The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-03-02
TELLS
OF EARLY DAYS
PIONEERS FATHER FOUNDED AND
NAMED OLD UBET; HARDSHIPS
IN FRONTIER DAYS
Bv JOHN r. BARROWS)

AS
CBy JOHN r. BARROWS)
Near the forks of the Musselshell,
in the shadow Of Gordon Butte, a
pioneer of the buffalo days is spend
ing the serene afternoon of his long
life. Fifty-five years in Montana
have made him experienced, sagaciOus
and kindly. In the fall of 1889. I was
following a herd Of 1000 stock cattle
across the southern rim of Judith
Basin. I say following, advisedly, be-
cause I was assisting in driving the
drag"
We camped one night on Cottonwood
creek. Our herd was bedded down on
the high uplands, east of that stream.
In the morning there was prolonged
delay in relieving the night herders-
we were perhaps two hours late. When
we reached the bench land our cattle
were scattered over miles of prairie.
The night herders were waiting at the
bed ground, when they saw US they
started for camp as rapidly as their
tired horses could take them.
There was no interchange OF courtes-
les as they went by us with their quirts
swinging. One of them, a sturdy,
short-legged young fellow, was fairly
bursting with indignation. He said
nothing, but if he had expressed his
feelings, I would not dare to put them
down. He had been IL to 10 hours in the
saddle without rest and undoubtedly
felt that he was the victim of a great
injustice.
I can never forget the look he gave
us. If the eye could kill, we were dead
men, unShriven on that bleak upland.
We crossed Big Spring creek that day
and at our evening camp, complete
harmony reigned. A man can hardly
carry a grudge, when he is well fed. I
almost forgot to say that the indignant
cowboy known to almost every one in
central Montana, was William Coates.
Here is hitherto unrecorded history
from John R. Barrows whose father
founded and named old Ubet. He calls
it THE Valley of Promise"
The Wisconsin colonists of 1879 had
learned Of the Yellowstone valley, with
its broad fertile acres watered by a
noble stream, and this was their OBJ
j~ective.
When the party looked back on Fort
Ellis and the Gallatin valley, they left
civilization behind them. Soon they
were at the Yellowstone, but they did
not find a broad valley, on the con-
trary, the valley at that place vas a
row and it was hemmed in by sterile
and stony cliffs. They found no tim
Der which they considered suitable for
building; they saw no utility in the
despised cottonwood of the bottom lands
nor the dwarfed pines of the uplands.
They were visited at every camp by
delegations of the friendly
Crow Indians, who appeared to them to
be impudent, thievish and dangerous
savages. The two women of the party
kept their children close at hand and
the men were watchful.
When they reached Big Timber they
decided that reports of broad farm
lands were false and they could not
consider a scattered settlement in the
of so many aborigines.
They left the Yellowstone and drove to
the forks of the Musselshell, where the
company separated, more than half
the members returning to Wisconsin.
After some years in that valley, Mr..
Sidney Morse with his wife and family,
removed to Billings and were the only
members of the party who reached
their original destination.
It is idle to speculate as to the out
come of the colonists' fortunes, if they
had pushed their course farther down
the river. The railroad builders might
have found al established community
awaiting them above Coulson Landing.
Great Falls
At old Ubet Jul open Forum was in
almost every evening in the
year; our scope was unlimited. We ex-
plored the remotest frontiers of human
and experience and sometimes
we invaded the realm of prophecy.
On one such occasion, about so years
ago, the subject under discussion was
the rumored attempt of an eastern Wis
to found a new town at the
all believers in water power and steam
boats and it was agreed that if it were
made possible for steamboats, to ascend
the river to the new location and if
land not subject to overflow
could be found below the falls, the new
venture might be a success. II it were
not possible for steamboats, to reach
the new town, it was thought by some
it might still succeed fairly well,
lust as Minneapolis which Is above the
head of navigation on the Mississippi
IS a good example. We were all Of the
belief that there was n serious draw
growth Of the town would
be delayed by the difficulty of procur-
ing good house logs.