The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-01-26

year thereafter, including 1887, for
their first meeting was followed by a
courtship which ripened into their mar
riage by Chief Justice Hosmer on Dec.
~, 1866. The couple set up housekeep-
ing at the Captains ranch Immediately,
residing there until the fall of 1881,
when they moved to the Galloway place
some six miles up the river.
The Williams house stood upon the
east side of the Salt Lake road, the
barn, sheds, and corrals being on the
west side, toward the river. The latch
string was out at all times to their
friends, who were numerous; Captain
and Mrs. Williams were sociable and
nothing pleased them more than re-
ceiving callers. Old Vigilante associates
Of the Captain were especially well
come.
Little ones arrived at the Williams
house with great regularity; seven
children eventually were playing in
their dooryard. From 1866 on the
Captain was engaged in raising live
stock, principally cattle. For a time he
prospered, but in a moment when the
outlook appeared brightest he fell in
to an i~rretrievable error. At this period
in u early-day history-and it was a
somewhat extended period-a practice,
well-nigh amounting to a custom, OBJ
tanned, that of signing promissory notes
as an accommodation for ones friends;
no n will ever be able to estimate the
mischief that followed that practice.
Don L. Byam, he who presided as chief
judge at the Ives trial, was obliged to
borrow a large sum of money of James
F. Browne the banker, Theophilus Muf-
fly, son-in-law of Byam, James Will
liams, and another signed the note as
SuretieS.
It was the old and too familiar story;
Judge Byam met with misfortune and
was unable to pay. Browne proceed
ed against the maker of the note and
his sureties and took from Williams
cattle, horses, and all else he had ex-
cept that which a beneficent exemption
law saved to him and his family. Mrs.
Williams never ceased to complain bit
terly, but he who had commanded the
Vigilantes in parlous times took his
medicine without murmur. It was diff
ficult to start again, but by dint of
hard work, frugality, and the efforts Of
q devoted wife, he gradually got upon
the upgrade. The hospitality extended
to friends was not SO lavish as before,
but Just as hearty.
The life of the ranch woman of that
period was hard; at times it was des-
perately hard. (Most of these women
were heroinesD A husband engaged
in stock raising necessarily was away
from home for considerable periods OF
time. There were no near neighbOrS,
unless one would call some one living
within a mile or two a hear neighbor.
| nf onnu0nionNocO &C NC ,,n1or~cfon ND
the term colloQuially, there were none.
As did all the women in the valley,
Mrs. Williams bathed her children in
the washtub with water heated by the
woodworking kitchen stove, often by
candlelight, made most of their clothes
herself, and gave them home" remed-
les when they were sick. It wa only
when she deemed them in extreme dan
ger that the doctor was called. On one
occasion, when Jimmy was seven and
Johnny four years old, there being NO
man on the ranch, she placed the two
little boys on a none too gentle horse,
Jimmy in the saddle and Johnny sitting
behind the cantle holding to Jimmy
and told them to ride as fast as they
could for a doctor. He was at Virginia
City II miles away; the boys reached
U14C OOCCOI III all llOui dl1O q 11d1A, d1lO
he reached the ranch in about the
same time: it took three hours to get
the doctor, to say nothing of the peril
to the little boys.
The Captain offered himself as a
candidate for county commissioner in
1871 and was elected at the general
election held in August of that year,
This taste of public life whetted his APP
petite for more, and, perceiving the
lucrative compensation of a sheriff, he
sought that office, and won the nomi-
alton without difficulty.
He resigned his office of county COM
missioner in June, 1873, and entered up
on the campaign with confidence, as a
Republican,; but the election of a Re-
publican in Territorial days was ex-
ceptional.
It was his misfortune to oppose at
this election probably the best politician
in the Democratic party of Madison
county, Thomas ]. Farrell, who had ar