The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-12-14

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By SENATOR w. r. CHURCH
-: Helena, Montana.
Among the most picturesque char
acters, and undoubtedly the oldest
pioneer stockman who still attends
the annual gatherings Of the Mon
tana Stockgrowers association and the
Montana W0olgr0wers association, Is
Henry Sieben of Helena. Henry Is ~
years young, and we say young ad-
visedly for he still walks the streets
without a cam except, as he says,
NOW and then just for STYLE" enjoys
q good story, has the same jovial
smile In his eye, recalls incidents Of
70 years ago when he arrived in Mon
'tana, and gets a big kick out of a
Saturday night game of two-bit limit
with his old -time cronies. Incidental
", the latter admits that whenever
Henry fails to cash in the biggest
"most unusual"
Mr.. Sieben has always been active
in livestock affairs in this state n ma
tionally. In 1882, the International
Livestock show came into existence In
Ell Paso, Texas, promoted by repre-
s%entatives If the Chicago Stockyards
and patrons. Mr.. Sieben was me OF
the organizers and the institution be-
came very successful, not only as a
nation wide exposition, but socially as
we'll, for Henry recalls a trip to Ell
Paso in 1892 when, as he says, W had
a carload of delegates and another car
load of accessories.
In 1885, the Montana Stockgrowers
association was organized in Miles City
and Mr.. Sieben was one Of the pro-
motors. Col. T. j. Bryan was the first
president, former Governor B.. F.. Potts
vice president and Russell B. Harrison,
publisher of the old Helena Journal,
secretary. Henry was also a charter
member of the Montana W~oolgrowers
ASSOCIATION. He was at n time a di-
rector and was later honored by elec-
ton as honorary president for life.
MI. Sieben was born in Germany in
1847. He was five years old when his
father decided to come to the United
States. With his parents and five
brothers and sisters he landed in New
York in the fall of 1852 after a IS days
trip aboard ship. His mother was i'll
all the way over and continued in poor
health until the spring of 1853 when
she passed away in Chicago. With
their father the six children moved the
same year to Dutch Bottom in a Ger
man settlement located about eight
miles north of the present site Of Gen.
eseo, Ill.
In April, 1864, MI. Sieben, then IT
years old, his brother Leonard, 20, Louis
A-1kA ~ .nL r &,,Se IYoIIo~ - CtnvkoN
for Montana with a four-horse team
and wagon that had ben furnished
to Arnett and Heller by their fathers.
Leonard and Henry paid $50 each for
their passage which included food and
the privilege of walking about half way,
as the boys took turns driving and
walking.
They arrived in Madison county a few
months after the Vigilantes had COM
pleted a highly satisfactory Job of
cleaning up the infamous Plummer
gang. The murderous depredations of
this cutthroat outfit was still the topic
OF discussion at every gathering, much
to the amazement of the young fellows
from Dutch Bottom, Ill.
Henry's first job was with two ranch
ers named Joe Goey and jeff Gowan.
They put him to work cutting hay
with a scythe and raking it with a hand
rake on their ranch on Meadow creek,
where Lake McAilister or Meadow lake
Is now located. The hay was baled and
hauled to Virginia City for stage and
saddle horses, and found a ready a
ket. Haying with a scythe and hand
rake was too much Of a job for cattle
feed and if a critter couldn't make the
winter on his own u he just
passed out of the picture. Henry's pay
was $50 a month but when winter came
the boss told him his pay would be cut
to $25. While the idea didn't sound good
to Henry, he stayed until spring and
then walked to the Gallatin valley and
bought a team of oxen and a wagon.
This "a his first business venture TOR
tive and successful career in the live
stock industry in Montana. From this
primitive start, Henry's later activities,
In his own words, follow:
IT drove back to the same ranch and
MI. Gowan and I pulled out for Vir-
g1nia City, March 18th, 1865. The rea-
son I remember the date is that it was
st. Patrick;s day and the Irish miners
had a parade and displayed their BEAU
tiful green flag, which I thought was
the most beautiful thing I had ever
seen. The next day we loaded up some
freight for Last Chance gulch Helena).
We arrived there on March 25th. We
camped there a few days and then we
got a contract to cut logs and haul to
the sawmill at the mouth of Lump
gulch and the lumber we would haul to
Helena. That work lasted until June
10th, when the high water took out