The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1922-04-27

Possessed only of youth, courage,
health, a very few dollars, the pro-
verbal prairie schooner" and a pair
of mules, Mr.. and Mrs. C. H. Williams
on May 8, 1882, started from Appa-
moose county, Iowa, with no particu-
lar objective point in view, but with
a strong desire to find some spot in
the great untried Northwest IN which
to build a home. That spot they
found in the Deer Lodge valley, and
a brief sketch of Mr.. Williams life
since he set out for the west is an
apt illustration of what industry and
frugality will accomplish in Montana,
the state of wonderful resources.
On their western trip Mr.. and Mrs.
Williams travelled for rs days toward
the setting sun. They crossed the
Missouri river at Nebraska City on a
ferry boat and passed on to Lincoln,
Neb., within Is miles of which they
found unimproved land which could
be bought at $40 per acre, but they
had not enough of the per" to pro-
cure a homestead.
hwy p 90 0A " I1dDbAh6o1 ANCbsg
then a little village, and crossed the
Platte river at Kearney, and then
followed the Union Pacific railroad
to Sidney, where they turned north
to Fort Fetterman, on the North
Platte, following the river up to Fort
Laramie, and Casper, Wyo., which
was then a wild waste of sagebrush,
inhabited only by one lonely sheep
hArlor uyith a hon1 nf chonnr
Again they pressed onward, passed
independence Rock and Devils Gap,
where the famous Tom Sun ranch was
located, and where the veteran John
Clay, then a young mar in chaps,
sombrero and spurs, rode the range
for the Swan brothers.
Follow Oregon Trail
Following the old Oregon trail on
to Snake river, they turned north,
but found no place that appealed to
them until they crossed Silver Bow
creek, and from the summit of the
hump saw the beautiful Deer
Lodge valley with its blooming mead
ows and fields of waving grain, with
irrigation bitches glistening like sill
yer threads in the sunlight.
They found Deer Lodge a bustling
lulu 1IOnI4C4 bOWn VI oOOu OVV III
habitants, with three stage lines lead
ing out from it and the roads lined
with freight teams. A faro game was
running in every saloon, around
which gathered miners, woodchop-
pers, bullwhackers, mule SINNERS,
and men from every calling in life.
The dealers wore the diamonds and
the players wore the overalls. Every
=, a y 90 orndif uyoc unnd for orn0prjpc ii
clothing n tobacco, but whiskey
sold for cash.
Located Near Deer Lodge
Mr.. and Mrs. Williams located six
miles north of Deer Lodge, where
they took a homestead and laid the
foundation of the big Williams &
Pauly ranch of the present. For 10
years they raised lambs and calves
and colts, n bought more land, to
keep more stock, to sell for more
money, to buy more land, until the
ranch comprised some 10000 acres.
Some % years ago Peter Pauly,
then a young lad direct from the
Pyrenees mountains of France, with
a bright eye, a pleasing co%untenance
and an indomitable energy, came in
to the employ of the ranch and, ow-
Ing " hlO Until lhS lhouob1J YIN ~ |
perior knowledge of woolgrowing, be-
came part owner and now shares
equally with Mr.. Williams in the en-
tire property.
The ranch is one of the best-equip-
ped stock ranches in Montana, carry
ing from $1,000 to 10000 pure-bred
Rambouillet sheep and 400 pure-bred
Shorthorn cattle, besides the neces-
sary horses and mules for carrying +
the operations of the ranch. Large
crops of hay and grain are annually
grown, and during the entire 80
years there has never been a failure
in any crop whatever.
Mr.. Williams is president of the
Deer Lodge Bank and Trust company
and Mr.. Pauly is vice president.
Beautiful Picture
To appreciate the operations of this
big ranch one must see it at harvest
time. This season means three
months instead of a few weeks, for
this ranch, and with a crew of about
rs men at work.
The stacks of hay and shocks of
grain impress the observer, and one
marvels at the productiveness of the :
land. AS far as the eye can see west
of the Garrison road the land extends
and the stacks dot the scene at fire.
quent intervals. With the commo-
dious homestead and beautiful sur
roundings, at that time of the year
it is a picture at once gratifying to
the possessor and pleasing to the be-
holder.