The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-01-08
(By MRS. NJ. f. PLAssMANN)

A MERICA is fortunate in the pos
"A session of magnificent water
ways, which at present are not
utilized anywhere nearly to the ex-
tent they might be. Most of them are
navigable, and must eventually be-
come sOcialized, for the benefit of all
of the people, even as in the past they
were largely instrumental in the de-
velOpment of the country. This was
before the day of the railroads, when
the rivers afforded the easiest and
quickest means of communication be-
tween different points.
The Indians used them for this
purpose, as is we'll known. Near my
birthplace in Ohio, is a point of land
bearing the name of Portage, where
the Indians carried their canoes from
the waters which emptied into the At
lantic to a small river which, through
the Ohio and the Mississippi, found
its way to the Gulf of Mexico. MANY
battles were fought there, as was
shown by the large number of arrow
heads turned up by the p%lowshare in
that region.
White pioneers followed the ex-
ample of the Indians not alone in fol
lowing the rivers and lakes in their
explorations, but they adopted the
canoe as their means of transit. Lat
er this proved too fragile for trans
p%Ortating a large amount of goods
and the keel boats and mackinaws
were constructed.
For a long time, as the Hudson's
Bay company forced it's way farther
and farther into the interior of the
continent, it was on lakes and riv.
ers their journeys were principally
made. The American Fur company
could never have done the enormous
business they transacted in the north
west, had it not been for the Yellow
stone and the Missouri rivers, anC
the early pioneers depended larCeI
upon both for their supplies.
When the whites came here to de
velOp the country, and take some
thing from it other than robes anC
fuTs, the day of the mackinaw wa.
ended, and the steamboat mornin,
had dawned. Then, as before, tn.
Missouri provided the quickest AM
easiest means of reaching 9Th
States" and those then living il
Montana preferred that route, if no
too far from where they were living
The building of railroads ha
changed all this, and no longer, wit
the advent Of summer, is the chal
longing Shrek of the steamboat hear
a s it rounds the bend of the river be
low Fort Benton, frightening babies
and inviting every Indian or mike
blood to welcome it at the levee.
have but to shut my eyes to see theI
as Of old, the women with shawls q
blankets over their heads runnin
from every direction at the call {
the "fire-bOat," as the childre
thrOnged to the note of the Pie
Piper.
Before the invention of wireless
~telegraphy an ocean journey Wa
frequently prescribed for the tire
business man, or the neurastheni
For a week or more, such were Ell
tirely cut off from all communicate
with the rest of the world, and give
the opportunity to .recuperate. Tn.
applied as we'll to river travel, an
constituted much of it's charm, e
pecially or the Missouri. The fear {
shipwreck never marred the enjO,
ment Of the trip, although there Wa
no lack of snags to be avoided, an
to run onto a sandbar and be di
lodged by the noisy donkey engir
was a regular part of the program.
1 can imagine no mode Of lOcomt
ton more restful or enjoyable than
steamboat journey down or up IL
Missouri taken, as it was, necessaril
during the early summer, before M
%squitOes, which abound later, mai
travel by land or water a true V.
DOlorosa.
Culture is said to "Be the abilit
to derive the greatest amount
pleasure from the greatest number
things" and this applies to the d
scent or ascent of the Missouri. Or
who is acquainted with the history
this stream and is gifted with imagil
alton, would find much of intere
II throughout it's course until it is mer.
ed with the.Mississippi.
All along the way on either bar
are the sites of old fur trading post
where not long ago stirring seem
,e were enacted. In many instanc.
II no v4stige of them remains to tie
70 the story Of what happened Their
n But to and from them mackinaws ar
keel boats came and went, swift
a drifting down stream, and labOriou
i ly cOrdelled on the upward jOurnC
when man power alone was aVailabl
Numerous illustriOus names are a