The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1935-06-21

LIZ UdCk lIlGO CQe Circle OF a steep ClM-
bered hill, a sort of amphitheater, with
encircling slopes down to the level
ground. At one point an almost per-
pendicular ledge rose 10 or IL feet
from the flat and then dipped back
under the hill. Camp was pitched in
front of this ledge.
Making camp for the night was no
small task. Every one except the Siren
and his mother tumbled out in the snow
and worked. First a roaring fire was
started Is or 20 feet from the per-
nendieular ledge. The boys, with
between the fire and the cliff. In a
little while heat reflected by the rocks
melted the remaining snow and dried
away the moisture so the area between
the fire and the hedge was compar-
atively comfortable. In it the women
and children gathered and we're join
ed there by the Siren and his mother.
The Siren blinked his eyes, and took
a big whiff of campfire smoke. It was
his first outing.
While the teamsters cared for the
horses, the other men dragged in wood,
set up tents and laid bough beds. The
tents were set and the boughs laid on
frozen ground. While this work was
going on, the women prepared supper.
Hot biscuits had been called for,
so the big Dutch oven was brought
out. It was a round, flat-bottomed,
kettle-like affair, perhaps 10 inches in
diameter, and six inches deep, of heavy
cast iron, with a cast iron top, and
stood on three legs about five inches
long. A Dutch oven was always part
of the equipment of any up to date
freight outfit and, though crude, was
a highly efficient baking arrangement.
A pile of glowing Goals was raked to
n side of the fire and the over set
owe them. Then several ShovelSfu]
of Goals was piled on the owe and
around the sides of the wen After
giving time for heating, the cover was
removed, the over creased and the
placed and more embers piled on top
and around the sides. When uncovered
some Is minutes later the contents were
just that shade of brown a housewife
loves to see OF biscuits.
A tired group gathered in the fire
light for supper. There was little talk
to drown the rattle of wood handled
knives and forks on tin plates. Bis
cults, fried grouse, boiled beans and
dried apple sauce, with tea and COT
fee, made the bill of fare. Lack OF
IA AMY "Oo A4404S O44OAA oAASSO ~ ASSA4
ness Of appetites. When the meal was
over the cooks had no complaint OF
their cooking not being appreciated
Everyone was in bed early. A full
moon rose above the eastern mountains
and, shining on the snow, flooded the
canyon with light almost equal tt
that Of day. The campfire of big logs
sent a drifting column of blue smoke
toward the stars. Though the wind
y,oc GRO rco1y fo1t in fho cho1forod oamn
it could be easily heard sweeping the
mountain tops and was manifest ir
the fleecy scurrying clouds that hur-
ried overhead from west to east.
The Siren was quiet part of the
night. He was a bottle baby. AS long
as there was plenty of warm milk ir
his bottle when he wanted it and every.
thing else was to his liking he was fair
ly quiet. But everything else was not
reports are to be credited. Toward
morning, when the whole camp wa:
the sleepiest, the Siren started. Nothing
his father and mother did suited him
For hours he exercised his lungs with
lusty squalling. Not until too latt
for the grownups to sleep any more
if they were to travel that morning
did he subside, apparently satisfied II
his mothers arms, and sleep Sweetly.
Long De1OTe Daylight IIle Hleu CuILl'
ed out. The moon had set. The dark
blue vault of night was ablaze witt
myriads of twinkling stars towarc
which shot streams of sparks as log
were throw on the bed of coal
left from the fire Of the previous
night. In the blazing freight the
horses were watered and fed, break
fast prepared and eaten, tents taker
down and bedding packed. At daylight
the days travel began.
At the time of which I write tn
canyon, or the Little canyon, as i
was called, was comparatively new. L
had been built in 1872 by Nicholas Hill
ger and William Johns. Its purpose wa
to avoid long, steep hills of the origina
Mullan survey, which extended from
near Silver city northeast up a lont
gulch past Diamond springs, over tn,
crest Of a range Of high hills, ant
then down another gulch to the Nal
colin Clarke ranch IN the Prickly Pear
The new road was probably no short
er than the old, but it followed tn,
water grade and, saw for q few steep
narrow grades where the mountain
came down to the creek, wa an ex
Cellent mountain Rad for that poriOd