The Bozeman courier., 1927-10-07

81 suppose the Canadians, having
found gold here, gave UP all idea Of
going to the north country" remarked.
mo, they went on as soon as they
could get over the mountains"
But, why should they do so if they
had found good claims here?"
Because their mines on Fraser river
were fabulously rich"
At the conclusion of our conversation
Mr.. Gourley told me he first heard of
the geysers of the Yellowstone park from
a Delaware Indian. And he added: 1T
was the most wonderful description
ever heard or read!'
This Delaware may have been the one
who acted as interpreter for the deputa-
ton sent to Bannack by Victor, chief of
the Flatheads, to ask my fathers aid in
negotiating peace with the BannackS.
He spent the evening at our house, and
we thought him exceptionally intelligent
and entertaining.
Names Prickley Pear
From one of the numerous illustrated
histories of Montana, learn that it was
| through Mr.. Gourley the name Montana
| City was changed to Prickley Pear; that
in the early days Of his mining he made
the winters profitable by running a pack
| train to Fort Benton, then the distribut-
| ing point Of the territory; and also the
fact of his having so many mining claims
he could represent them all as required
by law.
It is possible that Mr. Gourley could
have made more money by going to Au-
stralia instead of remaining here, but
in that event Montana would have lost a
good citizen, and he a priceless store Of
memories. A few of these are included
in the following, told in his own words
i Immediately after the heaviest snow
fall Montana has ever had, Bert Hend-
ersOn, Adam Miller, Ed Hibbard and
I started out on prospecting trip. The
streams were higher than we had ever
seen them. The first big creek, Beal
creek, we crossed on a three-foot pine
tree that we felled across the creek fol
a bridge to lead our horses over. From
there we followed the mountain ridges
! until we reached the slough creek divide
at the head Of the Wolverine creek. We
named it Wolverine creek because o.
killing a wolverine about five miles from
Lake Abundance. On the way we crossed
) the Boulder river near independence.
, had been interested in the discovery il
g. After looking it over a little, we wen
) on. We crossed the head of Buffalo
+ creek and struck what was probably
! about all Of the buffalo herd of the ma
tional park country. From our camp VI
r moved to Lake Abundance, and from
. there we found the gold prospect. tn
( course we followed was a hunters para
disc, bear, chiefly grizzly; mountain
sheep, elk and deer, always high on tn
mountains under the snow banks, owe
!, the buffalo tables, between Hell Roarin
e and Mill creek and along a high ridge t
: the Boulder. We did not try to XII
e buffalo. The wolverine was the first an
l.. only one any Of us ever saw.
e Going along Henderson mountai
n with a clear sky, witnessed a thunder
y storm by looking down on it.
Find GraShOpper Glacier
q "An incident Of the trip up theh Vel
It lowstone. A mare Of mine left the outfi
e after crossing the canyon, afterwar
called the Yanke Jim canyon, and wer
It to Bozenan. 1 trailed her to Mill creel
lr a raging torrent, and in order to b
S certain where she had gone had to swiI
J. the Yellowstone where 1 picked UP tn
1t trail going back to the Gallatin vale,
"a Some one who knew her put her in pas
n ture at Bozeman.
le Finding no placer diggings in th
l. Cooke City country to suit us, we, aftC
ID prospecting some there; that is, Mile
d and myself, started with packs acro
ly the mountains to the east where v
le found the Grashopper glacier. Our paC
/ ropes enabled us to get down a cliff an
n we got to the Saltwater We found
It down where we could look out to couI
le try 50 open we had no use for it b'
Id cause Of danger from Indians.
at On returning to camp after two
d three days, we travelled one time throue
Sc a large band OF elk so tame that the
TO only moved a little distance to one
N the other side Of us as we passed betwee
er them. We camped on the YelloWstol
5h river below the Grand canyon I thougl
at would like to get up the river and s
p the falls from below, and after flounde
b. ing through the water, over boulders az
clingtng to the rocks on the bank