The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-06-13

ropes, ali LHdI IOuBc SuOuiu Gull
tain. And, not least, Lone Walker
told me to choose thirty horses from
his large herd. In the evening we
took possession of our house and were
happy
Monroe remained in the service of
the Hudson's Bay company number
OF years, raising a large family of
boys and girls, most of whom are alive
today. The oldest, John, is about sew
enty-fve years of age, but still young
enough to go to the Rockies near hist
home every autumn, and kill a few
bighorn and elk, and trap few
beavers. The old man never revisited
his home; never saw his parents after
they parted with him at the Montreal
docks. He intended to return to them
for brief visit some time, but kept
deferring it, and then came letters
two years old to say that they were
both dead. Came also a letter from
an attorney, saying that they had be-
queathed him a considerable property.
that he must go to Montreal and sign
certain papers in order to take pos
session of it. At the time the factor
of Mountain Fort was going to Eng.
land on leave; to him, in his simple
trustfulness Monroe gave a power of
attorney in the matter. The factor
never returned, and by virtue of the
papers he had signed the frontiersman
lost his inheritance. But that was
matter of little moment to him then.
Had he not a lodge and family, good
horses and a vast domain actually
teeming with game wherein to wander?
What more could one possibly want?
Leaving the Hudsons Bay COM
pany, Monroe sometimes worked for
the American Fur company, but most
ly as a free trapper, wandered from
the Saskatchewan to the Yellowstone
peg. The headwaters of the South
Saskatchewan were one Of his favor.
lite hunting grounds. Thither in the
early ifties he guided the noted Jesuit
Father, De Smet, and at the foot of
the beautiful lakes just south Of Chief
1A0oAio4A lACy CACNkCu AukC NOOQCh
cross and named the two bodies Of
water Saint Mary's lakes" Here the
Canada and United States boundary
climbs the Rocky mountains.
Zone winter after his sons John
and Francois had married they were
camping there for the season, the three
lodges Of the family, when one night
a large war party Of Assiniboins At
tackled them. The daughters, Lizzie,
Amelia and Mary, had been taught to
shoot, and together they made brave
resistance, driving the Indians away
just before daylight, with the loss of
five Of their number, Lizzie killing
one of them as he was about to let
down the bars Of the horse corral.
Besides other furs, beaver, fisher,
marten and wolverine, they killed more
than three hundred wolves that winter
by device so unique, yet simple,
that it is well worth recording. By
the banks Of the outlet Of the lakes
they built a long pen twelve by six
teen feet at the base, and sloping
sharply inward and upward to height
Of seven feet. The top of the pyramid
was an opening about two feet six
inches wide by eight feet in length.
Whole deer, quarters o. buffalo, any
kind of meat handy was thrown into
the pen, and the wolves, seeming the
flesh and blood, seeing it plainly
through the four to six-inch spaces
between the logs would eventually
climb to the top and jump down
through the opening. But they could
not jump out, and there morning
would find them uneasily pacing
around and around In utter bewilder.
ment.
you will remember that the old
man was a Catholic, yet 1 know that
he had much faith in the Blackfoot
religion, and believed in the efficacy
of the medicine-man's prayers and
mysteries. He used often to speak
of the terrible power possessed by
man named Old Sun. There was one,'
he would say, who surely talked with
the gods, and was given some Of their
mysterious power. Sometimes Of a
dark night he would invite a few of
US to his lodge, when all was calm
and still. After all were seated his
wives would bank the fire with ashes
so that it was as dark within as with
out, and he would begin to pray. First
to the Sun-chief, then to the wind max
er, the thunder and the lightning. As
he prayed, entreating them to come
and do his will, first the lodge ears
would begin to CULVER with the first
breath of a coming breeze, which
gradually grew stronger and stronger
till the lodge bent to the blasts, and
the lodge poles strained and creaked.
Then thunder began to boom, faint and
far away, and lightning dimly to blaze,
and they came nearer and nearer I'M
til they seemed to be just overhead;
the crashes deafened us, the flashes
blinded us, and all were terror-strick-
en-. Then this wonderful man would
pray them to go, and the wind would
die down, and the thunder and light
ming go on rumbling and flashing in
TO the far distance until we heard and
saw them no more"
SybdTis
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