The Bozeman courier., 1926-06-04
AnExtinct Calling Ss' 8; & 5 s'5::

trail wagon? How's that for a dry
bedrOOm?"
Mike was hauling a new sixteen
foot section Of iron smOkestack about
four or five feet in diameter which
was lying flat on the holsters Of his
trail wagon. It gave ample room for
two single rolls of blankets. 1t would
be dry and we pre-empted the lOca-
tiOn by spreading bed rolls with
visions Of a fine dry sleeping place
for the night. I think on the whole,
however, it was the most miserable
night of my existence, and Mike
heartily cOncurred when we COM
pared notes the next morning. A chill
draft swept through that stack all
night and we bitterly cursed our
dumbness in failing to close one end
of the stack with tarpaulin, or some
other effective contrivance.
AS a witness, there was consider
able enjoyment Of the dilemma Of
the civilian driver of six army mules
and a load Of flour which he was
hauling to the summer cantOnment
Of couple of troops of cavalry near
the mouth of the Boulder river. On
top of the load was sprawled a squad
of six or eight soldiers who had been
detailed to help the teamster load
the flour from a freight car at the
nearby railroad station. Crossing the
Boulder at the ford, midway of the
stream the team stalled and despite
the efforts of the driver, who was
riding the "near" wheeler, the mules
could not bulge the load.
"YOu swaddies get off and tighten
the load and can pull it out" he
yelled to the soldiers.
What? You want us to get off in
that water? Nix! Go on and drive
out of here"
The driver pleaded and command
ed, but was met with deTisive and
very seemly language. The enlisted
man of that day recognized nc
authority other than official, especial
ly when it entailed exertion or dis.
cOmpOrt. The mules could not move
the load and the teamster finally got
off his mule, waded out, went tt
camp and brought back six more
mules, hitched on, and finally, we
to the neck, dragged the load out
soldiers and all, the latter prOfUst
with advice and comment not particu
larly refined, nor Telished by tht
, driver.
The late John Matteson was ont
of the last Of the Old-time independ
. ent freighters, his final trips con
lsisting in the haulage of wool from
the Judith Basin ranches to the mar
ket in Great Falls, with supplies TO
, the inland valley stores on his re
turn trips. The completion of tn
} Billings & Northern railroad in 1871
} put him out of business, along will
''Whiskers" Davis, Jack Williams ant
: few others who turned their horse
) and mules out to Craze while the,
sighed for the good old days tha
= have passed forever. Inland and isO
lated towns and mining camps ar
= now supplied by the motor bus ant
) truck, with cigarette-smOking
greasy and cOcky young mechanic il
charge of the OdOrOus power plant
? Rapid and efficient, but not pictuT
2 esQue.
While on a bicycle trip toward tn
3 Judith Basin many years ago, me
? MattesOn on a narrow grade with hi
? ten-hOrse team and a load of wool
DismOUnting I stood leaning on tn
5 wheel at the edge Of the road Whil
/ John worked his long string of slight
3 ly nervous horses past. AS he cam
/ up to where I was waiting, with pre-
5 phetic vision, perhaps, and also cor
siderable heat, he vented his feel
e ings:
3 ''I wish the man that invented tn
t bicycle was in hell!"
- perhaps he is, john" I venture
= gently.