The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-07-16

which she stayed until nearly morn
ing to bake, filled the stockings hung
up In childhOOd's faith.
One listening to Mrs. Beall's re-
cital Of how Santa Claus" came to
the household that night would con-
clude that the time was one Of the
brightest and happiest Of her life.
The next summer, that Of '65, the
family had a vegetable garden and
raised enough potatoes, turnips, rad
ishes, onions, etc., for their own use.
The following winter the little girls
would often go down cellar in the
evening, bring up turnips and say,
with a pretty cOnceit: "Now, mamma,
let US have some apples to eat
In the spring Of. '65 Mrs. BealIs
husband finished the log house for
the family, but the roof being Of dirt
was no protection from the spring
rains, which generally continued in
the house after they had ceased cut
of doors. Over the bed Of her little
girls at night, to shelter them some
what on such occasions, the mother
often opened an umbrella which she
had brought with her from the east.
When Mrs. Beall arrived in BOze-
man there were no houses, but two
foundations of logs were laid-W. J,
Bealrs, just In the rear of the pres
ent Masonic building, and D. E.
ROuse's, on the site now occupied by
the Wilson company's store.
In addition to the privatiOns Incl
dent to pioneer life in the hitherto un-
settled country, Mrs. Beall had a few
exciting adventures, one of which
an encounter with wOlves-came neal
being fatal to herself and children
One night soon after her arrival
while her husband was away, a pack
of wolves gathered near. She am
her children took refuge in the wager
box and made a fertilization of the
trunks. The bowling wolves Outsid,
leaped higher and higher until i
seemed as though the next momen.
would surely bring them over tn,
barriers. Just rs it seemed impOs
! sible for the lady to hold the i'm
! prOvised fort longer, her husband re
turned and the siege was raised.
! The Indians often came to he.
house and were many times very an
nOying and troublesome. Some timet
she conciliated them with as goo,
dinners as she could prepare, som.
q times drove them away, and once, a
least, drew a revolver on them to pre-
vent their doing injury to herself an
, children. In the early summer Of '65
on the night that Colonel Kimbal
I and others were killed on the "di
vide, she was notified of the Indians
, approach, and escaped to town, riding
in about midnight with one child be
q fore her on the horse and the Othe
! behind her. She stayed all nigh
with the other women of the settle
ment at the Stafford and Rice hote.
which stood on the site where nov
stands the Masonic building.
s Mrs. Bealrs father, James Barker
was also a prominent pioneer Of Mon
tana. He came to the state in 1876
and engaged in merchandising a
Virginia City. He afterward estab
lished himself in Helena, building
perhaps, the third business hcus
erected in that city. Later he re
moved to Meagher county and wa
for years well known in that part O
Montana, doing business at Center
: vile and Townsend. He removed {
California in 1887 where he died
few years later. There was Away
a strong bond Of sympathy betwee
z Mrs. Beall and her father, for whor
she had q deep love.
Domestic troubles, the result Of
marriage regarding which the girl G
10 had little to say, led January
1857, to. Mrs. Beall's separation frol
her husband. She obtained a divorc
Z the following fall. By mutual aere,
ment, the little girls were left at
friends until the law should decid
into whose charge they should b
z given. In a short time their fathc
took them and hurTiedly carried thel
= east. Mrs. Beall never saw thei
again. Minnie, the younger, die
there the following year Of diptheri
and Lola the year after Of heart di
ease. The loss Of her children was
shock from which Mrs. Beall nevs
fully recovered In 1880 Mrs. Bea
made q trip east and had Lola's bod
removed from Toledo. Ohio, 20. Woo.
stock cemetery nesr Seroerree.or