Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-08-09
Mrs. Parkimsome Pioneer
of 1864, Crossed Plains
Comfortably Inn Carriage

suit, and that one literally patched with
buckskin.
In 1866 Mrs. Parkinson accompanied
her husband down the Missouri river to
Sioux City, on a mackinaw. There were
two mackinaws built, and the two could
have carried a hundred passengers" she
said. There was a compartment on each
with six berths on either side and a
passage between, much like a Pullman
sleeper, then there was a small dining
room, and back of that a kitchen. The
w~ell-known actress, Julia Dean Hayes,
went down the river with us"
Played Salt Lake
The previous autumn Julia Dean
Haynes played in Salt Lake. / saw her
there in Ingomar, when on my way east.
Her next engagement was in Montana,
n her northwestern tour ended in an
appropriate maner by this river journey
on a mackinaw. She was probably the
first actress of note to appear here.
Passengers on the mackinaws were for
tunate in having their rude crafts in
charge of Mr.. Parkinson, who was famil-
lar with the Missouri, and had operated
river boats all his life until he came to
Montana. The party reached Sioux City
safely, meeting with no accidents or at
tacks from Indians. The Parkinsons
made the return trip to Fort Benton on
the steamboat Waverley, the same boat
that brought Judge Munson and Judge
Hedges to Montana.
Were there any buffaloes to be seen
hen you went down the river, Mrs.
Parkinson" / inquired.
"Oh, yesi" she answered. "Once there
were over 200 ahead of the boat. The
men Six at them, but did not succeed
in killing any. l wished I had a gun
then, for l learned to use one while cross
ing the plains. l am sure | could have
done better than the men"
On a freighting journey with her hus-
band from Fort Benton to some place
lower down the river, they stopped at
Wolf Point About 800 Indians were
there. and it looked as if they might
make trouble, they proved to be
friendly after they received liberal gifts
of flour, bacon, coffee, tobacco, etc, and
the next morning the P~arkinsons de-
parted unhindered. 1t was a trying ex-
perience. Although the Indians professed
to be friendly, their attitude might
change at any moment when 1t occurred
to them that, as they greatly
bered the freighters, they did not need
to be satisfied with a small part of what
the wagons held, doled out to them as
gifts when all was theirs If they chose to
take 1t. To be at the mercy of 800 IN
dams was no light matter.
One morning shortly after moving to
Helena, Mrs. Parkinson and a friend of
hers decided to take a walk before break
fast. A lovely day had dawned, and the
cool mountain air, fresh and bracing,
made walking a delight. The two women
strolled along in a ~leisurely manner,
talking and laughing as women Will.
Soon they were out of town which the
did not cover much ground. and at the
foot of the hills that extend along one
side of the Prickly Pear valley, with
numerous draws and gulches marking
their surface.
See Hangman's Tree
Coming to one of these, their eyes idly
followed its course when they were
startled at seeing what made them turn,
and with not a single backward glance
hurry homeward. They had caught q
glimpse of q scraggly tree, from which
hung the body of a man. 1t was q grue-
some sight, and needed no explanation
for its being. Another lynching by the
vigilantes-that was all. The women
frequently heard of them; but that was
different from seeing the dangling corpse
in the full light of day. Mrs. Parkinson
said that this sight effectually cured her
OF any further desire for ante-breakfast
walks, or for rides or drives near Hang
mans gulch.
After the original vigilance committee
had accomplished the work of Kidding
Montana territory of its worst criminals,
it was only too glad to relinquish its
task. leaving it to the courts to admin
lister justice. Unfortunately, the name
was used by some persons who consid-
cred legal methods too slow and uncer-
tain. Hangings continued that were
credited to the vigilantes until, so the
story goes. Father Palladino issued an
effective protest against further Helena
lynchings, by %chopping down the tree :
which had SO often served as a %gallows.-