Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-07-24
(By w. w. CHIEFLY

n REPRESENTATIVES of old time rival
fur companies played some thrilling
~ games in the early days of Montana
territory with rich trapping regions as
the stakes and always their lives pawns
in the contest. 1t was continually a
battle of wits between the companies
agents with both of them fair game
for the Indians. The trappers of each
company sought to obtain and hold
for themselves the richest beaver
streams and at the same time to keep
informed of their rivals whereabouts
to make sure that a still better trap
ping ground has not fallen to them.
So informed, the outfit in the poorest
area always moved in on their compe-
titors who had been fortunate enough
to find a better.
1t was one of these games of hide
and seek through the mountains of
what is now Beaverhead, Madison and
Gallatin counties between parties of
the Rocky Mountain Fur company and
the American Fur company, that led to
the death of Henry V~anderburgh in
1882 near the mouth of the Sinking
water at the hands of the Blackfeet
Indians, and which resulted in James
Bridger, noted trader and guide, re-
ceiving two Blackfeet arrows in the
back. The iron head of int of which
remained in his body for three years
before he had it removed.
Details Are Vague
1t would be interesting to know how
Bridger, the most famous of all the
mountain men, managed to survive his
wounds and make his way out of the
country upon that occasion; what was
the period of his disability and of his
convalescence. Fur company records,
however, are vague regarding such
matters. We do know, that Bridger
survived the ordeal and that three
years later at the trapper'S rendezvous
on Green River in Wyoming, DR.. Mar
Gus Whitman, the noted missionary,
removed the arrowhead from Bridger's
! back, and we are informed that the
operation was a difficult one because
the arrow was hooked at the point
by striking a large bone and a cartilag-
nous substance had grown around it,"
We are also told that, Notwithstanding
"the doctor pursued the operation with
great self-possession and perseverance
and his patient manifested equal firm
ness" The arrowhead, it was found,
wa of iron and about three inches
long.
The events which resulted in VAN
d~erbaugh's death and the wounding of
Bridger, had their origin at the trap
per's rendezvous in Pierre's hole, now
known as the Teton basin, in the sum-
mer of 1882. Vanderburgh and Andrew
Drips were there representing the
American Fur company. which had
only recently extended its operations
SO far. It's representatives were there
fore unfamiliar with the country.
Thomas Fitzpatrick and Jim Bridger
were agents for the Rocky Mountain
Fur company, a comparatively new or
ganization which was proving severe
competition for it's older rival. Fitz-
patrick and Bridger, hoping to end the
continual pursuit of their trappers by
those of the American company, made
a proposition to divide the territory,
but this was not accepted.
Opposition Is Declared
The rendezvous drew to an end, how
ever, before the American Fur COM
pany's supply train had arrived and
Vanderburgh and Drip, with their
party of trappers, not being equipped
for trading or trapping, were forced to
witness the departure OF the Bridger
and Fitzpatrick party for its fall hunt
without being able to take steps to
circumvent them.
Bridger and Fitzpatrick seeing a
chance to e1ude the others and enjoy
their fall hunt in peace, decided to
make all haste to the headwaters of
the Missouri river. Vanderburgh and
Drips fastened back to Green River
from Pierre'S hole to see what had be-
come of their supplies. On Green river
they found what they had been seek
ing, in charge of Lucien Fontenelle.
They spent four days there transacting
necessary business and on Aug. IL
turned back for the north country and
F%ontenelle set out for Fort Union to
deliver the skins which had been de-
livered to him.
Vanderburgh and Drips started to
overtake Fitzpatrick and Bridger,
whom they believed to be somewhere
on the headwaters of the Missouri.
Reaching Pierre's hole again, they dis
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