Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-05-27

CROWN OF ana QuaklnB asp,
coursing it's snake-like silvery path, flows
the Ruby Tor "Passamari." Shoshone
word for Sinking Water) river, soon to
lose itself in the waters Of the Jefferson.
And close beside the buildings doorstep,
passes the "vigilante Trail"
From its beginning, now designated
on the Yellowstone Trail, at the foot OF
Cedar hill, not far from the reputed spot
where the renowned Shoshone squaw-
Sacagawea-while bathing in the Jeffer-
son river, was captured and carried into
slavery, to its terminus at Yellowstone
National park, the Vigilante Trail has
constituted a pathway for men and wom-
en- most prominent in western history,
romance and adventure.
Lewis and Clark
1t was up the iaborious windings OF
the vigilante Trail that this same in
trepid Sacagawea piloted Captains Meri-
wether Lewis and William Clark on their
history-making expedition in quest OF a
route to the Pacific ocean. 1t was over
these same crags and bboulders that sped
the naked John Golfer who, in his haste
to save his scalp" from pursuing Piegan
warriors, unwittingly became the first
white man to view the wonders OF the
famous Yellowstone Basin, which, be-
cause of his lurid description Of it, be-
came known as Golfers He'll" The in
Irritable Jim Bridger led his trapper
bands through this valley, and it was but
a short distance up this famous trail that
he received two arrow wounds at the
hands of Piegan warriors-the closest this
noted plainsman ever came to losing his
life at the hands of these his always
enemies.
Gold Discovered
Had 1t been your good fortune to pass
this way in the early sixties, this
t~horoughfare would have offered a curl
GUS spectacle. Gold had been discovered
on Grasshopper creek, and on the banks
of that stream had sprung up in mush-
room fashion, a healthy young metropo-
l~is-Bannack, first capital of Montana
Territory.
Out along this highway can be seen a
small party of trailblazers bent upon a
sort Of aimless mission. Henry Edgar and
william ~Fairweather, with a small band
of prospectors, having started out from
Bannack. a part Of an expedition n
the then little known upper Yellowstone
river valley, and having been repulsed In
the mountain pass by mauraud1ng bands
OF hostile Sioux Indians, have turned
their course up the Passamart, there to
search for new placer "~diggings." They
pass, this group of adventurous spirits;
and, in a few days, Fairweather uncovers
the fabulous riches Of Alder Gulch.
Presently this pathway, as II by magic.
is transformed Into a stream OF agi-
tated humanity, 1t becomes the nee
ing link between two great placer min
ing camps-Bannack and Virginia City.
1t becomes, as well, the sole wagon road
leading to and from the vests richest
placer mining area and 1.-The States"
The Argonauts
What a motley, picturesque throng 1t
isl Men from every walk OF life and
from every o and corner OF the East.
crowd up this rocky, winding trail: Lit
= ~ vI1rr{p,u IfJNoJ nJacf
by the hypnotic cali OF yellow metal:
some travelling on horseback, some by
stagecoach, others with packtrain, with
freighters, or Flooding slowly but stur-
Oily behind two Jokes Of oxen, labor
feverishly up this highway past Rob-
bers' Roost" to the mouth OF Alder
Gulch, and on to find their place at
Junction, Adobetown, Nevada. Central or
some other of the camps which became
the cnvirons Of Virginia City.
Virginia City
Thu location Of this lusty young me-
tropolis was at the head Of Alder creek,
over a narrow divide from the upper
Madison river lone OF n three forks OF
the Missouri), elevated on q sloping hill
side, with a background that was rocky
and sparsely wooded In Its earliest days,
1t had one lone street that was lined
on either side with false-fronted n for
the most part, crudely constructed busl-
ness buildings. III mao many houses tnaI
were built in as many different fashions,
the more substantial Of these being OF
logs or adobe. In its day, with a popula-
ton OF a few thousand souls, 1T was, per-
haps. as lively and as wicked a place as
this country ever knew. 1t was the
metropolis OF the then new Montana Ter
rttory--the seething center OF the new
acknowledgements City.
II we compare this simple picture of
the frontier with the present northwest,
it's railroads. its agriculture, its industry
and its educational and re-
irrational facilities, Its beautiful homes,
we may realize what energy and enter
prise have accomplished in the past sixty
years.
Virginia City attained the zenith of
her fame In 1863 and 1864. 1t was during
these years that thousands Of pilgrims
thronged in from every point OF the
compass wildly filing on claims. AS the
~diggings were shallow and the placer gold
in many places very plentiful. it was but