Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1929-07-18
%The Funny Side of Life g. $S ;%:: z e; $ r. $ } $% p
j 90 Years. Recalls Many HunUmSIn Incidents of HeD Days When Montana Was in the Mang Il

boys thought it was us, on our way
back from town, but when the men
came no closer they were puzzled. The
identity of these men was never
known. However, when our party got
to Sheep creek, we could see tracks
where a dozen or more Indians had
crossed the road. They had rifled the
camp, taken the horses and whatever
else they wanted, but $75 in Cameron's
pocket was untouched.
when the TO- went off the ground
the next spring, the body of Sharp was
found OF Buck creek. He had been
shot.
Soldiers Build Fort
"The Moore brothers finally bought
out Fishers interest in the mill, and
later Sutherlin's, and moved the mill
to what is now known as the Moore
ranch. In the winter of 1869 and 1870,
a company of United States soldiers
came owe and built a temporary post
on the Moore ranch, which they called
Camp Baker. In the summer of that
year they moved 10 miles up the river
and built Fort Logan. The Moore
boys furnished all the lumber for the
fort. Part of these historic buildings
were destroyed by fire in the past year.
"One of our constant difficulties was
to protect stock from thieving bands
of Indians. In the spring of SO Indi-
ans raided the mill, killed two work
oxen and stampeded the rest. Taking
a young chap with me, 1 started after
the stock and caught up with them
at the very place where Townsend
now stands, As miles from where they
started. We headed them home, and
while going down Benton gulch we
met Tom Cooper with a cart and yoke
of xen We stopped and talked
awhile.
Il have always thought this slight
delay saved u lives. AS we went on
about a mile down the road we found
the trail full Of moccasin tracks, evil
IDENTIFY made before Cooper came along.
We decided to go ahead, and didn't
see a single Indian, though we must
have passed within SO yards of them.
They, had killed a man almost at
the very spot where we came on their
tracks. His body was discovered two
days later, when Sanford and Perry
Moore and Ed Sayre, going back with
a load of lumber, camped at the place.
Sanford, going after the cattle, came
on the body of this man, Williams,
shot. Williams had owned a horse
that the Indians wanted. They had
taken the horse, but left a consider
able sum of money in his pockets.
The Vanishing Horses
tom Cooper had lost his horses that
same spring, after he thought he had
them where there was no chance for
the Indians to get at them. He and
Joe Stephens located a ranch at the
mouth of Benton gulch and built a
big log stable to protect their horses
This stable had a door opening from
the inside, with a level across it. TIC
open it, one had to take a piece OF
chinking out of the wall, run his arm
in and lift the lever. Tom and Joe
would put their horses in there nights
tie them up, and feel safe. One night
the horses we're securely tied, anc
seven men were sleeping in the barn
But when morning came the door wa
wide open and every horse was gone
In the fall of so, DR.. Clark ant
his wife drove a few head of cattle
from Whites gulch over the range
into the valley, and stopped with
Cooper and Stephens at the mouth Of
Benton gulch. I. G. Sarter and Mrs
Sarter also brought in a bunch of cat
tie that they Wlntered there.
I'm 1870 Lycurgis Orn came from
the Missouri valley with a bunch O.
cattle and located on what is nov
known as the Clear Range ranch or
Beaver creek.
Cook Brought First Sheep
1.-THE first sheep in the valley were
driven from California by c. W. Cool
and Crist Wall in 1872. They wintereG
them at Three Forks and brought
them on to Smith River valley thu
next summer.
THE winter of 1871-'72 was the hard
est winter we ever had in Montana
On November %, 1871, the thermome'
ter dropped from 80 degrees above t.
40 below in less than hour. G. F
Smelling, a commissioner Of Meaghe,
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