The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-04-15

said Captain LaBarge. "I cannot take the
All! that alters the case" replied the
general. Haven't you room? ?"
captain LaBarge answered that he prob
ABLY could make room, but he UNDERSTOOD
mat the shipment was under the contract
neld by Mcpherson. The general replied
that It was.
We'll, then" replied LaBarge. It will
not carry them, because Mcpherson will
not pay my price. He gets a good price
boat man who does the work gets nothing
Tor 1t. For example, he gets $50 per head
Tor transporting the men to Camp Cook.
He will pay me $15 and pocket the $35. He
does no work and takes no risk. / will
not work for him on such terms"
u think you are perfectly right" said
the general. In your place l would do
the same thing. But you will carry the
troops for General Sherman"
Il will" replied LaBarge, "f you will
contract with me individually and directly
and pay me the Mcpherson rates."
That's fair" said the general, and he
called in his quartermaster, Colonel
Thomas, and told him to draw up a con-
tract, which was signed
Trouble Brews
The Octavia lert st. Louis May Z. 1867.
At Omaha the troops were taken aboard,
and Captain LaBarge received also as a
passenger Captain w. D. Spear, 18th Royal
Rifles, Of the British army, who was on
leave from India and was sightseeing in
NM ~ ~ was 0AA ~ [NA[0-
and from there to Salt Lake and California.
This embarkation Of troops and this Brit
ish officer was the prelude to a distressing
tragedy.
The troops we're mostly Irish Fenians,
and the lieutenant in charge was an Irish
man, all intensely hostile to the English.
Their attitude toward Captain Spear was
insulting from the start. Captain Spear
observed to Captain LaBarge that he was in
a most dangerous situation, but the latter
was not alarmed, for Captain Spear was a
quiet. reserved man, but entirely fearless
going ashore frequently alone despite dan
cant. Spear Shot Down
Just after midnight Of June q as Cap
tain Spear and young Joseph LaBarge, son
of Captain LaBarge, we're going up the
steps of the hurricane deck, Captain Spear
being a little ahead, a sentinel, William
| Barry. stationed near there, fired at Cap
tain Spear, the bullet piercing the base OF
his brain and killing him instantly.
There was great excitement and indigna-
ton among the passengers and Barry was
placed in irons. The following day an in
quest was held by a committee of the pas
Sengers, consisting of Governor Green Clay
Smith of Montana, Thomas r. Tut, sur
lyeyor general of Montana territory, San
Mclean, Richard Leach, L. H. Eastman
George W. Mclean and w. ]. McCOrm1ck
who acted as secretary. Several or the
passengers and crew were sworn and teSt1
fed. No motive could be discovered FOL
the deed. Barry declared in an arrogant
manner that he had done his duty and re
: fused any further explanation. The sen
tinels orders required him to challeng'
only persons approaching the boat from
the shore, and it was expressly agreed by
, Lieutenant HOrrigan, in charge of the sol
5 diers, as a condition permitting him t
place Sentinels on the hurricane deck ina
5 they should in no manner interfere witt
I the passengers.
+ The finding of the committee was tina
2 the shooting was not in accordance witt
+ any instructions given the sentinel, ana n
deserved the most rigid punishment Know
i to law.
= There was a strong sentiment in favo
q Rav tye ee 3 pPPeaT FFStt dit it and every one be
2 lieved that he would meet due punishment
in due time by process Of law. He wa
: therefore kept 1nder arrest and Closer
The remainder Of the trip up the rive
Y Twas an intensely dangerous one, owing Z
r the intense hostility of the indians: A
4 Fort Buford Captain LaBarge' put on Tn
= remains of Captain Spear to await his re
, turn. The body was in a manner EN-
2 balmed by the construction of a larg
3 wooden. box filled with green c9ttGnwoo
L sawdust, which the commander OF the pos
: stated would answer the purpose and whlc
did so quite satisfactorily.
The post commander refused to receiv
the prisoner, who was taken to Cam
T Cook. At the latter place, at the mouth 0
/ the Judith river, the commanding office
refused to cOurt-martial Barry on tn
q ground that the crime had been cOmmitte
u NAh O0nNNAs A1( ASLG eG@ P+ASLASA - O1E
D tain LaBarge to take him back to YanktO
on the return voyage.
q On the journey down the river Barr
was delivered to the United States marsha
a who held him until orders were receive
from Washington, which, to the surprise
all, ordered Barry's release. He was there
upon sent back to his company.
l The Woodlands
: The most serious problem with which th
Missouri river navigator had to deal wa
that of fuel. Wood alone was used an
was procured from the river banks. Col
tonwood was the principal fuel used bt
cause it was found nearly everywhere, bJ
IN many respects it was poor fuel. Vine
n green cottonwood was used it was necessaT
n 70 burn rOsin with it too. It was ofte
FOUND impracticable to carry the boat IrOl
one regular wOOding place to another an
!. It was then necessary to gather drift log
~ or anything else that could be foun'
ne whenever a trading post was aoanoone
- It's palisades and buildings we're quick
e seized for fuel by boats. This account
for the fact that It is impossible to find
~ single trace Of most Of the early tradin
IT, When the first steamboats, assembled Il
missouri the wood was mostly cut by Il
crews as the oboats proceeded upstream
buC as traffic became more regular, woo
en- yards were established, either by the bot
az owners or by other who cut wood Tor sal
y Lhese latter men were known as woo.
hawks" and they led a life filled wit
DANGER from Indian attacks. For a tin
sr. the Indians, themselves, found the bushes
us q profitable one and refused to let Il
e WHITES cut wood at all. The sale OF the
a. wood thus became a source Of considerab
revenue to the red men.
70 In later years, during the Sioux war
fy the WOOding OF boats was a perilOus undo
IN taking. Crews were attacked at the Ian
ngs, and only the most vigilant precai
re lions prevented the loss Of many men.
no LaBarge's sawmin
ne IN order to reduce che danger as mu'
az ~ possible, Captain LaBarge equipped o.
csc y MS boats with a sawmil' and took alol
4, . yoke OF oxen. When he had 70 IA
woo he swung out q large stage, dro