The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-06-03
RIVER PILOT
TELLS TALES
OF EARLY DAYS
CAPTAIN John M. Bclk Gives
Talk to Scouts on Hike
to Apple Creek

CAPTAIN John NJ. Belk, veteran
Missouri River Pile. and Civil War
soldier, talking to the Presbyterian
troop of Boy Scouts and their scout
master, f. ]. Grady, at the overnight
hike to Apple Creek Thursday night
at which Captain Belk was a special
guest, told many interesting stories
of early days on the Missouri RIVER
and something of the laws of navi-
CATION he has learned during ms
fitfy wears service as a pilot on the
river
Once, before Mr.. Belk was captain,
he left his boat just before reach
ing bend on the river and went
ashore to hunt, intending to go
aboard again when the boat rounded
the bend.
Mr.. Belk shot black tail deer,
but while rc-loading his gun ne
found himself surrounded by lndi-
ans. One of the Indians tied
white cloth around his head which
was sign of friendship or peace,
and made signs of shaking hands;
but Mr.. Belk said no." he didn't
feel friendly just then.
The Indian by signs indicated that
they wanted to dress the deer, which
Mr.. Bclk consented to. Then they
placed the deer on one of their pom
les and motioned the Captain to
lead the way to the boat. Mr.. Belk
motioned them to go ahead and he
would follow which they did. When
they reached the bank of the river
the Indians placed pole with a
white cloth attached in the sand as
a sign for the coming boat.
The crew were delighted with the
deer and the safe return OF their
comrade. They gave the Indians some
bacon, hard tack and flour for their
kindness Capt. Belk feels that had
the Indians not been entirely out of
provisions this story might have had
different ending.
The Indians, when treated fairly
and kindly, Captain Belk said, always
responded in the same spirit.
Capt. Belk told the boys another
story of a party of miners from
Montana who were returning in a
"Mackinaw" or large row boat, who
were killed by the Indians, and who
were supposed to have a large sup
ply Of gold. The trees along the ri
yer were peeled and painted with the
that locality gained the name of
Painted Woods
In the early days when the buffa-
los "ere numerous the noise of the
boats would draw them to the stream
and sometimes they would come in
such numbers that it was necessary
to anchor and wait for them to get
out of the way. 1t was possible on
such occasion, the Captain told, tC
pick up the young buffalos by their
head and take them aboard the shil
alive. Sometimes they were used fol
food and sometimes were sold tt
parks and zoos farther down the
line.
Besides his yarns of pioneer day:
Captain Belk told the boys many in
structive points of the river.
"Where the river is narrow, it i:
deep" he said, "and where broad i!
shallow and it is necessary to lool
out for shoals and sandbars."
He told Of two methods of getting
the boats off sandbar. The frs
was by the use Of spars and derricks
Another was by the use Of the mig
ger" small engine on. the front o
the boat and the dead man." an an
Choir buried in the ground ashore. 4
rope was attached from the "dea,
man" to the "nigger" and in thi
manner the boat was dragged fire,
of the bar.
Captain Belk has numerous othe
interesting stories of early day
along the river. He and his famil,
have lived in Bismarck since Bismarc
was founded and lived on the sit
OF the city before that time. Fo
over fifty years he has given activ
service on the river and the story o
hrs life is as interesting as that 0
any soldier Of fortune made famou
by Richard Harding Davis.