The Fort Peck press., 1935-08-01
BY AL. II. WILKINS

As Told to GRACE STONE COATES
Fifty years ago Livingston was just
in the making, n a wild west town
it was. 1t had all classes of people
and all kinds Of dweIlings-tents,
half-tents, shacks, frame houses and
twO-story brick buildings. The char
acteristic sight ON the dirt street was
freighters hauling freight from the
Livingston depot to mining camps
and inland towns. Some had 10
horse or mule teams with three huge
covered wagons loaded to the bows,
some n~ine-yOked bull teams with
three large Murphy wagons to the
team; some were going, some coming,
and in the confusion we're COW
punchers milling together i n the
streets. The dust was so thick that
many days it was hard to see across
the street.
When night came the town was as
busy as during the day. Saloons were
running full blast. with all kinds OF
games open night and day. Dance
halls, or hurdy-gurdy houses as they
were then called were running all night,
and rounds of drinks went with each
dance. BY morning many persons were
on the wide street who required all
the width to walk in.
The big freight outfits camped or
any street where they could find room,
and none disputed their right of way.
In the day time the most frequent
sound was the rattle of their freight
wagons and the pop of the drivers
lash, which would wake the dead ten
miles away. Mixed up in the streets
were often seen the wild and Woolly
anybody who got in their way, after
an all night spree. These were days
when nobody asked for "relief" and
none was given, n there was no need
for senators to pass laws to compel
folks to spend their money. They put
it in circulation on their accord.
There was no cry OF OVer-prOductlon,
either. Like all new towns, Livingston
was wild.
I mention the rough side of early
day life, but the tough side of the plo-
neer was IN the outside, and sterling
qualities abounded within him. One
of the first business men I met after
I came to Livingston was Charles An
gus, at that time clerk and ~bookkeeper
for the Carver store. Charley was an
ex-soldier of Civil war service. He
had worked in the quartermaSter'S de-
partment all through that terrible
struggle. After hat desperate wal was
over his company was sent to the west
to suppress warning Indians.
Charlie was assigned to General
Nelson A. Miles division, then station
ed in Montana territory. During his
service he was in man. Indian bat
ties, He was one of the early day heroes
of Montana, with nerves of steel. He
was mustered out of the army at Fort
Keogh, about 1880, by acting paymaster,
Arthur w. Miles. After Angus was dis
charged, he located in Livingston. Here
he married, and two children were
born, Effie and James. The former Eff
fie Angus is now Mrs. Ed kirkland, and
is in business with her husband. James
was shot and killed by a desperate in
1880.
Charles Angus held many responsible
offices in Park county. His friends
were many, and his foes few. He was a
typical western pioneer. Born Nov.
16, 1874, he crossed the Great Divide,
April 27, 1884. His 80 years had been
filled with exciting life.
I met Nelson A. Miles only once. That
was in October, 1877, at the Nez Perces
battlefield on Snake creek in the Bear
Paw mountains. The old general hurt
my feelings, that time. I was a small
boy, but I was driving one of my faith
er's supply teams, and rated myself a
man: When the general saw me on the
battlefield he asked another driver
where that STRIPPING of a kid came
from. Miles was among the noteworthy
Indian fighters of the territorial period, j.
and a most aggressive and successful -
general. He characterized Chief Jo- -
eph among the greatest generals of the y
Indian tribes. This was the u
last battle for Chief Joseph as well as o
for General Miles. n
Miles was born Aug. 8, 1889, and died u
his 81st year while watching a per-
.ormance of a wild west show given in v
lis honor at his home town in the east. b
Arthur w. Miles was a nephew of te
General Miles. After resigning as pay h.
master, "A. W.. as his intimates knew TT
him, went into business in Livingston. h,
He was one of the first to branch out OF
the mercantile business, under the hi
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