The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-07-18
Tells of Gold Stampede
Continued from Page H.

| country, look winch ever way we
! might, there were no signs of teams
| having gone before us, neither were
there any following. ,
We had not gone far over this UNI
trodden country till it began to rain
and the soil over which we were driv-
ing was of silly alkaline-given the
name OF gumbo in the west Clinging
| to anything that hit it, it began TO roll
up with the wheels and lodge against
the brake beams, making further pro-
gress almost hopelessly impossible.
However, we had already gained The
utmost elevation of the country, and the
rest of our journey was mainly down
grade. Even at that, our broncs were
SO tired that they could not pull their
load against the resistance of that heavy
gumbo.
We were stalled, and our broncs. with
heads dropping low, were painting for
breath. We were now on the Cow
creek flat. We unhitched the broncs
and tied them to the sagebrush, as
there was a rise of ground about GOO
yards ahead which we could never hope
to reach with our played-out animals.
We unloaded the wagon, took it apart
and carried every part and belongings,
as well as our supplies, to the summit.
Then we brought up the weary horses,
hitched them up and went on, one man
driving, the other two with shovels
clearing the wheels of gumbo.
We eventually got out of the gumbo,
and onto the gravel, and made it over
to Slippery Ann Hot springs, where we
fed our horses and connected with The
old road to Rocky point We found
there dozens of teams, pack. and sad
die horses. all headed for the new Ell
dorado. After eating, we hitched up
and followed the base of the Little
Rocky mountains around to the Little
Alder flat and to Murray Nicholson's,
a squaW man. He told us his place was
about a mile from the diggings. We
moved on and got to the end of the
rainbow, or where Zortman now stands.
We turned the horses loose for much
needed rest (they had not had the
harness off their backs since leaving
Fort Benton). Pike Landusky and
Dutch Louie Meyers held Little Alder
gulch, so we started prospecting up
Ruby gulch, at the head of which we
found gold in small quantity, but SUI
ficient 10 stimulate our mental facuf-
ties, and set them to forming images of
that were not there.
II froze up the night we struck bed
rock and we hired Ben Johnston and
Charlie Walker, each with a 12-mule
and threeWagon outfit, to 90 to Fort
Benton for our supplies The Weather
being cold, they brought no vegetables,
as they did not return until few
days before Christmas.
We then had an abundance of 10
bacco, sow belly, flour and Arbuckle
coffee, and everybody was happy. We
were frozen in, then, till the next
spring. All were millionaires for The
time being However, we who were in
Ruby gulch found the next spring, ,hat
we had nothing.
| met man by the name Of Curtis
who suggested that 60 with him into
Little Alder gulch, which, as I have
stated before, was held by Pike Lam
dusky and Dutch Louie A boy, at that
time, of II, took the suggestion as
of an agreeable object, and
We started up the gulch with Curtis
n the lead. We came to flat probably
! half mile from where Zortman now
stands. Curtis suggested that we locate
he ground, one Of us to stand guard,
md the other to work. stood guard
md Curtis began shoveling.
Shortly saw Pike Landusky COM
ng down the trail with big 45 six
hooter strapped to his waist. / pulled !
! bead on him And told him to throw
Up his hands, which he did as he had
lot seen us. He said he wanted to talk /
Q us, and told him to unbuckle his /
ix-shooter and drop it in the trail
lie did this, also, and came on TO where
We were standing. He said that we
.ould keep our ground, that it was the |
'ther gang he did not want up there
So we located our claim. Curtis was
allied out and left the country, and
Johnny Brown joined me. In the mean
ime, Pike Landusky and Dutch Louie
Leaned up from bedrock above us,
5000 Of gold nuggets, which caused
greater stampede than the first. The
influx of people included lawyers,
PREACHERS, school teachers, gamblers
nd every other known class than can
'e imagined. We cleaned bedrock every
afternoon; the smallest pay
or two Of us for five days was $50
nd often it doubled this amount I'm
nediately after dinner on Saturday.,
We saddled our horses and went 10
socky Point to get supplies.
T. M. Marsh and man by the name
4 Richie, each had store, saloon
md hotel, at the Point where we
eft all our gold
Pike Landusky, few years after
he stampede, was killed in the little
own Of Landusky by Kid Curry, and
Dutch Louie died at Coal Banks on The
Worth fork of the Flathead