The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1922-01-27
BY JAMES A. BALES.

l
In this little journey back to the
time when the primal instinct was
prime we shall study the influence Of
choice and comparison on our states
nomenclature and seek to discrimi-
nate between the poetical pioneers
and the practical pioneers-the lat
ter being the hard-headed sensible
men who left the more material COM
forts Of their distant homes to share
in the wealth of the placer mines, the
rich free stock ranges, or for some
equally cogent and readily under
standable reason. Though far away,
they still lived in the intellectual en-
vironment they had left and in be-
slowing names where names were
needed they discarded fanciful imag-
ination or vivid realization of the
thing to be named and applied names
that reminded them of the past. If
they did not do that, they, and their
successors of today conferred titles
suggestive of religious reverence,
hero worship or of tribute to their
fellows deemed worthy of such COM
memoration.
We Have Only to Look Around.
The materials for the study we
have chosen are conveniently at hand.
These materials are the names Of the
rivers, the mountains, creeks, cities
and cOunties-names that will endure
forever as monuments and as EVIL
dence of the intellectual and spiritual
characteristics of the men who made
the Treasure state.
Anyone who lays claim to an un-
Outstanding of the esthetic can realize
what was in the minds of the men
who applied the names of Silver Bow,
Deer Lodge, Beaverhead, Yellow
stone, Powder River, Hellgate. Such
men were poets. Perhaps they were
unlettered, inarticulate, but in depth
of real poetic feeling they we're at one
with those earlier unknowns who
coined such names as Buttercup,
Golden Rod, Bluebell, Honeysuckle.
And Even Smith River.
Even Smith river may have been
an inspired name. Possibly some mute
inglorious Milton may have stood up
on its banks watching the ever ad-
vancing, increasing flow and was
there reminded Of the every advanc-
ing, increasing flow of Smiths. Per-
haps.
But there could have been little
inspiration in the naming of Thomp-
son river in Sanders county, Jeffer-
son and Madison rivers in Madison
county, Clark's Fork of the Columbia
in western Montana, Gallatin river
or Marias river. The Judith river
may have been christened by a lover
in tribute to his loved one, and, If
SO, must rank with the most poetic
of all.
Who Ever Saw q Spotted Bear?
It is easy to imagine the circum-
stance which must have preceded the
naming of the Spotted Bear river in
Flathead county. Cant you think Of
the early wanderer surprised by the
calico bruin, the pinto of the ursine
family? Some will say he was a ma
ture faker, that there amt no SIGH
animile, but these persons are de-
scendants, clearly of the practical pi-
oneers and have no understanding of
poetry.
More plausible is the Clearwater
river, but none the less poetic. Or the
Sun river, Milk river, Powder river,
Big Horn, Tongue, Yellowstone, Still
water and Musselshell. These were
named because of the features about
them that appealed to the fancy of
the imaginative mind.
The Fish that Got Away.
Whale creek in Flathead county
undoubtedly owes its distinction to
the truthful fisherman. That county
also has the Hungry Horse creek,
Rumble creek, and Whitefish river.
Poignant, too. are the names of Sleep
ing Child creek In Ravalli, not Weep
ing Child Gas some government guide
specialist says), Tenderfoot creek in
Meagher, Bad Route creek in Daw-
son, Hanging Woman in Rosebud,
and Rotten Grass creek in Big Horn.
These names are our heritage from
men land women) who could lose
themselves in nature. A democratic
soul did his best by clubbing Peoples
creek In Blaine county, and Pinkham
creek in Lincoln is Individually the
triumph of an advertising man of
parts.
In almost every county there is a
Willow creek, a Rock creek, Trout
creek, Mill creek, Fish creek. Dog
creek. Buffalo creek, Elk, Deer, Wolf
and so on. They are too numerous
to be original, although each may
honestly have earned its title because
of its associations.
Heritages From Poor Lo.
Retention of such picturesque In
dian names as Kootenai, Missoula,
skalkaho, Assinniboine, Absarokee,
Kalispell, Oswego, Ekalaka is a credit
entry to early estheticism, but one
suspects 1t may have been quite as
much by accident as by design. II by
design. there should have been more
Of them, unless poetry was restricted
to few communities, which obvious
~ was not the case.
Our marvellous mountain lakes ap-
pear to have fallen to the share Of
the practical pioneers, the hero wor-
shippers and honor givers. Observe
Lake Mcdonald, Bowman lake, Lake
Sewall. Hauser lake, Thompson lake,
Lincoln lake, Lake Mary Roman, Ash
ley lake, Lake Mason, Tally lake and
st. Mary's lakes. Against these We
have the Wild Horse and the War
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