The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1924-07-24

IL ~ 49,
Il Montana's infancy formed M
part in the industrial drama
whose scenes we're laid in the north
west. Railroads and railroading
were suggested to the mind OF The
Montana pioneer only on the oc
casions of air-castle construction
and then it required but a puff o.
smoke to dissipate the thought.
Primitive Montana wheeled itself
into the area of commercial stabil
ity and mining prominence upor
the "dead-axe' of a freight wagon
and once firmly installed into the
envious exalted position of the bux-
ON big sister, the polished, snort
ing, fast travelling iron monster
opened up a Irritation with Sister
Montana, and in the course OF ev-
ents and due time entered into hef
good graces and here it is today
with its cobweb of steel stretching
from east to west and from north to
southland the "dead-axe" freight
wagon with its white canopy OF
canvas bearing the emblem of the
pioneer lords of commerce, Ola
mond R." is tucked away among
the things that were.
The celebrated Diamond R.
Transportation company was to
primitive Montana what the great
trunk lines of railway now are. II
was the whole push" with the
bull dog under the wagon. The
equipment of the company when its
existence approached the day OF
railroading in Montana consisted OF
$50 mules, 500 yoke of oxen and
800 wagons; and the assets includ-
ed. besides these, many buildings
and great quantities of harness, re-
presenting "a total cash value OF
about $25O,0OO.
The foundation of the giant
Diamond R." structure that play
ed such an important part in the
history of Montana's territorial
days, was laid in Virginia City in
the fall of 1868. On November l
of that year Ed. G.. Maclay, a youth
of 1o, arrived from St. Louis in
company with Captain Nick Wall,
a member of the Missouri contract
ing and mercantile firm of John ].
Roe & Co. Maclay was bookkeep-
err and general all-around account
ant for Mr.. Wall, who began his
Montana caree in a log shack II
Virginia City with a stock of gen
eral merchandise, whose prices
soon doomed the captain into at
fluence and prominence. He en-
ioyed no part of the blessings OF
good times and capable manage
ment that his trusted bookkeeper
did not enjoy. Therefore both
grew up rapidly with the country
What the captain did not see in the
line of good things his wideawake
clerk did, SO nothing was over.
looked in the way of profitable I'M
dertakings. The business prosper
ed and occasionally a team Of mules
or a wagon or all OK were taken II
exchange for an overdue bill OF
goods, until one day young Mac
lay remarked:
captain, we've got a lot OF
stock and wagons and what do you
propose to do with them? 1t you
think idle mules and horses and OK
en- are a profitable asset in the WIN
ter time, you're mistaken. Guess
we'd better put a line of freight
teams on the road"
The captain looked at the propo-
sition in a favorable light and III
April, 1864, young Maclay loaded a
lot of goddos, including hides, and
sent them to Helena. The hides
were shipped with others down the
river and the other freight, consist
ing of a stock of goods belonging
to Major Boyce and Colonel Vaw-
ter, was deposited in Helena. That
was the first load of freight hauled
by the Diamond R" company.
The company, however, did not
take on formidable proportions I'M
til a year later, when the business
reached out from Fort Benton to
Missoula, Virginia City, Helena
Bozeman, Deer Lodge (then Cot