Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-11-08

George A. Bruffey, sc, one of the
~best-known of Montana's pioneers, died
as a result of injuries received in a
fall in B0zeman several weeks ago. He
had been in the Livingston hospital
since that time.
Mr.. Bruffey, who was one of the color
full figures Of the early days in Montana,
had lived for more han so years in Liv-
ingston and Park county. He had trav-
eled about the state extensively in re-
cent years and was we'll known through
out the entire western part of the state
BY Pack Team
George A. Bruffey came to Montana
while still a youth. He pioneered In Ne
braska and Colorado before coming to
Montana. The pack train of which the
Bruffey outfit was q part was delayed
by herds of buffalo In Montana and Wyo-
ming n attacked by Indians on its way
to Virginia City. George Bruffey was
present In Virginia City when the Vigi-
lantes terminated the murderous career
of the bandit-sheriff Plummer and his
thug associates. He also witnessed the
execution of Slade.
MIR. Bruffey was a member of the first
territorial legislature ever held in Mon
tana. He was also a member of two state
legislatures. Possessed of remarkable
ultlIlOIy uc WdS d LlOSt Entertaining Cou-
v~ersationalist on matter pertaining to
Montana history. He frequently attended
the meetings of the Butte Pioneer club
during his residence in Butte last year.
and was frequently heard describing the
features surrounding the marriages. flu
nerals and births OF the pioneer days
Indian Corn Cribs
His memory of events in Nebraska and
Colorado uaq itkpurtea UnnH He frpnf1antx
ly described, in minute detail, the corn.
cribs of the Nebraska Indians-jar-like
excavations, OF considerable depth, each
crib connected with It's neighbor, in
which the a~borigines stored their grain.
"The Nebraska Notes" or clumps OF
timber which some writer's had attrib-
uted to the planting Of a Bruffey.
from his experience, was able to declare
are the work Of birds. These little
spotches. many OF them, sprang into
existence during his residence in Ne
braska, he stated.
George Bruffey was a connecting link
between the primitive mining methods
OF the pioneer west and those highly
developed mineral separation methods OF
the present day.
He washed gold from a prospector's
pan in Alder Gulch, he worked a long
tom" at Silver Bow, an arastra at Glen
dale, worked in concentrators with their
jigs and round tables and lived to see
the electrolytic precipitation of copper
and the development Of the oil flotation
process.
he saw transportation methods pro-
gress from the prairie schooner and the
prospector's burro to the palatial railway
trains, the Butte-to-San Francisco auto
mobile bus and the Great Falls-to-Salt
Lake airmail plane.
Unlike many pioneers he bore the In
dian no Ill will and while regretting
their occasional outbursts OF fiendish
cruelty declared that on the whole, the
American Indian was the grandest fight
ing man the world has ever known"
Mr.. Bruffey was one OF those most
familiar with the early history OF Mon
tana, and he was considered an author
ity to be consulted frequently by his
torians and others interested In early
day events.
The old-timer was a member Of the
Society OF Montana Pioneers and had
never missed q convention of the or
ganization. He always ook an active
part In the work Of the organization and
was q prominent figure at every meeting.
his intimate knowledge Of early-day his
tory and his accurate memory Of events
which occurred when Montana territory
was in It's infancy. made him a much
sought character at every convention.
Several years ago Mr.. Bruffey compiled
a history of early-day Montana which
was adopted at the last meeting Of the
Pioneers, held at Butte this summer as
the official record of the time. Mr.. Bruf-
fey's book has been considered as au-
since its publication and has
been much referred to as q reference
work.
Mr.. Bruffey slipped and fell while
walking to Bohemian several weeks ago.
was Immediately moved to the Liv-
hospital. where 1t was found
that he was suffering from a broken hip.
The pioneers great age worked against
him. and although he made a gallant
fight, he grew steadily worse.