Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1924-04-10

Texas, the Southwest and California were Span
ISL Canada was British The Pacific Northwest
was NO Mans Land" with Russian Spaniard.
Britain and American all striving for a foothold
The Undiscovered Country" Of the Louisiana Pur-
chase was American.
The French tri-color came down and Old Glory
went up over St Louis March 10, 1904 With a
cheer. the Lewis and Clark Expedition. waiting
impatiently on the American side Of the Mlssls-
appi, set forth on It's historic exploration to see
what the United States had got for Its fifteen MIL
lions II wintered (lS95-d) at the mouth OF tho
Columbia and arrived at st. Louis late In 1906
returning from the dead.
The mutton rejoced. And thereupon, the Ameri-
cnn people, with the realization that the Louisiana
Purchase was in truth a Detachable Land,
thrilled with their first full vision Of their destiny
and resoutely set their fnces toward the setting
sun theneefeEtA To- be content with nothing tess
than Glenn sweep from ocean to ocean.
Lewis and Clark reported the Missouri TO be
alive with beaver clear to It's headwaters in the
Rockies And thereupon began the Age OF the
Trapper which to last for forty years
The trnpper as blind In his way as the Span
iard who nothing unless gold saw nothing but
fur-and trod on the gold that in the next stage
OF development was TO call out the prospector, 10
be followed In turn by the settler and civilization.
1t the American free traRser who first sped
out the land and established the practicable routes
OF travel. BY 1880 the trapper knew the West;
covery only in the sense that 1t resulted In pub
ncity.
The return Of Lewis and Clark in 1905 spurred
American fur-traders to activity. Manuel Lisa Of
ST. Louis-adroit and masterful Father Manuel
made successful trip up the Missouri and In 1903
organized the Missouri Fur Company John Jacob
Astor organized In New York the same year the
American Fur company. Astor's plans were Of
worldwide scope-the founding OF Astoria on the
Columbia the shipping Of furs TO China; return
cargoes Of tea and silk to New York Lisa died
IN his prime in 1920; the Missouri Fur Company
lasted until 1890, when 1t was crowded out by the
Rocky Mountain Fur Company and the American
Fur Company.
James Bridger, born in 1904 in virginia, ap-
pears upon the scene in 1922 when the Rocky
Mountain Fur Company was organized In ST. Louis
by Gen William H. Ashley. youth Of eighteen,
he was one OF Ashleys proft-sharing associates
with smith. Jackson, Provost the sublettes. Fitz-
patrick Campbell and BeekwOurtiI-ai1 Of whom
became famous
Bridger gained his title Of respectable JIM
before he was thirty. In twelve months Of 1924
he made q circuit Of 5000 milea extending from
fhe Mississippi 70 California and from Kansas 10
Montana. He discovered South Pass through the
wyoming Rockies in 1923 and Great Salt Lake in
1924 He redlscovered. about 1890, the Yellow
stone. nrst seen by John Golfer In 1907 and
laughed of the map as Golfers He'll
II was Ashley who superseded the stationary
trading post by the caravan and annual rendez-
vous By 1880 Brfdger was directing partner.
In 1882 he and Milton soublette and Fitzpatrick
boupht out Ashley In 1884 Aston got out Of the
American Fur Company because the FNench had
Invented n way to substitute six for beaver in
,op-hats His successors bought out RridRer and
ia ASSOCIATES In the Rocky Mountain gES Com.
pany
w 1913 Bridger established Fort Brfdger In the
vallsv az the Black Fork Of the Green river ia
IItah Fort Bridger was not Indian trading
,omt hut was a house OF accommodation for set
levs nreNning west over the Oregon Trail Il was
80 erwt az ita Kind and marked tbs passing Of
~ svnnper and the beginning u new era
pvsarer opened the Overland Route By Brfdgers
ass rs san Lake. Ne guided Gen. Albert Sidney
Iohnnon's punitive expedition against tha Mormons