The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-02-09

ACWSl
many he made us go fishing, and when
he thought we had enough game and
fish, said it was time to go home.
The country above the canyon is
charming in middle September; frost
visits the locality with the advent Of
hat month, and nature paints the land
|scape with it's lovely autumn colors;
to the beauty of the spectacle; at sun
lrise and sunset especially the views are
GLORIOUS.
I shall always remember the fat cat
tie we brought to the corrals that fall.
At that time it was not unusual to find
six and five-year-old steers on the
range. 1t was the policy to keep a steer
until he was four years old; but people
who needed money had to sell their
"threes" and sometimes their "twos."
After the roundup was over, Williams
& Galloway drove 60 head Of fours,
threes, and a few tops to Alex Metzel's
where they were sold for $40 a head all
around. Unknown to me, this was a
indication that Williams & Galloway
were in sore need of cash.
I babe goodbye to Captain Williams
and his family during the forepart of
December, and was not to see them
again until June, 1886, spending the in
terval in attending school in Philadel-
phia in preparation for college. After
passing the entrance examinations of
the University of Michigan at Ann Ar
Dor I returned home. Nature had been
kind to the stockmen in my absence.
The winter of '85 and '86 was mild;
and to those who believe the climate is
, changing, a letter written by Captain
Williams to Colonel Galloway will be
of interest. It also throws a light up
on Captain Williams character, and il
Illustrates a fight he was making against
the wiles of John Barleycorn. It is true
that I have inserted this letter, or a
portion of it, in an earlier part of these
Fragments, but it seems appropriate
to print it again. Here it is:
"Jessamine Ranch Jan 81 1885.
"Col
Dear Sir
sold the steers 3 yrs old over to
Butte Butcher for $4,000 head, all that
we car find in a limited time. Donesun
Newbery and Snapp also sold Don't
think will find them all as they are
badly scattered. No snow on range
have nearly all the feed on hand yet.
Joined the Good TemplarS last knight
will never drink another drop of whis-
key as long as I live unless I get snake
bit I will not look for a snake either
yours Get
cap"
But a few days elapsed after my ar
rival before my father told me to 60 to
the ranch as additional help was need
ed.
A change had come upon the scene;
the country above the canyon had been
settled up. There had come into the
valley a man named Bryant with a wife
and many children, some of whom were
grown. Some of the girls were mar
ried, and a grown son had a wife and
family. All of these settled above the
canyon. Bryant himself took up the
ranch formerly occupied by Charles
Leyendecker, which he began at once
to improve. It is now the property Of
William Marshall. The young men
took up all of the available land, and
the people below the canyon were adj
vised that the fence which had been
thrown across the canyon to hold the
cattle would not be respected.
The arrival OF Bryant and his
numerous family was not at all vel
come, as may be supposed. He was a
tall, broad, grey-haired and grey
whiskered man, with black eyes. Some
wag called him Zip Coon, and the name
stuck. But there we're no unfriendly
acts on the part of the older settlers, or
the Bryants; or the contrary there was
an honest attempt to get along"
1t was clear that additional range
must be had. It was known that Just
over the divide which separates the
headwaters Of the Ruby river from the