The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1935-05-17
lBy ELNOl

(By ELNO)
What manner of men inhabited
the mountain wilderness during the
first half of the Nineteenth century?
What prompted them to leave civil
ization behind and remain year after
year in the mountains with little
thought, and less desire, Of returning
home? Above all, according to civ
ilized standards Of citizenship, how
did wilderness men stack up" beside
their contemporaries in civilized COM
munities?
But few men left any record OF life
as it was lived in the Rocky mountains
from the beginning of the trapping era
until the arrival of the miners in the
early sixties. Fur company records
and a few broadly historical books give
but a sketchy glimpse of the intimate
life OF the mountains.
It goes without saying, however, that
wilderness men were a cross-section Of
human nature in any part of the world
under any conditions. Theirs was a life
which drew men for love Of adventure,
in search of fortune; a few because it
might be embarrassing to face the con-
sequences of former acts at home. But,
on the whole, good citizenship prevailed,
and mountain men were the type who
liked the empiric freedom of vast
spaces, where every man was, so to
speak, ruler of his own kingdom, even
though he, himself, might be his only
subject.
The late Billy Hamilton of Columbus,
a wilderness man from 1912, Travelled
Destiny's path over an unusually long
span of years to bridge the Gulf of
Time to a new era. Before he died in
1911, almost 80 years of age, he gave
to many friends now living a saga of
wilderness life in the trapping era.
He left behind a book, MY Sixty Years
on the Plains" (1905) now long out OF
print, which is of the few wilder
ness autobiographies ever published.
Hamilton takes unto himself credit for
only two things. He was among the
most expert of trappers, and he excell-
ed them all in the Indian sign langu-
age. In 1882 the Smithsonian institu-
ton attempted to photograph his sign
language, but with Indifferent success.
The principal value Of the book, from
the general historical viewpoint, is in
the large number Of semi-detached
paragraphs which give a clear picture
Of trapper life, its ethics and stand
ards Of conduct, and the wilderness
standards Of citizenship.
Friendship with the Indians was the
trapper's most valuable asset. Absolute
fairness was the prerequisite of profit
able trade. Hamilton says:
"A certain rule must be complied
with in trading with Indians. You must
not pay one Indian-man CT woman
one iota more for a robe or fur of the
same quality than you pay another. If
you do, you ruin your trade and create
~antagonistic feelings throughout the
village"
The Free Traders, the individualistic,
independent band of men who were
outstanding wilderness leaders, held
company traders, bound to an employ
er, tn much contempt. OF these Ham
ilton says:
I'VE traded for considerable fur at
this camp, which somewhat astonished
Williams Chill Williams, outstanding
wilderness leader and the mentor of
Hamilton's early wilderness days., Is
there were three traders on the Platte
river. The reason was that the trad
ers were not up to their business in
such ways as paying uniform prices for
furs Of the same quality"
Company traders were not friendly
with the Free Trappers. They were
arrogant and desired to control the
Free Trappers, which they never sue
ceeded in doing. At n camp a deal
with company traders vas "consum-
mated to Williams satisfaction"
Threats of uncomfortable reprisal
did not disturb Williams, and Perkins
told them that they had better look
out for Williams, as he had more in
fluence with the Indians than any of
the traders"
The Free Trapper was, among other
things, a diplomat; the company men
were usually selfish. surly and conceited,
and lin those days the cream of men
in the mountains belonged to the Free
Traders and Trappers, and it followed
that corporations had no "~walkaway."
Company Trader Vasques, well stocked
with goods, was surly with Williams,
who got the best of him in disposing
of the Free Trappers' furs. "He either
had to trade with us or return to the
states with his goods concludes Ham
ilton.
Williams should have been engaged
by the government as a diplomat" says