Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-06-05
G.. X. ROBERTSON
CASTLE CITIZEN
MUSSELSHELL VALLEY SHEEPMAN
RAN BAKERY IN OLD-TIME
BOOM MINING TOWN
Camp Had 5000 Population One Week
and Was Mere Village Next Follow
ing Shutdown of Cumberland Mine;
Mr.. Robertson Turned to Sheep.

g. X. Robertson, we'll known flock
master of the Musselshell valley, is
one of the few residents of that
height of its prosperity. He wit
a week from a -seething mining camp
of about 5000 to a mere village.
Born at Spencerville, Ont, Jan. %,
1865, Mr.. Robertson spent Is years
there before coming to Montana.
He finished his education at Spencer
vile and moved to Brockville, Can,
where he learned the bakery business
and worked in that profession there
for II years His brother, Al, located
then at Castle and he urged G.. K.
TO go to Castle to open a bakery bust
ness, for prospects were considered
good.
The Cumberland, the largest mine
at Castle, employed far above the aver
age crew before the time when a
mortgage would be foreclosed upon it.
The owners calculated that with the
ore out the foreclosure would be on
the hole. Later a lawsuit decided in
favor Of the company holding the
mortgage, granting ore already mined.
1t was in 1895 that the jaWbone rail-
road was built to take that ore from
Castle.
During 1891, when G.. K. Robertson
Joined his brother, Al, at Castle, where
the latter operated a blacksmith shop
and also owned a freight team, which
hauled ore to Livingston, they were
intimately associated with many well
known pioneers of central Montana.
Among them are Argo Woodward, now
living south of Martinsdale, j. 0. Berg,
sheepman of the Lennep area; Mrs.
Harry Philbrick of K~alispell, and Will
liam Sherman of Bozeman.
In 1893, OH a Saturday night, the
Cumberland boarding house served
meals to 1876. The following Tuesday
six men were eating there. The mine
owner kept just a sufficient number
to take up machinery. Mr.. Robert
sons business was slack SO he moved
to White Sulphur Springs and opened
a restaurant.
His brother-in-law, P. j. Moore,
whose ranch was located on the
Musselshell, urged G.. K. to go to the
Moore ranch and learn the sheep bust
ness. Mr.. Moore controlled the 10, 900
acres still included in the Moore hold
lngs. He had been living there since
the early seventies through the period
of Indian interference. On one occa-
sion he and Mrs. Moore left the ranch
for a short time and on their return
found a place Of complete disorder.
Among offenses of the Indians was
ruination of a winters supply of po-
tatoes by pouring coal oil into bins.
One of the Indians walked out with a
fur cap and the following summer,
while attending a rodeo in Miles City,
Mr.. Moore met the Indian wearing his
cap.
G. K. and Mr.. Moore ran sheep on
shares for II years and in 1905 E. g.
Baxter, DR.. H. B. Tice and Mr.. Rob-
ertson rented the Godfrey ranch on
Haymaker creek and in 1906 bought
the James Duffy ranch south Of Har-
lOwton. Later Mr.. Robertson sold his
interest in that ranch for his present
ranch west of Martinsdale. With the
exception Of a few years, he lived there
n is still running sheep with as
sistance of his son, Perry.
Mr. Robertson and Mabel Spencer
were married in 1905 at Tacoma,
Wash. They had two children, Perry,
born on the Godfrey ranch in 1906,
and Eloise, born at Twodot in 1908.
Eloise married Ole j. Sandeno of Lebo
in 1929.
Mr. Robertson is a member of the
Masonic lodge, Shriners, Knights of
PythiaS, Odd Fellows, knights Temp
lars and the Commandery. He has
never held political Office.
The Robertson family, including Mrs.
Nellie Robertson Moore, wife of the
late P. j Moore, Mrs. Nina Pound,
whose husband formerly owned the G.
d. Martin ranch, Al Robertson of Liv-
lngston, the late Percy and William
Robertson of Big Timber, all pioneered
IN this valley, coming from Canada
as young men and women.
TOO pounds onions, 800 pounds cab
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