Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-03-07
Early Incidents IN the Founding Of Forsyth;
Charles r. Taber Was TO1U71's First Mayor

dark, the scouts kept up a long rang.
running battle, finally breaking through
the Indian lines, travelling for q dis.
/ lance Of about 80 miles and joining
! their command at daybreak on tht
Little Missouri river in Dakota He had
part in the battle Of the Little Muddy
in May OF that year when General Miles
contacted the Indian leader. Lame Deer
and defeated him. jackson was q wit
ness to the incident that nearly cost
the life of Miles, when an Indian, pre-
tending to approach the commander In
a friendly gesture, swung rifle from
beneath his blanket and shot at the
commanding officer The movement
of an Indian close to the general caused
his horse to finch. The bullet missed
its intended mark and killed an or
derby riding behind Miles.
One Of the humorous incidents that
Mr.. Jackson delighted in recalling oc-
Cured in 1879 when he was nearly
company with Jack johnson and q
man named Blakesley, jackson was
placing bait at points along the Por
cupine. The weather growing colder,
his companions turned back to For
syth. Jackson remained to finish the
bait placing. Darkness overlook him
before he finished the work He built
a fire, as he had no bed roll along
except his saddle blanket. Earlier in the
day he had killed buffalo and skinned
it. He placed the green hide close to
the fire. The night grew colder A
happy thought struck him Why not
crawl into the hide and wrap 1t around
his body for the night? Soon the
warmth and comfort of the protection
eased him off into a deep slumber.
The fire went out. When he awoke the
following morning he found that he
was prisoner within the hide. It had
frozen stiff. After several hours of ex-
IRENE physical effort, Jackson succeed
ed in breaking the skin apart and
out.
Primitive conditions existed In For
syth in its formative period. Mrs. Tom
came as q bride in FebrII- |
ary 1884 Several thousand sheep we're
being pastured on what is now the res
dental portion of the city. The peo-
pie lived out of paper sacks. Ranchers
we're interested mostly In raising live
stock and hunting buffalo. Everything |
necessary for the table had to be pur-
chased from the small stores. Including
herself, Mrs Alexander had seven peo-
Die to serve when she cooked her first
neal after her arrival There were only
/ half dozen knives and forks and a |
ess number of cups and SaucerS. She
Ipologized.
"Oh, never mind" said one of the
men employed on the ranch, IF there
rent enough dishes. The last place
fishes, but nothing to eat"
Mr.. and Mrs. Frank Adams, who
ived across the river, were among the
-uests. A few weeks later Mr.. and Mrs.
alexander returned the visit. They
roSsed on the ice at 4:30 o'clock in
he afternoon. At 6 o'clock the ice
vent out of the river. The basement OF
he Alexander house was flooded. The
ntire night was spent in removing
heep from one high place to another.
few years later the ferry was built,
nth one landing on the Alexander
anch.
Mrs. Alexander recalls one occasion
hen the largest herd of cattle she
ad seen crossed The ferry. The riders
5arted to cross the herd at 10 O'Clock
q a Monday morning. When the last
nimal stepped off the ferry 1t was
clock the following Thursday night.
agebrush grew luXuriantly in Forsyth
that time. Grass was plentiful. When |
ne herd was finally driven from the
Dcation no grass was left and the
agebrush was denuded of its foliage.
Many of the early settlers in the
orsyth region came with the cattle
erdS. Included in the list OF cowboys,
hose names became familiar house
old words were Jim Kennedy, Charles
odge, Kid Griffin and j. T. Red
arolan, associated with the FUF out
and the TUX brand. The foreman
the FUF horse outfit was Whit
ongley, now living in Miles City. II
)hnny Stringfellow was foreman of
lie TUX cattle outfit. These cattle
Dmpanies came itno the Rosebud val
y In 1884
Forsyth was then located in Custer II
'unty. When the cowboys gathered in 4
lie town they would get wild now II
i'd then" One Of the fayorite pas
mes was to ride into a restaurant, II
loon or store and shoot through II
lie roof. When the cowboys were ION
tear" it was safer for person to hide
the sagebrlIsh than to be caught on HI
e street. The Custer county authori-
IS built a Jail In Forsyth before the
wn became the capital OF Rosebud
unity. The first prisoner was hobo. !: