Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-02-01

and the bachelor homesteader shared
that cook stoves baking conveniences
with two netghbor women. his sister
ln-law, MRS. George Downing, and Mrs.
W. q. Iddings, newcomers Of 1883.
They lived across the creek from
me and had to walk a foot-log to
carry the dough to my cabin to bake.
There wasn't a bakery in the Bitter
Root those days and they had to bake
their own bread or go without. Shar-
ing that cook stove was well repaid in
the. good bread they divided with me
and I'll never forget how good that
bread smelled as It was baking The
fragrance would come floating out of
the cabin door to me as cut wood or
worked nearby" he said.
There were no bridges across the
Bitter Root river In those days. Going
north to Corvallis to trade, the west
side pioneers rowed boats across the
river, leading their saddle horses be-
mind, in high water time. At Corvallis
was the Elijah ChRffin family, among
the first to emigrate to the west In the
sixties. Sons and daughters of that
group still carry on the early friend
ships.
Mr.. Downing developed ranching|
that Is now carried on by his
only son, Sam, youngest of his family
Of five. The four daughters are Mrs.
Margaret Huebner of Estes Park. Colo,
Mrs. Alma Bailey of Los Angeles, Mrs.
Gertrude Bett of Chehalis, Wash, and
Mrs. Susan Carroll of KelsO. Their
mother, Mrs. Mary Baldwin Downing,
another early conner to the Bitter Root,
died in 1920. Her uncle, George Orr,
was one Of the discoveries of Alder
Gulch. George S. Downing, an older
brother, now nearing his 84th birthday,
came to the Hamilton section from
in 1883.
al" Downing was among the first
known persons to contract Rocky
mountain spotted fever. He tells how
seven doctors gave him up, saying He's |
\ dead man, no use prescribing for
him" was never a drinking man, |
but that spell of fever might have
Tor a bottle Of whisky" he relates.
Tom Beavers and o. G. Cooper came
TO see me and Tom asked If he /
;Ould give me drink of whisky. The
doctors said go ahead and give it to |
him, he's conner anyway Well, they
rave me a drink out of that quart bot
lie. They left it in my reach and kept
It 1t until I'd drained that quart. From
hat time on, I began to improve. /
lad been out hunting. I killed deer
hat had g tick on It and developed
he fever in its worst form"
Mr.. Downing and his wife, formerly
drs. Caroline Nickel of Butte, live in
In an attractive modern
home. Both are active In community
york and their chief delight is large
lower garden where the one-time me-
hanic finds Joy In developing new
arieties of dRhlias and experimenting
nth all sorts Of plant life. There Is
10 lovelier garden in the valley than
he great floral lot at the south side Of
heir cottage, with seasons easily
marked in the variety of blossoms that
ucceed each other. The sunset lights
heir living room, for the house, like
is first home across the river, faces
be west. Still vigorous, aggressive and
eady to fight for his right Is Al Down
u. His closest pal" In these later
avs Is his older brother, George. They
9th have been Montana builders and
re as good citizens and neighbors as
ne Bitter Root win ever know. II