The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1936-03-13
Early Incidents in the Founding of Forsyth;
Charles r. Taber Was T01un's s. First May0r

dark, the scouts kept up a long n
running battle, finally breaking through
the Indian lines, travelling for q dis
lance Of about 80 miles and joining
their command at .daybreak on the
Little Missouri river in Dakota. He had
a 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 a wit
ness to the incident that nearly cost
the life of Miles, when an Indian, pre-
tending to approach the commander in
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
it's intended mark and killed an or
derby riding behind Miles.
One of the humorous incidents that
Mr.. Jackson delighted in recalling &C.
CURED in 1879 when he was nearly
imprisoned in the hide of a buffalo. In
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
day he had killed a 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 it 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 a 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
crawling out.
syth in its formative period. Mrs. Tom
Alexander came as a bride in Febru-
airy, 1884. Several thousand sheep were
being pastured on what is now the res
idential portion of the city. The peo-
pie lived out of paper sacks. Ranchers
were 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-
pie to serve when she cooked her first
meal after her arrival. There were only
a half dozen knives and forks and a
less number of cups and saucers. She
apologized.
"oh, never mind" said one Of the
AAACAA C1AlplOyCu O11 G11C ld1lC1l, IL UIltIS
aren't enough dishes. The last place
where I worked we had plenty of
| dishes, but nothing to eat"
MI. and Mrs. Frank Adams, who
lived across the river, were among the
guests. A few weeks later Mr.. and Mrs.
Alexander returned the visit. They
crossed on the ice at 4:So O'Clock in
went out of the river. The basement of
the Alexander house wa flooded. The
entire night was spent in removing
sheep from n high place to another.
"A few years later the ferry was built,
with n landing on the Alexander
ranch.
Mrs. Alexander recalls n occasion
when the largest herd of cattle she
had seen crossed the ferry. The riders
started to cross the herd at 10 O'Clock
on a Monday morning. When the last
animal stepped off the ferry it was z
o'clock the following Thursday night.
S~agebrush grew luxuriantly in Forsyth
at that time. Grass was plentiful. When
the herd was finally driven from the
%sagebrush was denuded of its foliage.
Many of the early settlers in the
Forsyth region came with the cattle
herds. Included in the list of cowboys,
whose names became familiar house.
hold words were Jim Kennedy, Charles
lodge, Kid Griffin and j. T. REQ
Carolan, associated with the FUF out
fit and the lux brand. The foreman
Of the FUF horse outfit was Whit
Longley, 0 living in Miles City.
Johnny S~tringfelloW was foreman Of
the lux cattle outfit. These cattle
companies came itno the Rosebud val
ley in 1884.
Forsyth wa then located in Custer
county. When the cowboys gathered in
the town they would get wild now
and then" One of the favorite pas
times was to ride into a restaurant,
saloon or a store and shoot through
| the roof. When the cowboys were ION
a tear" it wa safer for a person to hide
in the sagebrush than to be caught on
the street. The Custer county authori-
ties built a jail in Forsyth before the
town became the capital of Rosebud
! county. The first prisoner was a hobo.