Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-09-02
(Ry MRS. Nj. K. PLASSMANN)

fbN Mrs. vi. r.. fIiSo'utNNt
Pioneering is characteristic OF no one
age or people. 1t dates from the in
fancy Of the human race and has con-
tinued until now To it is due what the
world is today. Long. long ago our
Aryan ~forefathers. their wives and child
rem started II from some point yet
unknown on pioneer expeditions over the
globe. They settled in hitherto unin-
habited regions or in others where they
exterminated. or enslaved any natives
who ventured TO oppose them. This lat
ter method was not called pioneering,
but invasion, or in modern parlance,
THE white mans burden" which sounds
better. but means. in effect the same.
The white race came to America and
invaded indian territory. The Indians
did not take kindly 70 slavery, nor was II
profitable so the alternative maintained.
h whites tool possession of the At
lantic coast, driving out or slaughtering
the natives. With what happened
further south in Mexico and Peru. for
instance. we are all familiar. These
things are not pleasant TO read or 70 hear
about; but We might as well face the
facts.
With the settlement Of the seaboard.
the young and more adventurous pushed
out into the hinterland. n this &C.
Cured again and again until the Missouri
river temporarily checked their inward
UldfEN. fOT aDQUL thirty Years tltN
tarried there before the pioneering spirit
urged an advance movement.
When this time arrived. nothing could
stop them until the Pacific ocean pre-
vented them going further west. When
Alaska became ours the tide of emigra-
ton turned northward. VI last FROM
tier vanished forever. and we now
enter upon q new period of development.
What does it hold in store for these
restless spirits who formerly sought re-
lief in pioneering?
The pioneering which settled Montana
differed but slightly from that which
led to the settlement Of the Middle West.
In ann it was the same but the
latter-that of the Middle West-was
initiated through a desire to obtain
land, while no love of agriculture nor
intention of making this their home.
brought the first pioneer to our state.
You will recall how in those early
days it was a common saying: We'll
make our pile. and go back to Gods
country to spend it." How could the
pioneer imagine this section to be fer
tile! Was it not located in the Great
American Desert? To be sure, some
painstaking Jesuit Fathers in that favor
ed spot known as the Bitter Root valley,
had managed to raise grain n vege-
tables. That was c~ommendable, cer-
tainly, but not to be emulated, when
gold could be washed right out of the
ground. Who would choose to labor
onions, and cabbage, when by delving
with pick and shovel in the same earth,
q few coveted yellow flecks might be
gatheredl Not our pioneers.
And SO they came here afoot ON horse
back or muleback, in wagons, and q linn
tied number in carriages or coaches. hi
coach arrivals remained tenderfeet or
p.f1pyirNc for on fn1nfirffo fnrros fhaU
were not Injured to western and mountain
life like others who had travelled in
leisurely fashion over mountain and
plain making their ten miles a day.
sleeping in wagons or on the ground.
eating their rarely varied meals standing
or seated on a wagon tongue; becoming
acquainted with the natives and listen
ing to their -importunate demands for
Engagement, "shug," or strong drink,
and hob-and-nobbing with soldiers at
lonely army posts.
DO of you recall what an event 1t
was to meet a train, and how eager you
were for news, no matter what news, nor
how ancient? How you forded treacher-
Gus rivers, often when the oxen had to
be speeded up in order to pass quick
sand? Dc you ever think of the noun
tain tops achieved only by hitching all
the teams on one wagon. or the zig
zaging road along the mountainside, re-
quiring the weight of o man on IN up
hill wagon hub to keep the whole outfit,
oxen and all, from being precipitated into
the depths beneath? Was there ever
anything that tasted better after a pro-
ionged diet of ham and bacon, than O
bit Of broiled venison; or a drink of
pure. cold water from a wayside spring,
as q welcome change from the dubious,
lukewarm water Of the Platter
There were times when fuel was scarce,