The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-01-05
BY HON. LEW. II. GALLOWAY
Chief Justice Montana Supreme Court

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HISTORY has a curious way
of magnifying one of her
characters and minimizing
another. She projects one upon
her screen in bold relief, while the
other she loses in a "fade-away."
Almost lost to history is the
story of James Williams, leader of
the Vigilantes.
In this publication some two and
half years ago you said: Little
has ever been made known about
the life of the captain of the Vigil
lantes." On the other hand that
nany-sided character J. A. Slade,
the DR.. Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde of the
early west enjoyed the fierce lime
light of his day and his spectacular
end has been told by the magic pen
of Mark Twain. The information
is that soon his wild last days are
to be depicted on the silent screen.
Presumably Williams will be omit
ted from the list of characters.
James Williams, who seemed to
court the oblivion which is all but
his, rendered signal service to his
country and deserves better than to
have his fame suffer complete ex-
tinctiOn. He was a modest man, reti-
cent regarding himself but generous
in praising the actions of others. At
his own request his name was omit
ted from Dimsdale's Vigilantes of
Montana.
James Williams was born on a
farm nine miles from Greensburg,
Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania,
January 31st, 1886, his father being
Welsh, his mother Irish. Young
Williams was a born pioneer and
the year 1856 found him at Leaven-
worth, Kansas. He took an active
part in the serious troubles known |
to history as the Border War His
brother John said of him: "He went |
through many very exciting and |
seemingly desperate adventures. He
was what was called in those days !
a Free State man. If ever he had |
any personal fear he never showed |
it by word or action
In appearance James Williams was
five feet, ten and half inches tall.
and heavily built. The chest was
deep and full, the shoulders some
what rounded; the neck was short,
supporting leonine head covered
with plentiful black hair with beard
of the same color The eyes were his
most striking feature, being blue and
deep set. They looked straight at
you. When he was in good humor
the eyes carried a merry twinkle,
but when he was in earnest they |,
seemed to go jet black, and in anger
or excitement they blazed with a
black intensity that was fearful He
was natural leader; those magnet
ic, compelling eyes told you to go
and you went He was rare judge (
of human nature. Deliberate in what
ever he did, he was so in his judg-
ment of men, yet after he studied l,
a stranger for brief period he seem
ed to ascertain all he cared to know ;;
in forming an estimate of him and !
was hardly ever mistaken. ,,
He was in at the very beginning !,
of the pixies Peak or Bust STAN
pede, his party being among the first !
if not the first, to addive at the :,
mouth of Cherry Greek, where the :
city of Denver now is.
Encounter With SIade y
In new mining region one of the t
first necessities is lumber. In his v
to get it the miner will k
pay sums of money apparently out b
of reason; indeed, while camps are c
new and rich the people who supply ID
the miners get the cream of the prof G
it's. Williams was good at seeing t.
but was not successful /;
as a business man. He lasted in this k
rich lumber industry about year. o
then mined two years; then, in COM o