The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1922-10-06
BY T. ]. LOWNIAN

to hard labor, digging for placer
gold did not appeal to Slade. TIL,
shining yellow metal looked attract
i've, indeed, but he took observation!
Of the travelling public, and came tx
the conclusion that a little farm OF
the east side of the range was bet
ter investment, so he sQuatted OF
a piece OF land about IA y miles cas-,
of the then busy city of Virginia
and near the present site of the thriv.
ing town of Ennis.
A short time here satisfied Slade
and his beautiful wife, that he saw
the better opportunity toll-gate
in the canyon on the old Bozema1
trail.
Traveller Pays Toll
So deciding, he moved his few pos.
sessions westward and sQuatted or
new piece of soil in the midst Of
precipitous mountains, where q horse
could hardly find room to turn
Here is the ideal place." thought
Slade. ''I'll get toll-gate conces.
sion and feather my nest" And So
thinking, he forthwith INSTRUCTED the
trail with heavy pole gate. Slade
collected the fare and the traveller
went on.
He constructed a substantial, low
stone house and covered it with pole
and sod roof; just west from swamp
and short distance east from q
beautiful little spring which emerg-
ed from beneath the lava, cold and
sparkling, and a mecca in the noun
tains. Here he and his wife felt
content. but never realized that his
career there was so short and that
his life would end so ANONYMOUSLY.
Many variety of tales are told OF
the career of Slade-mostly imagin-
ary-on account of his being a social
evil to the inhabitants of the pioneer
the setting sun.
Herbert Albert Slade was des-
cendant Of very prominent family.
and was known by all his eastern as
sociates as Albert. He was born in
Virginia and when a young man NOV
ed to Missouri, and when the excite
ment Of the gold fields was on join
ed the caravan for the west, and for
a time was messenger and scout at
Salt Lake.
BY family ties he was a cousin to
Representative H. G. and Homer
Dunbar's mother, who was one Of the
sturdy early-day pioneers who faced
the perils and hardships of those
times, and crossed the plains in the
prairie schooner and later located on
a ranch near old Gallatin City, a
few miles eastward from the present
site Nf Thvoa -.
early career is substantiated as being
most worthy of recommendation.
Booze His Undoing
Slade landed in old Alder Gulch
after career throughout the entire
northwest, which has never been sub.
stantiated to be otherwise than hon.
orable, but, like most men of those
days, he liked his "booze," and this
eventually was his undoing. Stories
have been told, and they are more
true than fiction, that he could shoot
and that he liked to shoot, and tina,
he was as handy with one hand az
with the other, or could use both to.
gether, and that when he got on one
OF his frequent sprees that his great.
est delight was in prancing his thor.
oughbred saddle horse through the
streets OF the old mining town and
see how many lights he could shoe,
out without missing, and when be
missed one he would ride his horse
into one of the saloons and demand
a drink, which he always got.
| On another occasion while court
was In session, Slade got peculiar
Ideas from some source, and thought
what great joke it would be to "ad
Journ court" so thinking, and will
his gun in his hand, again he rode
ln-but not into the saloon. Thi,
time it was the little log cabin uset
for legal procedure in those DAYS
and saluted the Judge: Judge.
guess we'll call this case off, and
declare court adjourned" And the,
adjourned, but Slade was apprehend
ed, and after paying the penalty, wa,
in short time given his liberty.
Marksman of Renown
His record as marksman wa
known in all parts of the northwest
and this brought him into prominenc,
1or important positions; so he be
came messenger, peace officer, ant
among many others, he was an aven
ger OF cruelties. He had credited I,
MIN the passing or the untimely en-,
OF several men, but facts substan
tiate the better argument, and so fa
as was ever learned, he had but tw,
"notches" in his gun, and these wer,
made under provocation. As tn,
story goes. he had a desperate hand
to-hand encounter with two men. an,
OF the three 1.-TWO Gun" Slade va
lett to tell the tale. And as mem
entoes OF this ARRAY, Slade carrie,
IN his pocket an ear from each O
MS conquered foes; but this Is get
ting away from our theme.
Standing on Main street In the oil,
historic town Of Virginia CITY an,
looking eastward, one can see n,