indian wars,
and now many old timers in the state
are looking forward with interest to
a series Of short stories that are be-
ing prepared for publication by L. A.
Huffman, the noted historical photo
grapher of Miles City, under the title
of Smoky Butte Tales-Recollec-
lions of a Frontier Photographer"
Many M%ontanans have paid a visit
to Huffman's studio and have seen
his wonderful collection of early
photographs of the cattle range, buff
falo hunting, Indian warfare and
scenes of bygone days in the
west, many of them enlarged and
h~and-colored in a beautiful and most
natural manner. 1t has been sug-l
gested that the state acquire a COL
of these for the Montana His
Society's collection, and it is
to be hoped that this may be done.
Huffman has been on the frontier
of his life, for he was born in
1852 on the old military trail west
Of McGregor, Iowa, his father being
a pioneer of that region. AS a young
he did a lot of roaming about
the western states and territories,
Ind in 1879 located at Fort Keogh,
near the present site of Miles City,
rs post photographer. He saw a lot
Of buffalo and other game hunting,
and some Indian fighting. Standing
front of his quarters at Fort
he saw the wagon train of the
Northern Pacific engineers on their
final survey for that route as it
emerged from the fringe of timber
IN Tongue river.
He was likewise a witness to many
and stirring scenes in connection
With the last stand of the Sioux, and
vas present at the long-remembered
interview between Spotted Eagle and
General Miles. Later he saw Spotted
Eagles band hustled aboard river
teamers with all their paraphernalia
If war, to be shipped to their new
reservation. One of Huffman's ear
lest ventures in a business way was
he establishment of a cattle ranch
N the Lame Deer battle grounds,
the head waters of the Rosebud.
t was there hat Chief Lame Deer
killed and his head cut off by
Huffman keeps up a correspond
nee with many of the old timers of
hat part of the state, and the letters
hat he writes and receives would,
n themselves, make an interesting
.olume. The following letter, writ
by Huffman to his old friend,
Irvine of Deer Lodge, who was
n early day sheriff of Custer coun-
will interest old timers:
Miles City, Montana.
June IA, 1916.
Dear Tom-"The older we grow
nd more sere, the swifter the sea- :
ons appear, ETC." Gee, how our :
avs rustic past. 9
1t was a long silence twixt III this :
me but l knew you'd write again :
0 I was pleased but not surprised :
your letter yesterday. Am s
nswering right off, very briefly. !,
or want of time. Time, Toni | :
Tish somebody with time to burn :,
ship me a jag, I'd use it-over. ;
Catfish! Eth, what? | know what :
are going to do with catfish fry :
I know what and of whom you +
ere thinking when you wrote about
You're going to stock the Jocko L
~Ignatius and Horse Plains l
} that when / come up there again |
e will have a dinner of that defect 1
BILE, be-whiskered fish with the I
countenance and the smile that :
ont come off, even in death. All, I
le catfish dinners we had, thanks to
Id Catfish Sandy, before the rail- 5
Dad came, when Tongue river wasn't I
luch more than a creek, a jump or I
across and had it's rise some $
here above Deaf Johnny's place so i