Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1934-09-15
By GRACE STONE COATES

Thomas f. MeAgher was engaged In
writing 3 STORY of his western exper-
fences for Harper's New Monthly
magazine. The editors had announced
the Forthcoming series late ia 1856.
They had ON hand the first install
ment Of the story, which WIS 20 rum
for several Hnanths, and were await
ing the second instalment when there
came, instead, the word Of General
Meagher's death.
Since It was uncertain whether any
completed manuscript would be found
in the generals effects. the editors ran
the first instalment Of Meagher's rem
iniscences with a fun explanation Of
the circumstances, and published also
certain letters from General Meagher.
One letter, dated June Z, 1857, says:
Ever since dispatched you the text
OF my paper on Montana have been
in the field 40 miles from here against
the Sioux and other implacable devils.
Thinking over what wrote to you by
my bivouac fire, with a pipe in my
mouth, came to the conclusion that
the articles would be improved by q
few notes. Hence you have them here
with"
Evidently General Meagher did more
thinking thereafter. for on June n he
wrote from Virginia City:
Enclosed you have positively the last
notes for ~The First Ride Through
Montana" After a discussion Of the
notes, he says: 'eTnis win be the first
illustrated paper ever published upon
Montana" He especially asked that
the illustrations be accredited TO Mr..
Peter Toffts, an artist who accompan-
led him on his rides"
Because OF his prominent official
position, General Meagher chose TO
write under the pseudonyTn, "Col. Cor
nelius OKeefe, Late Of the Irish Bril-
gade." He wanted freedom Of express
sion which policy forbade If he wrote
under his own name. So, as Col. o.
Keefe, he wrote flamboyantly Of the
Montana scenery, and vehementIy Of
the fred devils" against whom he was
campaigning.
The notes he supplied may well have
been needed at that time. He describes
the service berry, explaining that It |
has very tough wood which the In
dams straighten with great ingenuity |
for arrows and ramrods. he mentions |
that wild plums, strawberries, raspber- |
ries, and Oregon grapes can be gather
ed by the pailful. he explains that
'parfleches| are envelopes Of buffalo
hide, the hair beaten off with stones. |
Having used the expression 'sair /
aromatic" he Celebrates 1t with a foot
note characteristic Of his exuberant
style as writer: 'h6r Granville Stuart
an old and thoroughly experienced ex-
plorer Of the Rocky mountains, and an
upright and high-toned gentleman Of
accomplished mind and manners and q
universally acknowledged authority on
all matters relating TO Montana, Of
which he Is, has been since 1857, and
proposes TO continue to be for many
years TO come, q zealously- enterprising
and triumphantly interchangeable, active
resident, in his exceedingly instructive
Compendium entitled, Montana AS It
Is, pronounces it an indisputable fact
that the climate Of Montana is much ,
milder than the climate OF the same ,
latitude In states east Of the Mississippi J
valley. Mr.. Stuart adds, when one con- !
siders It's elevation, the climate Of this Z
region is almost incredible, but 7
It's mildness Is proven, because stock "
winters here without shelter, and sheep 4
without feed except such as they get s
nom the prairie; and stock, If not used 7
WIN put on flesh during the winter. t
Montana does, indeed, belong TO the O
Great Hot Air Beltl" n
General Meagher and his party rode
into Montana from the west. Near the Y
western border they encountered forest 5
fires, and found bad going in the burn a
ed areas. The trails were pitted with b
deep holes filled with cinderS, into v
which horses stumbled. But trout were d
biting in the countless streams along o
their way; honeysuckles and buttercups O
we're in blossom; and life was new and Il
the world beautiful to Toffts and "
Meagher. s.
At Thompson Falls boulders made the II
route almost impossible. At Horse 8
Prairie flights of wild duck and curlew n
darkened the sky. Here they came up s.
on frontier tragedy. In log cabin its q
owner, thin as a skeleton, white as q =
ghost, lay on a pallet of buffalo robes.
Bis left arm had been almost severed U
from his body as he slept, by de- s.
mented man who laughed and pranced u
around the injured man, and tried to c
commit suicide by slashing at himself Q
With a blunt butcher knife. Chance :
came to the settlers aid, s.
and overcame the maniac. Smeared t.
with blood, haggard, uttering oaths e
against the Vigilantes, he was taken
INTO custody, and not long after died. b
Strangely enough, his victim recovered. 3
Meagher found Camas Prairie dis d
nal waste Of sapless grass, dotted with n
INDIAN poles strewn here and there,
wherever the camping wanderers had II
pitched their tepees. His party Il
sampled the camas root, which he de- N
Icribes as a wild onion, white and vapid O
when eaten raw, but turning black and Il
Iweet when cooked. He quotes Father Il
0eSmet's statements that Indian wo- a
men provide themselves with long u
ticks, and with incredible labor dig V
Quantities OF the camas roots. They
make an excavation twelve to fifteen z
inches Ia diameter, and Of the same Y
Iepth, cover the bottom with closely Q