The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1922-09-22


Pemberton, unnoticed, slipped
around the cabin and ran into San
ders' office. He told Sanders Of the
conversation he had overheard, and
warned him of his danger.
I'VE will have to put up the bold
front to these fellows" said Sanders.
'The slightest weakening would en-
courage them in their campaign OF
reprisal. I'll see what they have to
say to my face"
He rushed around the cabin. Penn
berton followed him. As Sander
turned the corner Pemberton heard
the report Of q pistol. He felt sure
the highwaymen had carried out the
threat and had killed Sanders. But
he kept going.
He found Sanders calmly taking
off his coat, which was on fire. In
the near distance he saw three men
running as for dear life. Sanders
smilingly explained:
Nothing to It Penn. These fell
lows have no real courage. As
came around the corner I had my
hand on my cooked pistol in my
pocket. In some way the pistol was
discharged. That IL what set my
coat tail on fire. But what is q coat
tail more or less, to the subjugation
of these murderers? They saw me,
heard the shot, and thought I was
attacking them. They Immediately
broke for the tall timber. We should
take courage from this exhibition Of
cowardice. Some speed. Penn And
he pointed to the rapidly disappear
ing figures of the men who would
put him out of the way.
Judge Pemberton says it was the
greatest exhibition of speed occur
ring in Montana before the days Of
the automobile. "They ran in a way
that would make a scared jackrabbit
wonder" he said. 'And as they ran
we laughed. That incident did more
to hearten the men who were with us
than anything else possibly could do.
We told all the boys about it, and
in few hours the whole camp was
talking and laughing about it. It
helped to relieve the tense feeling
and demonstrated to the miners that
the road agents were human beings,
just like ourselves, and as suscept-
ible to the emotion of fear as the
average individual. Their fellows
heard of it and it served to add to
the lustre of Sanders courage, al-
though we detailed couple of men
who were known to be quick on the
trigger to keep around close to him
for time"
Pemberton Was in Danger
And so brave old Penn, the joke
smith of the pioneers, laughingly dis
missed his part in an incident in
which the courage of two Montanans
of those early days was proven. He
did not dwell on the fact that he was
close at his impetuous friends heels,
carelessly ready to take the medicine
that the desperate bandits planned to
bers had killed Sanders as he dashed
around the corner. they would have
had to kill Pemberton, too. All he
thought of was that Sanders was in
danger, and he proposed to share that
danger in order to give him some
measure of protection.
After these two pioneer lawyers
had helped their fellows to clean the
district Of brigandage, they assisted
in the organization of the territory.
With the creation of the territory the
democrats and republicans aligned
themselves in contests for glory and
place. Pemberton became the war
horse of the territorial democracy.
Sanders was the perpetual leader Of
the republicans. Both were famous
orators. They would stump the state
when campaigns were on. and make
frenzied oratorical onslaughts on
each others principles and purposes.
tive adherents sometimes thought
that only physical encounter could
adjust the differences in their politi-
cal beliefs. When they would meet
at some central place of these politi-
cal campaigns, it was blood and thun-
der on the platform, and toddy to-
gether at some quiet resort after the
meetings were over.
Named County for Sanders
There they would forget their poll
tics and express their mutual admira-
ton and respect for each other, born
in the perilous days when they were
helping each other to rid the state Of
Plummer and his cutthroat gang, by
each trying to do all the buying, the
while their political friends stood
around with bated breath. waiting
for the real fight to begin. It never
began. Pemberton and Sanders re-
manned friends up to the time of San
ders' death, and it was at Judge
Pemberton's suggestion. when the
friend of his youth lay dying, that the
legislature changed the name Of
Paradise county, then in the throes
of creation, to Sanders" county,
and made on the map of Montana
a permanent monument TO his politi-
cal adversary and close friend of
ante-territorial days.
ATTENDS STATE FARM LOAN
FOREClfOSU SALES