Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-05-25
(By MRS. NJ. e. PLAssMANN)

who was among those pioneers of the
sixties, of whom there are not many re-
naming. Every year fewer respond to
the roll call. and soon no answer will be
heard. For this reason, whatever this
rapidly diminishing mnan has to tell
Of early day experiences is valuable, as
a record of it constitutes a historical
document to which future historians of
Montana will turn for reliable informa-
ton concerning what happened during
the formative period of our state.
Even with such references available,
the ~liveliest Imagination cannot picture
the long trek across the plains and over
the mountains; its goal a mining camp
where only the bare necessities of life
could be purchased, and these at a pro-
hibitive price. with the exception that
liquor was plentiful, n freely imbibed.
Men drank IL for various reasons. They
took it as is well known, for snake bite,
rattlesnakes being numerous. 1t was sup
posed to cure the bite, and perhaps act
as a preventive. Then men drank to be
sociable. They went to a saloon with
friends, and there was all round treating.
1t afforded an opportunity for display
ing generosity: for showing that one was
a good fellow Others drank because
they had the northern craving for liquor
that our ancestors believed would con-
tinue to be satisfied hereafter with the
mead of Valhalla.
In Alder Gulch
No movies can represent the times OF
our long ago. They car be recalled by
those who have witnessed them, but 1t
is impossible to reproduce them accu-
rately by the written word or by the film.
Mr.. Sipes was one OF the many who
1ocked into Alder gulch when the news
1f tbn dicrAvarv thara pf GOLD rparhad
the east Few eastern jewellers h read
or heard about it, had other than a vague
idea of how gold was procured. One
writer says that newcomers often expect
ed TO find nuggets scattered in quantl-
ties over the ground fairly clamoring to
be picked up These had to learn that
wealth is acquired by working and saw
ing, or in the more rapid II adopt
ed here n elsewhere, and exemplifled
by the road agents. Mining was hard
work, whether quartz or placer. This the
pilgrim" or "tenderfoot" soon discoy-
cred. Its main attraction lay in its
being q gamble. Unlike wages. a miner
might earn almost nothing one day, then
strike 1T rich the next. In the uncer-
tainty was the charm of mining. Today
YOU mad nothing. Tomorrow might see
you a millionaire.
The uncles Of Mr.. Sipes, living in
Marion, Ia, decided to try their luck in
these new gold fields. They started from
Marion for the west, taking with them
their 15-year-old nephew, and joined a
wagon train under the leadership OF one
Captain Jacobs. There were 100 wagons
and about 300 men in the train. All
went we'll for q while, until d~issentions
arose-in other words there was SC much
quarreling that the train divided. The
.~..@ 80 .-i4aa, M. CfaAn Ia1ntNnnI Inff
the others and pushed ahead, joining
jim Bridger and his men, who were en-
gagged in blazing a trail according to
Sipes.
More Trouble
Here again trouble arose. Bridger's
men were anxious to reach Alder gulch,
n did not think they were making as
rapid time in that direction as they
should. Let me say right here that 1t
too very little to start a quarrel on the
plains. The monotony of the life for
those who had been accustomed to reg
ular work was irritating, Then, too, the
intimate association day after day was
trying to the nerves-or shall we explain
temper. / have seen trouble arising
from the most trivial causes, nothing
serious, but wordy battles. These almost
always occurred in our train when stops
were made. An end was put to them in
our case by the women of the party, who
that the next time the train
rested, they bespoke for themselves when,
If there was any quarreling to be done
they would do it. That announcement
effectually settled the matter and the
dove of peace perched on our wagons
from that time until We arrived at Ban
nack
Bridger at length tired of hearing COM
,,lu{afe ox xv,av, YIa.y ~nnn1NnJ t11A
Sinking Water, mounted his horse and
told them he was going to Virginia City.
Those who wished to do SO followed him
about q third of the wagons, that of
Sipes among them.
When they came to the Yellowstone,
the timid of the party made a raft in
order to cross. The rest forded the river,
having no difficulty in doing SO, and
with the advantage hat they did not
have to reload their wagons. 1t was in
this manner the party celebrated the
Fourth of July.
They entered the Gallatin valley
through what is known as Bridger can
yon. The road here was SO steep, men
were forced to ease down the wagons
with ropes. A week later Bridger and
the rest were in Virginia City, and the
journey from Iowa ended.
No Indian Attacks
During the trip many Indians were
seen, chiefly Sioux; but none attacked
the Sipes party. On the contrary, Mr..
Sipes states, they received the kindest
Of treatment from them. The next year,
however, 1t was dangerous for emigrants
all along the route from Laramie to Utah,
as the Indians were on the war path.
The worst of the road agent troubles
were over when Mr.. Sipes arrived here,
as he mentions but one hanging. A man
had stolen $3.50 n for 1T paid the ex-
IRENE penalty. / do not think Sipes
witnessed the hanging, nor did his uncles
strive to impress his youthful mind with
the wages Of sin, as was the case in Ban
mack when a man tool his 9-year-old
boy to see the corpses of Plummer and
the two who were hanged with him. The
bodies were in a building on Main street,
which was generously opened to the pub
lie. no admission being charged.
h young Sipes noticed, and best
remembered were the high prices. Some
of these do not seem SO high now that
the price OF living has advanced. Mer-
chants were then digging out Of mems
pockets what they could not dig from
the earth. They accomplished his In
two ways: by ov~er-charging and by I'M
derweighing the gold dust given in ex-
change.
DR.. Steele tells Of buying potatoes In
Utah for 90 cents a bushel. freighting
them to Virginia City and selling them
for 40 cents a pound. Quite enough
profit when the cost of their digging and
~freighting was deducted.