Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-08-09

the fact of its being pierced by q tunnel,
is a beautiful bluff overlooking the Mis-
souri, river. 1t lies Just west of Dundee
close up to the river, which now washes
its base. Old settlers living along the
river almost always located their burial
grounds On the bluffs, as the Indians
had done before them. 1t is only natural
to assume that o Golfer was laid to
rest in one of these early burial grounds
on one Of the bluffs nearby. We do not
know where the grave of John Golfer is.
1t is unknown and unmarked. About
two years after Golfers death, his widow
married James Brown. She left no
known record of his grave. Hiram Col
ter, which we'll founded traditional ana
documentary records call his son, left
no records relative to his father, or to
the whereabouts of his grave. Hiram
Golfer seems to have inherited some of
the rowing p~ropensities of his father, n
left Dundee probably some tim prior to
1910. Members of the Golfer family say
he settled on the Berger Fork creek in al
early day, near the home where Christ
Hamburg now lives. Christ Hamburg has
a faint recollection of the old Golfer log
cabin and says 1t was tumbling down
when he was a small boy and was in
tested with snakes. Hiram Golfer after
wards moved away to Belmont. h
he knew of his father is q blank to us.
The affidavit of Sam Golfer is self ex-
planatory:
state of Missouri, County of Gascon-
ade, SIS.
This is to certify that I, Sam Coulter,
Of New Haven, Missouri. R. F. D., hereby
under oath make the following state
ment:
About 1888. l was talking with Mr..
Jacob Krattli of Dundee, Missouri. He
told me that some time prior to this
time he had been talking to a group of
old time settlers at Dundee. Missouri, and
that they had told him that o Golfer,
the famous trapper and guide, was buried
on Tunnel Hill.
(Seal) SAM COULTER.
Subscribed n sworn to before me this
LIST day of November, 1926, A. d.
VIM D. SCHAFFNER,
Notary Public.
MY term expires July 8. 1880"
Here we nave the only clue as to where
John Golfer lies buried. Jacob Krattli
was a man Of highest integrity and told
the truth. Sam Golfer, we'll on the
shady side OF life, is and does no less.
Knowing these men as we do, we accept
this record as the best n only n in
existence. None other Gould be found
During the summer of 1925 the Mis-
souri, Pacific railroad opened an immense
cut through Tunnel Hill. Several graves
were unearthed. Since 1850, several
known men have been buried on the
summit OF this hill. Relating the story
Of Golfers supposed last resting place on
this hill to the men employed in the
excavation. we questioned them carefully
as to the probability of finding and
identifying the grave of Golfer. They
unearthed several graves but found no
Identification leading to a discovery OF
the grave Of Golfer. The huge steam
shovel working at night. possibly scooped
up several graves bodily and emptied
the contents into the dump cars unob-
served. The foreman in charge said he
was confident that this happened. There
Is a possibility that the few fragments
OF the bones of John Golfer now lie i'm
bedded in the new embankment OF the
Missouri Pacific railroad.
Nothing possessed by John Golfer has
ever come down through the family to
the present day. Some article possessed
by him would have rich historic value.
and be a highly priced heritage. AT
present we believe all trace OF anything
that belonged to Golfer is lost, and will
never be found.
John Golfer, unknown to himself, pre-
pared his place we'll in the history Of
his country. He has aptly been called
the Ulysses of the Rockies" He was
the first American to ever set foot into
what is now Wyoming. His Yellowstone
discoveries have made him famous for
all time. His record with Lewis and
Clark stands as a high testimonial OF
his services to his country, and the great
escape he registered against the Black
feet Indians stands unparalleled In
America.
About all this hero Of the west ever
received was the small mount OF @5 O
month from the government for his serv-
ices with Lewis and Clark. Sl>xly, but
surely. the fame OF Joh Golfer Is rising
today, and he richly deserves O monu-
ment at Dundee or in the Yellowstone
national park, in memory OF him who
gave 30 much and received so little. We
regard him as the greatest historical
character and the most famous nan
buried In the soil Of Franklin county,
Missouri.