Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-08-21
(By MRS. M. E. PLASSMANN)

(By MRS. M. E. PLASSMANN)
THE saying runs, as every one knows,
"The merciful mar is merciful un-
to his beasts" and, it might be
added, merciful to mankind, as we'll.
Under ordinary circumstances this rule
prevails, but not always. On sailing
vessels, possibly on steamboats,, and in
the army, discipline takes precedence
Of mercy. yet many officers of vessels
and in the army are not devoid of feel
ing, although n might infer the con-
trary from reading such books as Jack
London has written of sea life, or Her.
man Melville's wonderful book, Moby
Dick.
Discipline was necessarily maintained
in the large freighting outfits that
supplied the needs of Montana's min
ing camps, before railroads were built.
While the large companies controlled
most of the freighting, a few mer-
chants in the various towns hired men
to do their freighting, they furnishing
wagons and teams, those they hired
being simply drivers, with no personal
interest in the goods they conveyed.
The large outfits used oxens to draw
the heavy wagons, while the merchants
to whom I refer used horses often, as
they made better time and time was
money, then as now. That horses were
not more generally used on the plains
was in part due to the danger Of losing
them while on the way. Indians cOvet-
ed horses and mules, and lost no Op-
portunity to steal them when possible
/ have already told of the army train
we saw neal Fort Bridger in the fall
of 1865, marOOned in the desert-fOr
it was far from water. The Indians
had captured the mules of the train
leaving its wagon boss not by any
means "speechlesS with WRATH" il
judged by the torrent of profanity ir
which he INDUCED when questioned
why he was sitting there on a Wagon
tongue in the hot sun of midday, in
stead of going on.
Messenger Is Dispatched
There was a telegraph line running
to this trains destination, but the trair
was not near a station. A messenger
had to be dispatched to the n tina
could be reached in the quickest time
and then there was nothing for thu
wagon boss to do except guard hi
wagons from attack and await the ar
rival OF more mules.
The emigrant, it will be surmiSed
if left in the same manner on thu
plains, could not telegraph for horse
with any expectation that his requeS
would be hOnOred. He could hope TO-
no aid in such an emergency othe
than his fellow travellers were able t.
give him.
The story I am about to tell is Of
load of goods sent out by a Helen;
merchant to some point not mentioned
and the wagon, or wagons, were draw
by hOrSes-I do not know the number
l only infer they required but on
driver, who alone was to have them II
charge.
This was not an enviable job in thos'
days when attacks by Indians were no
uncommon, and to fortify himself TO
the journey the driver of this par
ticular outfit sought his f~avorite salool
where he imbibed freely and then pur
chased a bottle of Dutch courage
WhereWith to fOrtify himself en- route
for the way was long and cold.
He started out all right and witt
a joyful heart, having made thi
thoughtful preparation, and With tn
reins in his hands turned his horses
heads towards the valley. All wen
well at first, until the effects OF tn
stlmulant began to wahe, when he haI
recourse to the bottle he SO providen
tally carried with him. A long draugh
OF its contents wonderfully revived hi
spirits, temporarily, and he carole
blithely as he swung the long whip tina
urged the team to greater speed.
Empties His Bottle
Presently his thirst again became in
slstent, and he took another pull a
the flask. This performance was re
peated at intervals, the flask pointin
ever straighter towards the zenith, un