Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1934-10-20
By MRS. FREEMAN PHnBRECKl

(By MRS. FREEMAN PHMABRECKl
Tk was IN the city Of EllswoTth,
h2alnes In 1852, that, rs a child, re
member hearing my father, A. hHcC.
Howard and his brother, A. ID. How
ard. planning 20 drive their sheep,
eleven thousand In number; and
ab0uf two hundred head of very fine
Oregon horses, from their location
in eastern Oregon 20 the Rosebwd
valley, then Custer county, now Rose
bud c0Hnty I'm eastern Montana q
drive which would consume the great
or part Of two years.
After discussing the matter at length,
they decided to make the journey.
since as "A. d." said Sheep in a snow
storm Is better than money in the
bank" "a remark not applicable these
days.. They further reasoned that the
Northern Pacific would be completed
probably the following year and that
they would then have shipping facilities
10 the eastern markets from the Rose
bud valley, and besides, there would
never be the encroachment by settlers
that was then disturbing the stock men
IN eastern Oregon. Accordingly the
summer Of 1883 was spent in driving
their herds through to a point near
B0zeman, Mont, where they wintered
and LANDED. and where A. Nice. How
ard was to meet them. On June /, 1884,
with trailing equipment consisting Of
several heavy wagons carrying grub,
cooking utensils, tents, beds etc. (but
no camp wagons such as sheep men
use today and about ten men to handle
the outfit, they started the long drive
down the north side Of the Yellowstone.
A rather hazardous undertaking at
that time in many ways, To be sure,
a wire fence was practically unknown
west OF the Dakota line and Uncle
Sans pasture was free for all. and
grass was most luxurious and abundant,
but Il was some times difficult TO find
water for so many sheep, even though |
they were divided into bands Of about |
1880 in each.
Owing to the young lambs, the sheep
moved only about four miles a day; |
leaving camp very early In the morning, |
before O'Clock, inviting their herders
TO follow to protect them from any
stray coyote that might stroll In their
path and to guide them In the right di-
rection to their new range land.
BY 10 O'Clock a. m. the sheep we're
0amped for the day, beside some stream
II possible, and in such shade as was
afforded The men also found water,
cooked the noon meal, shaved, wash
ed their clothes, wrote letters back
home" to be mailed they knew not
when, and awaited the hour when the
sun would cease its midday heat, about
4 O'Clock p. m. when the sheep would
again start out on their own accord
and all hands follow, until late at night,
when they would again camp The boys
would build a big camp fire, cook sup
per, after which they would relate the
happenings of the day, roll out their
beds and with salutations one to an
Jther such as This is the life" or "see ,
gou IN the morning fall asleep. At I
o'clock a. m. they we're on their way !
again. Thus they lived for nearly four [
Ong months An excerpt from a let I
er written by one Of the boys. follows:
On the tail, June 8, 1884. We are c
,amped on a table land near the noun {
aims. Away In the distance, north, east c
nd west of US are horses on the range, I {
Thousand of them and they
lever had harness on" Q
Those we're glorious days Of the new +
rest where nature unfolded such an C
xpanse Of verdant territory in early t
pring. Dotted with spaces of grease S
rood and sage brush, with its pungent b
dor-that mingltng with the odor Of t
he coffee in the morning, has always q
cen such an Inspiration to those of q
be west who Lived and worked in the Il
pen. AS the season advanced, the q
changed, the grass had cur N