The Bozeman courier., 1927-01-14

are still discernable in portions CH+o5 u nv
tana which have remained unmOleSO0U
Civilizations harsh hand. - .bout a
Down in 6allattn county, JUST "s'trsiI''
mile south of Bozeman there is iran
which wends its way across the PL rails
is formed by the junction OF Two ISorIrs
One Of these approaches from In[SS IGf,st Cal.
while the other emerges from the Ness tbo
latin canvon. This pathway traverses Cne |
valley, in an easterly course, StrlkInS o. +ba
most bee line for the Bozeman pass ~ ubo
great bend OF the Yellowstone 1HOsI % IroaII |
have Travelled it say 1t crosses ING nd
streams by the best fOrds, ascenus @ az
decends the buttes, tablelandS anu r. &c /
tains by the best ridges ana raNIneS, vines hot |
almost indiscernable across the SLOny nIyyoirie |
toms but, on the loose SOIL OF Ihe Pi'-
it is deeply worn. I'll
In Montana, there may be- other Trails Trails
which have born the trOd of greaIer nVI tbo
bers Of Indians. such as, perhaPs' con-
Blackfeet trails, many OF WITH WITH &c at |
the Big Falls of the Missouri, or the SrSoS S,soe
lOdge-pOle trails, winding their cOuiHG1 caIio9
through the forests and across tue oidi0S dCco
of the Big BlackfoOt river IN Deer - an
county, but it is doubtful if there Is an ~
other trail that has been so important ~
both redman and white
To The Enemy's Country
In the beginning or things out west,
when the native lived and enJOyeq HLS
living unmOlested, the ShosnOnes anu - 80
er trans Rocky nations of Indians, nEtn{S'
as they did outside of the main DuIlaI0
range, had to cross the mountains 10 nunI
their meat" The buffalo country WdS
then the property of the mucn -Ieareu t..lI,5'
Blackfeet tribes, and to trespass LIeIeuP
on, was a most dangerous underJahIuS. ~
is told of the ShOshOnes that they accom-
lished this very gracefully under cIeHer
ruse. To get to the butIalo muhtitn5
grounds on the upper MusSeIsneil' pdn7; CnIy
traversed this primitive trail through Beav-
erhead county, past the Three Forks, across
Gallatin valley over the BOzeman pass
on to the plains. 81
In the buffalo days, there wandered, un-
mOlested in small herds, what were known
as outlaw buffalo bands. These cOnslSCeu
Of old scurvy bulls, whose hide anu IISsn
were worthless either for fur or meat, De
cause of the method of their travel, (Seh-
orally in single file and scattered), they
were always recognized, but never harmeu'
The ShOshOnes conceived the idea OF mas
querading to resemble one OF these Outlaw
enemy's country, ponies of dark cOlOr, a
buffalo robe was thrown over the sauQIe
to resemble the hump Of bull. Inc IN
dianS wore q skin on their heau, Walkeu
close to the head of the pony, holding their
lances down low so that there could be no
CLINT. All the while they kept well IN
the shadow of the foothills, ont of the sun.
At a distance writer's tell us, 1t was al
most impossible to distinguish them from
an outlaw buffalo band. Either the Sho-
shOnes or other tribes were continually us
| ing this route That is one reason why
the Blackfeet frequented the Three Forks.
/ They sought to protect their hunting
grounds against these intruders.
I Not only did the ShoshOnes and Nez
/ Perces come hither to hunt, but it was, as
| well, their custom to trek the long dlS-
tances down the Missouri to the Mandan
/ villages to trade for meat, furs, vegetables
and corn. This, too, was a famous war
/ trail, for down it's defiles, and over it's
divides marched the Nez Perces, the Snakes,
the Saleeshes, the Flatheads, and the KOot-
enais on their expeditions against crow
or Blackfeet; or the Blackfeet' Travelled
in expeditions against mountain tribes.
| And, too, it was over this age-Old trail
that passed eastward Captain William
Clark on his way to explore the Yellow
stone in 1906. 1t was this way that hur-
ried the harassed John Golfer before the
pursuing Blackfeet. Manuel Lisa with his
to the three forks to build Fort Manuel
BOnneville's explorers came this way Il
view and appraise a new country. Father
DeSmet carried the torch Of Christianity
over tnis route which has remained a guid
ing line for the argOnauts and pioneers t.
!. pilot them to and from the land Of gOlC
when Montana was very young. This trai
has been greatest in significance, for /
traversed that section which could be call
ed 'the CRADLE, from which the infant
Montana, emerged, grew and became
great commonwealth in the heart of tn
Northwest.
The Missouri River Trail
1t was the voyageurs who first trav
eled the streams of Montana. Coming, eve
: before Lewis and Clark, they hunted, trad
! ed and trapped. And, after the explorer
had uncovered the wealth of the wilder
hess, these hardy men guided the trader
and helped to establish the many tradin
T posts of the HudsOn'S Bay company, tn
t Northwest company, and the American
= Fur company at the head of navigation Q
- watersheds which less than a century late
into
u les of Montana. The water travellers mad
S their Journeys in canoes and keelbOat
- fifty or more years before the TreasuT
state became known to the world as
gold and silver GOlcOnda.
This travel centered mostly on the "Big'
or Missouri river, which has, thrOughou
state history been by far the most i'm
lpOrtant of all trails" leading into Mon
tana. 1t was up the Missouri that firs
came the trader and trapper. Then, i
and following the year 1881, the success
ful navigation of the stream by steam
boats gave an enormous impetus to tral
fic to and from the territory. Later,
the sixties, and during the days Of III
new FL Dorado Of GrasshOpper creek, Aide
Gulch and Last Chance, the passengt
and freight business that developed
and from old Fort Benton, the head
navigation developed in leaps and bound
Fort Benton became the greatest tnla1
port that the country had ever known.
;eceiyed the argOnauts and the wares d
Stlned for the Miners and these were tran
ported south and west to the "diggingi
over the famous Mullan and Graha
roads. This "trail'' survived the mo
important route until the advent Of t
steel rails into and across the territOr
;. And, today, despite it's inability to col
40 pete with the newer mode Of transport
ton, the old river still serves. Its W
ters and the waters of it's tributaries fu
ed nish power to turn the wheels Of indust
OF and water to irrigate the fields Of the
}" riculturist.
The Oregon Trail
Is, 'I hear the tread OF aiOneers-
u OF nations yet to be;
rs The first low wash Of waves where so
Is. Shall roll a human sea-"
% Greater than all other trails which
. into the new West was the famous Greg
, Trail, unquestiOnably the most impOrta
Il because it was the longest and becaI
II there Travelled over it the greatest tral
II or pioneers bound for the new "d1ggln
II OF California and Idaho, and the new e
Il pire OF Oregon. From Independence, hs
Il sas, to Oregon City, on the Willamette
II yer in Oregon, is 2,200 miles, and INT
II were the terminals of the Oregon Iri
II At first, it was a difficult route. 1t tri
ii Versed three mountain ranges and Il To-
II ed treacherOus streams. 1t was dangers
III IN that 1T led through a country belong
III TO no less than 10 different Indian Irln
III then unaccustOmed to the white men.
81 was the greatest route because, after
fl pfOSpectOr and mining camp advenLu