Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-06-01

Berthold. the miners had told him was
in their possession. Concealed in a com
partment built in the bottom OF the
boat he found a large quantity OF gold
dust and nuggets. The exact mount OF
the treasure was not known, but 1t was
reported TO have been from S75 900 To
5000. 600. At any rate 1t was more than
he could carry back to the fort, and Sc
he took it ashore and cached 1t.
Caches Gold on Bank
when the Indian returned from his
hunt the treasure had been safely hid
den. The indian himself later reported
that he had noticed nothing unusual
upon his return except that the boat as
it Law half n and half out Of the shallow
water appeared TO be somewhat torn up
He and the trader made their way back
to the fort on foot. From hat time the
trader. who had always been a poor man
was observed to have plenty OF gold. Al
one time Larned himself waited on this
trader while in charge OF the company
store at Fort Berthold. and in payment
for a purchase of 500 worth OF supplies
he gave Larned gold nuggets at the rate
OF. $40. an ounce. This was in the Win
ter of 1867-68 and Larned felt confident
that he had, as rumored, secured the
gold from that Inflated boat Of the
miners.
1.-THE scene Of the ambush has been To-
Gated at several different points but the
Indians who took part in the massacre
say that Black Moons n Fire Hearts
bands were camped at the time In the
edge of the timber on the north bank OF
the Knife river, not far from the bank
of the Missouri. An Indian hunter from
the camp saw the boat coming down the
stream and heading toward the west
shore. Eagerly he ran to camp with the
news. At once about 20 warriors seized
their and fastened to the BANK
Of the river. They found excellent cover
in the willows which lined the bank, ano
in a few moments the whole tragedy was
enacted as above related.
still further evidence of the disaster
than that given in the story Of Jefferson
Smith was furnished Larned While al
Fort Berthold. Some time in March
1865, Fire Heart and some 40 lodges OF
hostile Dakotas camped about four miles
from the fort. AS was their custom they
came to Fort Rice to do their trading
After they had disposed of their robe:
and furs one warrior still fingered n
he and Larned were alone. Then he drew
near the counter, produced a little buck
skin bag of gold dust and asked Larnee
If he would buy that. Larned had bu'
recently entered upon his duties as
trader in the store n felt that his au'
thority did not warrant his decision upor
so unusual a request, and he referred
the matter to Major Galpin.
Thimbleful for Robe
Major Galpin came IN and examined
the little bag and its contents. His clos
questioning Of the Indian revealed thu
fact that the latter had no idea Of thu
value of his possession. Then the Majo
reached into a little box and took out
large sewing thmble. He filled 1t round
ing full of the gold and told the Indiai
that this was one robes value. The In
dian delightedly made the trade. Lar
ned's recollection Of the transaction
that the major got five thimblefuls on
Of the bag, paying the Indian at tn
rate of one robe for each measure OF gold
1.-THE Indian then vent out, and within
an hour two other Indians from tn
same camp came in. They had wit
them three little buckskin bags OF golo
The major purchased the contents Q
these at the same rate OF exchange. Lar
ned never knew the full value OF tn
four bags but says that the thimbleful
must have weighed at least one ounc
each, and the dust was worth $40 a
ounce.
Major Galpin's curiosity was arouse
as to the source Of the gold, and he ser
Fool Boy, who was the company's mes
senger and hunter at that time, to fin
out for him. The messenger went I
Fire Hearts camp but the camp We
gone. He followed 1t and in about thrt
DAYS returned with the news that I'll
Indians said they had gotten bags of gol
in q fight with some white men jul
about the mouth Of the Knife river
few moons before.
I'm September. 1867. Fire Heart ar
about 20 lodges of his band came
Fort Berthold to trade. Larned paid Il
chief some little attention and persuade
him to draw q pencil sketch of the poil
: ON the Missouri river where the abo'
incident took place. Fire Heart relate