Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-07-19
@COlter'S Monument e f. $ $;s%Ss; ;:s $: 3 % :$$ E $:
j hnsmen Who Was the First White Man to Sn Eyes Uon This Natures Wonderland

greatest need was a guide, familiar with
the western country, TO lead his expedi-
ton. Imagine his surprise and delight
at meeting Golfer at the mouth Of the
Platte. Once more. 1t is recorded, Golfer
was persuaded to give up thoughts OF
home and his people, n return for he
third time to the wilderness. He set
his own little canoe adrift n accom-
panied Lisa up the river. "A chance
meeting with Lisa caused him to reverse
his course and led to those final and
crowded years of peril and adventure dur
ing which his discoveries were achieved"
Golfer finally led the Lisa expedition in
to the Big Horn river. where they estab-
lished their fort. They reached this
point November 81, 1907. They named
this fort, 'Manuel's Fort" 1t stood near
the mouth of the Big Horn river.
Lisa now looked about for a man to
make a long journey into the surround
ing country to establish contact with the
different indian tribes for the purpose
of inducing them to come to his fort on
the Big Horn so that he might purchase
their furs and gain information from
them that would lead him to the best
trapping grounds. Golfer was selected
as the best qualified man in the fort
to make this long and dangerous journey.
Winter was on in earnest-intense cold
and deep snow were added to the many
ODSLdAlCS klldV b1oSb bit NtJ ~ StAD ADJ
traveller. No doubt Golfer was compelled
to use s~nowshoes as much of his journey
would nave been impossible without
their aid. Snow, ice and cold never
daunted him, for it is known that he
made several trips from Manuels Fort
on the Big Horn to the Three Forks-a
distance OF some three hundred miles
during the bitter cold OF the Montana
winters.
Golfer now set out from Manuels Fort
on his long and p~erilous journey. This
tourney was to be one OF the great
achievements in the life OF John Golfer.
This man with a pack OF thirty pounds
weight, his gun, and some
went upward of five hundred miles TO
the Grow nation; gave them information
and proceeded thence to several other
tribes. During this journey he dis
covered the worlds greatest wonderland
the Yellowstone national park. While
travelling with q party OF Crow Indians,
they were attacked by q band OF rowing
Blackfeet. In the fight that followed,
Golfer was badly wounded in the leg, but
concealing himself, continued to fire at
the Blackfeet until they were routed.
Being wounded, he now looked for the
shortest route back to Manuels Fort,
and it is recorded that He returned to
the establishment entirely alone and
! without assistance several hundred
miles"
This Journey of this lone adventurer
is a gem in the history of American ex-
ploration, and John Golfer surely de-
serves his rightful place in the history
of his country.
! During the late summer or early fall
of 1908. Golfer left Manuel's Fort on the
Big Horn for a trapping expedition to
the Three Forks of the Missouri river.
His companion on this trip was John
Potts who also had been a member OF
the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Potts,
no doubt, had also been unable to resist
the charm Of the wilderness, and here
we find him setting out with Golfer
on a trapping expedition into the very
heart of the Blackfeet Indian country.
The Blackfeet, fierce and warlike, had
formed a terrible hatred for the white
man, and showed him no quarter. WIS.,
ualize Golfer and Potts going into this
extremely dangerous territory, risking
their lives every moment for the mere
trapping of beaver. Potts gave up his
life-literally hacked to pieces by the
Blackfeet. Golfer made a marvellous es-
cape and lived to tell the tale.