Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-03-23

Mrs. Margaret M. Beal. h observed her
seventy-sixth birthday at her home in
that city recently.
In memory of a birthday celebrated
half a century ago in q small ranch home
that was situated one mile west Of the
present city, Mrs. Beal. entertained many
of her % grandchildren and 16 great
grandchildren and friends at an old-time
party. Despite her age, Mrs. Beal was as
active as a debutant hostess in receiv-
ing and entertaining her guests.
Comforts in Contrast
But unlike the party held so years ago,
the guests occupied comfortable chairs
instead of empty canned goods boxes.
and they were served refreshments pur-
chased at o downtown store and pre-
pared in q modern kitchen, in as much
Interest as she arranged for her first
birthday to be observed in the Deer
Lodge valley.
The section Of the valley in which
Anaconda is now located was an extern
sive sheep ranch owned by a MIR. Sigsby,
who lived at Butte. then a small mining
camp. Sigsby had several hundred head
Of sheep, that grazed during the short
summer months on the ground now COW
cred with pavement, brick buildings and
dwelling houses.
The winters were long with severe
storms II remember the Temperature
being as low as 46 degrees below zero, -
Mrs. Beal said, as she poked the fire in
her kitchen range. You couldn't get
out OF doors without gathering frost on
your eyelashes. The sno drifted to the
tops of the high fences near the house
and above the window stills" Sometimes
the sheep were caught in an early win
ter storm, while feeding in the valley,
the pioneer woman stated. Many of them
would die from the cold before they
could be headed into the narrow gulch
north of the city. since then called Sheep
gulch, she stated.
The entrance 10 the west valley was
then called a canyon. 1t was heavily
wooded and served as the home of hun
dreds of deer, mountain goat, elk and
mountain lion. From the doorstep ]
could often see the animals on the hill
Sides" Mrs. Beal aid Because deer
elk and the larger animals were SO abun-
dant we did not bother with the smaller
game" she added.
Fish Abundant
A short distance from her home Of
only a few minutes walk was the clear
fresh and beautiful Warm Springs creek
Large groups of willows lined the creek
for the entire length of the valley. The
creek was full of trout, Mrs. Beal said
and 1T required only a short time tc
fill a pan with a splendid catch"
During the spring months, prospectors
would pass through the valley n dis
appear in the canyon for many months
They came from Butte with their pack
trains OF mining equipment and grub IL
search of gold in the distant mountains
, Sometimes these men would stop at The
Beal ranch and purchase butter. Othel
visitors into the valley were few. Occa'
sionally a Flathead Indian that had ven
tured over the western divide to hunt II
Deer Lodge valley, would stop at the
Beal ranch to barter game or fish fo
butter and condiments.
Mrs. Beal's closest neighbor so year
ago was Alexander Glover, who lived with
his wife and small family. one mile cas-
Of the Beal ranch, in a log cabin which
still stands in Washoe park. The cabin
which Is one of the Oldest buildings still
standing in Deer Lodge valley, is at pres
ent used as o watchman's shack. In tn,
eastern part Of the valley, near the pres
ent site OF the acid plant, lived the pho
neer Vineyard family. Mrs. Theresa Vim
yard, who also remembers when the val
ley was a sheep ranch, now resides IL
Anaconda. She is 86 years Of age. TIL,
two pioneer women reside within a few
blocks OF each other.
Recalls Old Ranches
West Of the old Beal home could b,
found two OF the oldest ranches In tn,
county, the P. Levengood stock rancf
and the j. Stucky place. The Levingooe
ranch is remembered today as the Da,
ranch.
The ranchers sold hay In Butte ane
drove their stock to Helena and othei
cities. Both products were very much
in demand at the time. Mrs. Beal car
remember when butter sold at OIL
pound and eggs at the same price PEI
dozen. During the early years OF he
residence in the valley, Mrs. Beal fur
nished such small products to the Bar
ker boys, who operated a lumber mill IL
a gulch southwest of the present city
The lumber was marketed in Butte
where 1t was In great demand for con
structing homes for the increasing popu'
lation.
Laying aside an electric iron to attenc
a modern coffee p%crcolator, the pioneer
woman told OF some of the discomfort,
Of her time compared to the present day
I'VE had nc magazines n often M