Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-07-31

try and not in Montana.
Captain Grant, whom the Stuarts
and Anderson met in B%eaverhead in
1857, was a Scotchman who had for
merly been in the employ of the Hud-
sons Bay company. His wife, a quar-
e -blood Indian from the Red River
of the North, had been educated in a
convent and was a woman OF culture
and refinement. Their three daughters
were also convent educated and n
Of them married Capt. c.. p. Higgins,
who first came through the Bitter Root
country with the Stevens party, and
who returned in 1860 to enter the
mercantile business at He'll Gate on the
present site of Missoula in partnership
with Frank L. Worden, under the firm
name of Worden IL Co. They brought
their stock into the Bitter Root over
the Mullan road from Walla Walla.
Maillet and Pambrun, mentioned by
both Stuart and Woody, seem to have
been at home equally in either the
Bitter Root or the Beayerhead Both
we're at times associated with Major
Owen and Maillet was at II lime
a partner of Neil Macarthur, previously
mentioned, an old Hudsons Bay COM
pany mar who came into the Bitter
Root valley in 1855 and with Henry
Brooks and Maillet occupied Canton
ment Stevens, the former winter mead
quarters of the surveying party oil
Governor Stevens
The portion of the Stevens party
which spent the winter OF 1864 III
the Bitter Root was commanded by
Lieutenant Mullan, who later surveyed
the Mullan trail from Fort Benton to
Walla Walla. Adams, Thomas Martin
and F.. H. Burr, who were attached to
the Stevens party, remained in the
country and Captain Higgins returned
later. When Woody arrived IN 1906
he found at Fort Owen Henri M.
Chase and wife, w. w. Tallman and
Louis Robouin, and says that Major
owen, P. M. Lafontaine and "DeleWare
JIM Simonds were at that time absent
on a trip to Fort Benton with OK teams
to bring in supplies and trade goods.
Little About Meek
Unfortunately, neither Granville Stu
art nor any one else has left much in
formation about Jacob Meek, who
guided the Stuart party into the Bea-
yerhead in 1857. Granville Stuart does
tell us, however, that Meek was a for
mer employe of the Hudson's Bay COM
pany, having carried mail and express
for it between Fort Hall and Fort
Boise on the Snake river.
There is no word to indicate whether
he was a son or other relative Of the
early day trapper, Joe Meek, who was
in the Yellowstone park region as early
as 1922. The Stuart party might not
have been invited by him to go into
the Beaverhead country except for an
incident that occurred on the head OF
Malad creek in Utah.
The Stuarts, with Anderson and eight
others, had been on their way from
California to the states, when Gran
vile Stuart was taken seriously Ill.
His brother James and Rein Anderson
remained with him and the others
continued on their way. 1t was nearly
two months before Granville Stuart
was able to travel and in the mean
time the Mormon situation had made
it impossible for any one to go either
east, west OF south.
Before the roads had been closed, a
party Of emigrants camping near the
StuartS and Meek on Malad creek had
lost several head Of horses as a result
of a raid by the B1ackfeet Indians.
The emigrants, indignant at the theft,
were inclined to believe that Meek had
been a party to the. affair. They ac-
cused him of it but he stoutly protest
ed his innocence. Granville Stuart re-
cords that despite his protestations it
would have gone hard with him had
not James Stuart and Rein Ander-
son taken his part.
AS a result of this affair Meek no
doubt considered himself under more
or less obligation to his neighbors, and
when they discussed their situation
with him he suggested the only way
out which seemed open to them, and
they turned north with him early in
September.
Obtain Supplies Secretly
The Mormon authorities had for
hidden members of their sect to sell
any supplies OF ammunition to emf
grants or traders, but Meek and James
Stuart made a secret deal with the
bishop at a Mormon settlement &C
miles from their camps to procure a
quantity of ammunition, flour and
other staples. To get them, however
, Meek had to drive his team to the
, bishops place at midnight and haul
the goods away secretly, all OF which
was done, and Meek and his compan-
ions lost no time in then getting ouI
, of the country.
!. The party crossed the Rocky noun
! tains on Oct. 10, 1857, at about where
the town of Monida is now located.
, In the spring of 1858 the Stuarts anc
Anderson started for Fort Bridger but
I were unable to get through the noun
\ tains because Of flooded streams anc
/ scarcity of game, SO turned back tt
! Deer Lodge valley where Granville
: Stuart says they had heard that 6
I French Canadian named Benetsee hac
: discovered gold in 1852, which rumol
: they we're DESTROYS of investigating. II
S the Deer Lodge valley they encountered
Thomas Adams who joined them IL
their prospecting. The members Of thu
Stuart party had not intended to re
main long, for they we're living OF
. meat straight, no salt, and were anx'
ious to make the trip to Fort Bridge,
y for supplies. They did remain in tn
Deer Lodge valley long enough, how
. ever, to find gold. Their efforts t
. obtain 1t were of necessity superficia
! because they had no tools with whicl
!, to prosecute q thorough search.
why they chose to make the lon
: and difficult trip to Fort Bridger rathe