Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1935-01-26

3 n WOKE SHenl. kt&B$ h1QnGe leaned Ont 0l
1 the wagon and fen. Uncle Ben saw hin
: fall, but before he could stop the oxer
/ the rear wheel Of one wagon and tht
front wheel Of the other ran over him
| and killed his instantly. We buried
j him later IN the cemetery Of a little
) town. Two weeks later baby boy was
) born.
we reached Bozeman on Thanks
giving day 1874. Arriving there a
strange thing occurred A man came
up to us and claimed our livestock and
was going to have father arrested. II
happened that his brand and ours were
the same and on the same place, NC on
the LETT hip. After a delay Of a few
days things were adjusted to the salts
faction OF both, and they parted good
friends
I'VE travelled on down to the Shields
river and there we were caught in q
terrible storm. We lived In some cab
ms at Conrow's flats for a few days
and then moved on as far as Hunters
Hot Springs. We went ON to Duck
creek and camped on an island In the
Yellowstone river and there we were
showed In for the winter.
After a while father and the other
men secuted around and decided to
settle. They got out logs and built two
cabins and to my recollection we moved
| into these cabins about March. It be-
ing too cold to daub the cracks, the
cabins were little better shelter than
the tents. However, they were much
more roomy. A large fireplace had
been built and all Jared quite pleasant
".
TN the spring we planted q garden
and raised plenty Of vegetables for the
next winter. Here the Indians became
so bad that 1t was necessary for us to
move back to Hunters Hot Springs. We
lived there until the spring Of 1877 and
then moved back TO oar own home
stead During the previous fall the
men folks had fixed up our cabins
and in so doing had to maintain q
guard to look out for Indians. The
cabins had been built with port holes
all around the basement, with pass
age way between them. If they raided
us we all went to the basement, and
each of us had gun. was only IS
years old, but 1, too, had been taught
to shoot.
'grhe Indians attacked Hunters with
one man wounded and one Indian kill
ed. After this the Hunters came and
STAYED with us at night Later In the
year the Indians became so trouble
some that soldiers were sent out from
Fort Ellis to move the family TO Boze-
man, but father decided to stay at the
homestead because he felt it would be-
safer
"The livestock was kept rounded up
and as close to the corral as possible,
but feed was good and this caused but
little trouble. The animals were cor
raied at night and we had two very
good watch dogs to warn us OF any
disturbance. The Indians continued to
try to stampede the stock, and one
night shot one Of the dogs and calf.
'aThe following spring brother Steph-
en- was employed by Nelson Story as a
rider and we girls had to care for the
livestock. We also cared for the horses
Of the Pony Express (mail system at
the tine). On one occasion sister and
had gone out to round up the horses.
as they had wandered about eight miles
away. We had q very close call with
the Indians We were driving about
20 head of horses when some Indians
rode up out of gulch and stampeded
them. I hadn't noticed the Indians,
but sister had. started after the
horses, but sister yelled at me to follow
her, and we both rode as fast as the
horses would go, but 1 did not realize
what it was all about until caught
up with her little later.
Gan during the summer the Indians
were very troublesome. One day the
men had gone up the creek about
mile and half TO make dam for IT.
rigation. It was a very hot day and
the stock had gone to the island. Early I
in the afternoon the cattle came run
ming toward home On going out TO
see what was causing the disturbance
we found that one OF our COWS hao an 1
arrow In her side and q calf was miss
ing. We learned a tribe Of Indians had <
camped on the island. Dora, my SIS
ter. climbed on top Of the house TO
watch and secured q horse and went
70 warn the men When reached
them I was so excited that father
thought Il was DORA who had been shot.
That night the Indians whOopeo ana
yelled ali night around the house, shoot
ing at It and raising Ned generally.
rather ordered us to the basement and
we stayed there until morning. Soldiers
were sent out to our rescue but did not
arrive until the Indians had retreated
hack into the hills near Shields river.
Settlers OF this region put up hard
fight to keep them on the run.
some time afterwards Dora and
were driving young calf toward home
when all at once we saw two Indians
racing toward us. We raced toward
home and outran them. In about half
an hour two Indians rode up TO the
house. one Of them was Bannock jim
They we're civilized and friendly. They
had q good laugh because they had just
wanted to scare us. Bannock Jim said
we could outrlln any Indian in his tribe.
rather always raised horses and saw
that we had good. fast horses TO ride.
Father died that year, and the next
brother Stephen was drowned In the
a. q. IS GIarr4ss4