Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1932-02-11

bal1gleS the skein where the thread
SO often cross and become entwine,
y with another. and where vo4
would, but for this little book, fins
only confusion and tumultuous clash.
ing OF accounts, all Is made as plair
as q newly hlazed trail You follow
lnls trail confidently, for it is as trus
on It's a @ as the mint mark on Mon.
ana gold which he was along witt
those who were with him, really tn
first to discover
And farther on In his history. the
great Californian writes. You win oh
serve now generously he gives the cred
lt OF The discovery Of gold in Montana
to the credit OF another. But I reDeat
that the verdict Of time win tell the
coming generations that James and
Granville Stuart and their immediate
following, who persisted In their work
and finally pushed reluctant fortunes to
the wall, we're the real first finders OF
gold Ia paying quantities at the feet
OF The Shining Mountains"
! have before me a COPY of a letter
which Granville Stuart wrote in Ia7s
telling OF the Incidents which led to the
discovery OF gold in Montana. IT Is
an interesting story and it is best told
IN the straightforward style of the Old
pioneer, who vas the se0ond-oldest
citizen Of Montana in point of resi-
dence, at the time when this story was
1t Is not only intensely inter
estlng, but 1T gives an insight into the
character Of the man, revealing as it
his utter .unselfishness. Nowhere
does he endeavor to direct all the
imellght to himself; he freely gives
@ OlnerS whatever credit Is their due
or their part In the discovery which
vas destined to make Montana quick
y great and wonderfully rich. MIR.
stuart says, In this letter, which was
written to the New Northwest. publish
d In Deer Lodge. |,
In the year 1852 q half breed named
francois, but who was known among
lis associates by the name of Benetsee.
nd who had just returned from Cal
torfia to the Rocky mountains. began B
, prospect on what Is now known as /
Ole creek, In Deer Lodge county, and I,
'und light float gold. but, as his pros /
ectlng was necessarily Of a very sup !,
rIlclal character, he found no mines /
lat would pay. The fact Of gold be- !
q found there, however, became nois- !,
J ABOUT among the few mo~untaineers 4
III 10 the country, and In the spring .
1906 9 party. among whom were
ebert Hereford, late of Helena. John 4
aunde1s, called Long John" who i
'uld throw q stone with almost the ],
rec and precision Of q rifle balD Bill II
adison and n or two others. who :
ire passing Benetsee' creek on their .
~ TO Salt Lake from the Bitter Root i
LEY, where they had spent the winter e
aulng with the Indians and pros IL
ctlng q little, found more gold than 4
q been obained by Benetsef. One Il
zee weighed about to cents and they r.
IL TO old Captain Grant, who used ~
show 1t, up to the time OF his death n
1862, as the first piece OF gold in the :,
intry. =
The matter rested here unit, the =
ring OF 1858 when Thomas Adams
w OF Washington city,, Reece An cs
fson, T. II. Burr. John H. Powell and II,
mes and Granville Stuart searched 81
goid In That vicinity and found as e,
~ as ~ cents to the pan of gravel. n,
as they had neither provisions he
icy we're living on wild meat straight, "a
'nout salt nor tools; they could not m
'ompIish anything, more especially Az
the Biackfeet stole four of their IN
fses n SO harassed them that they IN
andoned the country for a time. re- m
ming, however, In the fall of 1850. M
q IN the faith that this was q rich q,
q country In the meantime. during "a,
summer OF 1885, = mining enfnus- OF
t named Henry Thomas fha,t .-yt., % -,