The Bozeman courier., 1926-09-24

the valley of that
tributary of the great Red River of
the North, he could see no sign of
human activity-nothing save the
countless wild fowl that wheeled and
nested in the marshes, feeding on
wild rice and celery. Ahead lay an
endless sea of waving grass through
which wound the wooded stream. To
the north, over the rolling divide,
were unknown expanses of a partial
ly explored Hudson's Bay country.
Across the river, and to the south
west, swept the limitless plains, dark
with buffalo herds-the home of the
native redman. It was to this latter
country that an inbred spirit of ad-
venture was beckoning this youth.
With the *BOIs BruIes
AS he neared the rough trail which
led to one of the rivers crossings,
the silence was broken by the wierd
creeking peculiar alone to the early
day Red River carts. Soon he found
himself in company with a party of
English half-breeds, with their carts,
and bound for the buffalo plains,
there to hunt the game and prepare
their years supply of pemmican.
The youth was glad, for this afford
ed him company and guide to the
country in which he hoped to find
his place; where might be those con-
ditiOns which would satisfy his de-
sire to become a "free lance of the
plains. This lad was none other than
the famous Luther S. Kelly-more
Familiarity known in later years as
Yellowstone" Kelly-a more typi-
cal frontiersman than whom never
stalked a buffalo, baited a beaver
trap or guided a brontier battalion
against the hostile native tribes.
Today, drawing close to the four.
score mark, Kelly resides at Para
disc, Calf, on a little farm that he
purchased a number of years ago
rounding out the declining years Of
a long, adventurous life, in peaceful
contrast to the stirring events thar
he witnessed on the plains of eastern
Montana a half century ago. Dur
ing these later years the veteran scou
has found time to write his memoirs
These, recently published by the Yale
University Press, constitute an in
tensely interesting narrative.
He was the perfect type of plains
man, this Yellowstone" Kelly, il
whose appearance and general make
up were combined the picturesqu,
habits of the early-day trappe
and hunter with the reserved man
ner and cool daring that marked tn
best type of frontiersman.
Enlists in Union Army
Kelly was born at Geneva, N. Y.
and very early in life evinced a de
sire for a life of adventure. Tn
first step in this direction was takeI
at the age of IA years, when, despit
his youth, he contrived to enlist i
the Union army, fighting through tn
last year of the Civil war, and march
ing with his regiment in the gran
parade at Washington, in 1865.
At the close of the war, Kelly
regiment was ordered to Minnesota
and, in 1866, relieved the garrison @
Minnesota volunteers at Fort Wads
worth, Dakotah. 1t was here that tn
boy was given his honorable dis
charge from the service. The
close to the edge of a country b
lOnged to penetrate, his first in
pulse was to visit the HUdson's Ba
company trading post at old Fol
Gary, (Canada), 1t was On the n
IuIu IIlp lEOm IulS post, LudJ
found the "real frontier" openin
up to him in first-hand experienC
and adventure.
Crossing the Assiniboine, KelI
was pleased to cast his lot with theE
free people" of Canada, the *Met
or BOis Brules.
"With my blue coat and red SASH" b
writes, II felt more like a free lance o
the prairie, especially while with thOs
half breed buffalo hunters, who made tn
prairie their home a good part OF tn
year. The carts were made wholly 0
wood, and not a single nail or bolt en-
tered into their construction. The rim
Of the high wheels were covered wit
strips Of raw BULBS hide, laced on Will
green, making very effective tires, har
and durable as iron, and so light ths
the carts would float while the ponte
swan across the streams.
Meets Sitting Bull
It was while Kelly was ira
cling south and west, across the i
ternational boundary line into D
kotah Territory. with these hal
breeds, that the young man expe
eThe Bois Brules Tor Metls) were a "a
born of the fur trade. according to s4re