Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-10-16

head. 1t was a hard winter and when
scab developed among the sheep. they
had no facilities for dipping and were
unable to move them. Bear were also
plentiful in the district and took their
toll. When spring arrived Drum had
80 and Barney ITO sheep left. Snail
staked Barney again, but Drum sold
out and went back to work for differ
ent COW outfits in the section for the
next few years.
One of the best known range riders
was Ike Morgan, one of the Texas
hands, who had trailed cattle into
Montana for Murphy. He was famous
as a beef-herd hand and was later
foreman of the Three-V outfit. Nor
gan, who was of a moody nature and
liked to be alone, was noted as a
whistler and yodeller. Often in start
ing out for a ride after cattle, he would
ride some distance ahead Of his COM
rades and then start on his musical
performances. Often he began whis-
Ting of tunes and bird-calls early in
the morning, or late at night. and even
though he apparently had no thought
of an audience, everyone within the
radius of his voice were a~ppreciative
listeners.
Charles Cummins, one of the old
time cowhands and roundup cooks, was
of the cowboys who was induced
to go with a Wild West show at the
time when Buffalo Bill was bringing
them into favor in the east. Cummins
gave an exhibit as a fancy roper. The
topliner of the show was the redoubt-
able Liver Eating" Johnson, whose
Indian killing exploits were thrillingly
portrayed above the tent entrance.
Johnson, however, according to Cum
Minis story, spoiled the THEATRES by
going where he was likely to be treated
to beer, and spending night after night
recounting his yarns of scouting and
Indian fighting in barrooms, instead
of before tent audiences.
In the fall of 1886, the shortness of
Z, hay on the northern side of the yell
lowstone was such that many cattle
men obtained permission to take their
herds onto Grow reservation. After
assisting in some of this work, Mr..
Drum was in Billings just before
Christmas. It had been mild, but snow
was beginning to fall, as he started
for Lavina on horseback. Three men,
who had been hauling ore from the
mines at Maiden, were going back
with a wagon, and Drum joined the
party. The snow grew heavy and They
had considerable trouble travelling. 1t
finally became dark but they kept
pushing on so as to reach the station
at Fairview, neal the present town Of
Broadview. They kept thinking they
were about to the station, although
they did not reach it. Finally they
became afraid they had passed be-
yond it. Once they saw a black OBJ
ject ahead which they were sure was
the stage coach and n OF them went
ahead to flag it and find out where
they were. The object turned out to
be a S~age-bruSh.
Finally, not daring to go further, they
drove into the middle Of a wash, three
or four yards wide, and unhitched the
horses. With three blankets they made
themselves as comfortable as possible
for the night. Early In the morning,
one Of the men went to the top of a
mound. about 100 yards away, and
there on the other side OF the raise
was the stage station. The stage keep
er's wife had kept q light all night
for the stage driver from Lavina, but
the mound had hid its view from
the travellers, although if they had
continued only a few rods on they
could not have missed seeing 1t.
Later in the year, Mr.. Drum drove
stage between Lavina and Ubet, which
had been located by Mr.. Barrows, whose
wife had the reputation OF being the
best cook at any Of the stage stations.
There was considerable freighting on
the routes from Billings to Fort Ben
ton, and the cross route from White
Sulphur Springs to Lewistown and
Maiden, with oxen, mule n horse
teams. 4 popular mode Of ~freighting
was two teams and two wagons, hitched
together with a rope, and one driver.
The trail team which was hitched to
the lead wagon was known as Jerk
necks." On long hills or steep pitches,
the driver would stop and set the
brakes, but on ordinary inclines the
trailers had to hold back their own
loads.
George Wilson, known as Two Dot"
from his ranch, was one OF the big
cattlemen OF the MartinSdale section.