The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-08-05
PIONEERS MEET
IN GARDEN CITY
President Al Orion of BOzeman
Delivers Address Upon
Early-day Experiences

Missoula where on Thursday the
first sessions of the fOrty-fOurth an /
nual convention of the organization
and its associate body, the Sons and
Daughters of Pioneers, were held.
The conventions will continue until
Saturday night.
Thursdays session was devoted to
preliminary activities, including adj
dresses Of welcome, appointment of
committees, tributes to those who,
since the meeting at Fort Benton last
year, have taken "the long, long
TRAIL" and addresses upon subjects
of especial interest to the oldtimers.
President Crton, who is presiding
over the sessions of the Pioneers So
ciety, Thursday afternoon delivered
an address in which e recalled some
interesting incidents of the days of
1864 when toll and hardship were the
lot of those who dared to venture in
to the virgin West. His remarks
were cOuched in happy vein and were
received with great interest by his
fellow Pioneers. He said:
"Old Pioneers, the veil is drawn,
And through the misty, cob
bed years
"Unfolds the picture of your trail.
"Fast-fleeting now are the scenes
of then;
"And soon no longer will be here
"Those who have the right to bear
"The badge of Pioneer"
Time, that relentless foe of NOR
tai man, has marked off another year
since we last gathered together at
Fort enton-a year filled with mo-
mentous events, both for us and for
future generations. The Grim Reap
er has been busy among the ranks Of
the PiOneefs, and many of those we
lovd, hOnOred and respected have
taken the "lOng, long traip' that leads
to that bourne from whence nc trav-
eler returns. In their memory we
drop a tear-a testimony of the ache
in our hearts for the dear ones who,
as the poet says:
"Have ridden the Trail of Life
Across the Great Unknown Di-
vide
"And can no longer hear
Deserved words of praise and
cheer.
Then tenderly we think of thee
And kiss the badge you wear
Emblem of a nightly host,
"Of untold trials and toll,
VI AIOllOI GdIlCu UGJOilu repay
And thank God for men and
women dear
who bore the name of Pioneer
But not all these recollectiOns of
those past years are of trials, of toll,
of sadness. 1t seems but yesterday
when we-father, mother, / and three
brothees-left Omaha in 1861 with q
colony of Mormons for Salt Lake
City. There were from Is to 10C
wagons in the train, and we were
probably four months on the road
We met herds of buffalo, going tt
or from water, so large that W.
couldn't get through them, and many
times had to return to camp unit
they had passed by.
Father, with his fiddle, had thu
lead wagon. / we'll remember man!
incidents of the trip, among them tn,
passing of the toll gates, of which
there were a number. The usua
charge was S1.50 per team and, a
mOn1y was scarce in those days, W
hated to part with it. The usual pro
cedure was that Dad would stop, tax
his fiddle and go in. There was al
ways something to drink, and after
few shots a general cOnversatiO
would be begun which usually Taste
until night. Then we would get a.
the women out and propose a dance
Of course, this met with instant fla
vor; father would play and the mel
ry-making would go on until 2 or
a. m.
Not until morning, when the WACO
train got ready to move, would tn
subject of tolls be brought up. An
with memories of the good time tn
night before still fresh, the usual enc
ing would be:
go on, Orion, we've had a GOO
time; We won't charge you an!
thing"
When we got to Salt Lake Gil
we met Brigham Young, who was
great friend of fathers. The fir
night we were there a theater con
pany came in and Brigham Your
came to Dad and asked him to pla
The old man took the family and h
fiddle-an instrument made in TIA
in 1921 and which I now have-aI
went TO the fheater. 1t was snowin
When we returned we found that Il
wagon cover had been stolen. d.
: hunted up Brigham Young and to
him of his loss. Brigham said: II
see that you get your cover" He di
covered that one Of the ropes h;
been allowed to drag in the sno
and promptly sent two or three fl
lows on the trail. The cover was I
turned IN short order.
We stayed at Salt Lake probab
two weeks. Then we travelled, wi
two Jokes of bulls, to Springvil
Utah, about so miles south. Aft
arriving we found it hard to keep
grub, but Dad played for dances, {
mason's work and somehow got
We stayed in Springville until t
spring of 1864, when trouble dew
oped. The bishop had demanded
father that he pay 10 per cent Of
earnings as a tithing tax. D
bucked-declared that he was goi
to feed his family first-and
bishop banished him. They a t