Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1929-01-10
Hour Ride Ahead of
Stampedimg Cattle Was
Experience OfOld-T Timer

speech the master of ceremonies being
a one-eyed private. AS the rangers arose.
they gave their names. but the toast
master evidently forgot Hawkins name,
for when he called on him again. I'D
salo We will now hear some more from
Soda Water jack This name stuck
to Hawkins, and even in his later years
al Miles City and elsewhere in the east
ern part Of the state he was known as
JACK He declares that his two years or
more as. "a Texas ranger were the hap
piest Of his life. The men were a fun
loving group and Soda Water Jack" was
the greatest joker in the company. Hay-
ing No guardhouse, it was the custom
10 discipline the fractions troopers for
petty pffense by making them herd the
horses, and MIR. Hawkins declares that
throughout one summer he was in charge
OF thH yemount.
indians Steal Horses
Daring the fall of 1875, a band Of IS
Indians stole a bunch Of horses from the
Joha Gamble ranch, and Captain Roberts
dispatched the same number OF rangers
to get them back. Hawkins was by this
time a sergeant and second III command
Of the detail. They Q UP the trail and
~ the third day were in close pursuit
OF the Apaches. 1t had been raining and
the mud was bad, but they came up
WIZ the band on the morning OF the
fourth day. The Indians were taken by
surprise and, after a running fight,
abandoned the stolen horses and took
flight. Two Indians were killed and sey.
eral more wounded, but the only casu
atty q the rangers was the loss of a pack
mule Sergeant Hawkins had a close
call when a bullet from an Indian rifle
boreo the rim Of his hat.
Hits for the North
The original intention OF the young
adNsnturer. that of going to the north
ern gold fields, made him restless again
after % months spent in the service Of
Texas and early in December, 1876, he
ano three companions. having severed
their connections with the rangers,
bought q wagon and camp outfit and
started the long journey to the new.
found gold fields in the Black hills OF
Dakota Their trip was ~uneventful, but
they stood guard each night to prevent
a surprise attack from Indians. They
made fairly good time for those days OF n
few trails and only occasional stretches
of roads, and on April IL, of the year
following, they arrived at Custer City.
Building sluice boxes on French creek
they prospected for a time. but found
little pay-dirt and Hawkins soaked the
wagon for $50, and with this as a grub
stake started for the Big Horn noun
tains falling in with some old timers
from Oregon, one of whom had been in
that state since 1845.
I, Destination Was Bozeman
Then destination was Bozeman, but
learning from some government scouts
that Uncle Sam was building Fort Ke-
ough. they decided to seek work there.
Tins was during the Hayes and Tilden
election trouble and an appropriation
was not made that year for the construc-
ton oj the fort, so Hawkins and his
friends took a contract cutting hay Tor
the government, putting up 100 tons that
fall Tor which they received $25 per ton,
| h1inn t1rpighnd with fhpir in1n1prnpnf2
by the soldiers, SO that their profit WIS
almost clear.
That winter was a mild one and with
cattle bringing a fair price, ranchlng was
the next vocation taken up. Building q
dugout which he shared with the old sad
die morse he had brought from Texas, he
spent the winter near where the town
of Hathaway now stands, building a cabin
the following year to replace his crude
dwelling underground.
Years of Big Slaughter
TIT next two years were those OF the
great buffalo slaughter and with the
hides bringing from 1925 to S2.55 each,
they We're killed by the thousands during
100 and 1881 and their bones left bleach
ing IN the sun to be salvaged by q later
generation and shipped by the millions Of
pounds to eastern markets to be ground
up into fertilizer. MIR. Hawkins owns
today "a so caliber Sharp's rifle with
which he killed z 900 or more OF these
huge animals.
Hunted With Stone
During the part of one winter, he
hunted with the late NJ. E. Stone OF
Dillon, formerly a government scout III
der Gen. George A. Custer.
indian troubles were constantly CROP
ping out and engagements with small
bands OF redskins and settlers were OF
almost daily occurrence. Sitting Bull and
his tribes were making raids on horses,
coming Town from Canada and returning
with everything they could lay their
hands on In 1879, a band of the savagcs
got away with some animals owned by
MIR. Hawkins among which was the
trusty old saddle horse that had been
his companion since he had left Texas.
The raiding Indians were pursued, but
they made their escape and the horses
were never heard of again. .
, 1t was during one of these skirmishes
of the early SOS that Mr.. Hawkins was
wounded in the leg and his many mar
row escapes form a sequel to his earlier
days us a member OF the rangers along
the Mexican border.
In 1877 he was married at Miles City to
Miss Mamie Watson and followed ranch
ing until 1892 when he was elected sher-
if OF Custer county. He served a term
in that office, his former training stand
ing him in good stead and his reputa-
ton for getting his man. which WAS
the first and last bylaw OF his ranger
days, being retained in the capacity OF
Sheriff.
Ready for COXey's Army
When Coxey's army made it's sensa
tional dash across the state, defying com
munity and government officers and
successfully resisting all attempts to stop
the train which the crew Of desperate
men had -commandered, Sheriff Hawkin
stuffed so John Doe" warrants in his
pockets, armed a posse of Miles City
citizens with Winchesters and chartered
IN engine and a few cars. The record
breaking run to Forsyth is still the talk
Of railroad circles in that part Of the
state, but there the army" was met and
subdued by a troop of United States
soldiers before the arrival Of the de
termined sheriff and his party.
Found Dead in Home
Carrot no ppnr urac found doah in