The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-09-07
Sen. W. A. Clark S
StOryof His Career

Continued from Feature Page)
silver was converted into a chloride, which
was soluble in mercury, and the residuary
metal or metals were then cast into metal
lie bars which were shipped to the United
States assay office in New York, where
the metals were separated and minted into
marketable condition.
Chief Joseph's Uprising
When the Nez Perces Indians. consisting
of Chief Joseph and his band of about 400
warriors, together with their women and
children, numbering $50, invaded western
Montana in July, 1877, coming over the
Lolo trail, it gave great alarm to the peo-
pie of western Montana and particularly
the Bitter Root valley, where they first
made their appearance. This tribe of In
dams had lived on the reservation set
aside for them by the government in the
state of idaho. They were regarded as
very contented and peaceful wards of the
nation and a few schools had been estab-
lished among them. Their action, there
fore, was a great surprise Their evident
intention was to escape from the United
States soldiers pursuing them and go to
Canada. A company was raised in Mis-
soula to proceed against them, headed by
Captain Higgins. This probably changed
the plans of the Indians and they proceed
ed southwark through the Bitter Root val
ley and crossed the range at the head of
the Big Hole.
Governor Potts was then at Missoula and
wired me, authorizing me to go to Butte
to enlist volunteers to go to their aid.
was at Deer Lodge at that time and rode
to Butte horseback in three hours. 1 pro-
ceeded upon arrival there to sound the
alarm and called for volunteers. In the
space of a few hours three companies of
volunteers had been formed, one after an
other, and everything in the way of We
hicles for transportation of the troops to
Deer Lodge was secured, and the three
companies of volunteers started out for
Nissoula. I was appointed by the governor
as major of the battalion. We Travelled all
night, arriving at Deer Lodge in the morn
ing, when 1 received a message from the
governor stating that the Indians had
started up the Bitter Root valley, and
therefore directed me to proceed to the
head of the Big Hole with view of aid
ing the soldiers under General GibbOn, who
had been sent to intercept the Nez Perces
at that point.
Before we could reach Gibbon he had a
terrible fight with the Indians, and lost
in killed and wounded about IS men. Gen |
eral Howard was coming up behind the |
Indians when after the battle they fled to |
the south toward the Salmon river. Thence |
they went to the Snake river country and /
were afterwards captured by General Miles,
who was sent out from Fort Keogh to in
tercept them in their flight to Canada.
SmeIter Organized
In 1877 a mining and smelling company
was established at Black Hawk near Cen
trail City in Colorado by Senator Hill and
Henry Wolcott who was at one time gov
ernOr of Colorado, and Ed Wolcott, his
brother, a man of great ability, who was
in the senate at that time. This smelling
company was operating under the super
vision of Professor Pierce formerly from
Swansea, in Wales. He was regarded as
one of the greatest metallurgical experts
in the United States.
As a matter of experiment, or rather
to secure a test of the Butte ores. shipped
this company about $50 tons in the fall of
1877 from the Original mine. Later on
visited its smelling plant and had a con-
sultation with the company concerning the
character of the ores l had shipped it, and
from which l had received very satisfac-
tory returns The company was much in
terested in the matter and concluded to
send one of its principal experts, Mr. Henry
Williams, to Butte, to look the camp over
with a view of establishing a branch of
its smelling plant there if everything
proved favorable. Mr.. Williams came to
Butte in the spring of 1873, and l accom-
panied him over the camp, and after a
careful inspection, in which he was ex-
ceedingly interested, he returned to Colo ]
RADIO, and upon his advice a company en-
titled the Colorado & Montana Smelling S
company, was organized, in which 1 took |
some of the stock. In the spring of 1879
we proceeded to construct a plant on the +
south side of the creek below Butte under l
the direction of Mr.. Williams. Mr. Charles &
w. Goodale, still resident of Butte. had I
charge of the clerical department q
Fuel by FIume S
In order to secure the necessary fuel for q
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