The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-06-04

groceries and provisions, clothing,
dry goods, boots and shoes and hard
ware, all the articles Of trade that
were used by the early pioneer fur
trappers, miners, p-rOspectOrs, COW
punchers, bullWhackers and all the
rest of those frontier types which in
those days comprised the greater
part Of the territOry's population.
Great as was this merchandising de-
partment, it formed only a part Of
/. G. Baker & Co.'s business opera
tiOns in the Northwest, for the rami-
ficatiOns of their business (as has
been noted in the above sketch) g.,
actually affected the military pro-
ceedings of the United States and
Canadian governments through their
transportation and distributing facil-
tiles.
It is stated that at one time
about 1879 or 188O-they were the
largest of the territOry's freighters,
employing regularly in this depart
ment 80 men, 576 oxen, 100 mules
and mOr than 100 wagons.
The wagons used by I. G. Baker &
Co. in their fTeighting activities were
exceptionally strong, some of them
capable of carrying as much as 5000
pounds. These wagons were usually
placed three in a bunch, one behind
the other, and were designated as
lead" Swing and trail" respec-
lively. The usual load, where the
| character of the freight would per
nit, would be 5000 pounds in the
lead wagon, $500 in the swing
wagon and $500 in the trail. These
wagons, joined together were usually
drawn by eighteen oxen or fourteen
mules. The company ordinarily had
seven or eight of these triple wagons
in an OK train and four or five in a
mule train. Where ken we're used
they were called bull trains There
was a wagon boss in charge of the
train, who had control Of it and
often rode with his rifle across his
saddle, on the lookout for Indians
Every bullwhacker was also armed
for any emergency. A single train o.
this character, Of which the firm haC
many, would represent an invest
ment cost of from $25, 900 to 5000 OC
as they stood when empty. This gives
some idea of the vast investment re
qUired to carry on this branch of tn,
I. G. Baker & Co. business.
AS already intimated, I. G. Bake.
& Co. were also at the head Of thu
Baker line of steam boats plying OF
the Missouri between St. Louis ant
Fort Benton and other river points
the principal boats being the Rel
Cloud, the Benton and the COlOne
McLeOud.
Some idea of the magnitude of thi
firms business may be had when j
is remembered that they were sol
contractors for furnishing transpOI
tatiOn for all government freight i
Montana, carrying all m~erchandis
from points on the Missouri and tn
Yellowstone rivers and the Union Pa
cific railway to military forts, India
agencies and other government e'
Establishments. They also furnished a
transportation for the Canadian gov
lernment for the mounted police
the Canadian Northwest TerritOriel
With the United States and Canada
governments they also did a larg
lsupply business, and the entire fore
- of the Royal Northwest Mounted PC
l. lice of Canada paid off thTOBg
\ 4. G. Baker & Co.
e To carry out their extensive bus
ness in merchandising, fur tradin
land freighting, they had branch e
Establishments at Fort Walsh, FOl
e Mcleod and GALAXY in Canada, an
o at the old Blackfeet agency on Ii
s Teton river, Fort Conrad on the MI