The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-10-12

"A A1d1A 4IOLl SdLlOTlQSc, MdSS., was
engaged in placer mining near the
spring. HE says every shovelful OF
earth there contains gold. He, with one
OF his men, came up to the tent while
we were eating flapjacks with goose
berry sauce and had a long talk.
AT Meadow creek we passed 400
Oregon last April and were going to
another month to get there"
MI. Wiley got up at five o'clock that
morning and walked out a short dis
breakfast. left camp at eleven and
drove by Sulphur Warm Springs and on
to Red Bluff where gold mining is car
ried on. Stopped and saw the stamp
mill, went into q drift in the mountain
to see where they were getting the gold
rock, got a few specimens and pushed
on to the big bridge over the Madison
IT miles from the last camp, passed
on to this place, % miles in all. We are
now % miles from Bozeman and we
think this is our last night in camp"
They had passed through a beautiful
canyon while travelling along the side
OF the Madison river. 1T has rocky,
PERCEPTIONS sides and is a study for a
painter. In the middle of it we stopped
for lunch and had an exquisite bath
in the Madison"
An observation is made here in the
diary which has intrigued many a trav-
eler since. Just after we passed Hen
rvs lake." Mr.. Wiley observes, ION the
divide, we came to a place where about
a mile apart were streams, one of
which would have carried us to the Gulf
of Mexico, while the other would have
carried us to Vancouver's island"
The round trip from Bozeman into
the Yellowstone National park was
about completed. It had been a hard
and sometimes hazardous journey I'M
der the most primitive conditions.
"Bozeman, N. P. hotel" writes Mr..
Wiley under date of July 81. I'VE ar
rived here yesterday all in good shape
20 days in camp. We got in just be-
fore dark, washed up, got supper at
a restaurant and Soon went to bed.
I'VE enjoyed the supper and the bed
camping is good, and it is good to
come back to civilization. Horses are
resting and eating"
The diary closes. Subsequently Mr..
Wiley, the elder returned to his bus
mess in Detroit. Howard, the son, re-
turned to Billings where he was en-
ployed in a financial institution, NOV
ing a little later to Miles City to be-
come associated with the First National
bank, remaining with that institution
for SO years when he went to Los An
geles, Calf, to spend the sunset years
of his life. His father, following the
park trip and remaining in Detroit fo1
a number of years, came to Miles City
and with his son vas interested in the
sheep raising business. The elder Mr.
Wiley aided in the formation of the
Custer County Wool Growers assocla-
ton, and was president of that organ
ization in 1900. He became an author
ity in the sheep raising industry, and
is quoted at some length in the Sand
er's History of Montana on that SUBJ
ject. He died about 26 years ago.
An excerpt is taken from one of his
articles, in which he refers to the life
OF a sheepherder. After all, the Life
Of the herder is a peaceful one, far from
the madding crowd, free to a great de-
gree from the petty strivings, the cease
less annoyances, the too sharp COMPETE
ton inSeparable from a business life
Was it. perhaps, that this simple, peace
full, quiet, pastoral life led to the selec-
ton of those shepherds who watched
their flocks by night as the first tt
receive the announcement of the good
tidings of great joy which shall be tc
all people?'"