The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1936-04-10
By GLENDoLIN DAMON WAGNER

e. e newspaper man Of Montana.
She was born at Red. Wing,
Mimi, in 1861. In her fathers veins
coursed the yen for witn9uG
which we would have had no seGtle9
west. The call Of the wild n 1e1 i stiS1
a small child, about 1867. he moved
with his family to Kansas plains. There
he remained until civilization gradu,
ally encroached upon the untamed
west, tanning its spirit, robbing, 1t OF
colorful zest. 50. iscnln 9esa a0[ M Mi ner
AGAIN turned his adventure-hungry
eves westward, toward the Dakotas and
Montana from whence came rumors q
red-blooded men, Indian warfare, golo,
and thousands of acres OF prairie iano
to be had for the t tax ag{ t%st fime.
Good schools for her and her brother
were factors to be considered: The
too. there was another baby on the way.
Mrs, Miner wanted for herself M ioT
them the security of a settled social
life and a home. ,.n
pioneer, set off alone to conquer n
west, hoping to plant the roots OF a
new home for himself and his family:
He Joined an immigrant train tnat
wendell its slow hazardous way across
3 d Josephine recalls the grim, anx-
p io,,s weeks with no news from him,
until. finally, came word that ne mao
arrived at Deadwood, but, on the neeis
of that word, news Of q terrible paIt1e
in a valley known as LITTLE and PIG Sis H com-
mand were wiped out by savage Red
men. The Miners knowledge OF west
ern geography was vague.
DeadWood was in that Little Big Horn
valley. Perhaps the husband n 1aS sae
had been a victim OF the aw AVN c %aSd
oniv wait. hoping, fearing, praying, un.
til a letter postmarked
came bv boat down the Missouri n
across kansas plains, telling them ne
was safe in a little town o N MOL
tana Territory named MleS Clty, a fnr
that he was making plans to 1or
them at once. He gave specific direc-
lions for the difficult, journey: Ihey
we're to ioin an Immigrant tram 70
the river and then take q boat uP 70
bismarck, where he would meet tneLl
and guide them to their new nome Oh
Montana plains. ,.fora thew
undertook that journey. Joseph MINER
ter in the booming town of Miles cry
managed to save $500, ne p Hs,,
lieved, to bring his family sa aoay
through: A baby daug s;nca b nsa de peS
ture. NOW he faced the grave problem
Of getting his money, a munlilcenG
sum to him, representing so mucn toit
and sacrifice, to Bismarck, Wnere II
could be mailed: Travel IN hos Ss gays days
was not a simple matter Ter Oh tr Ioaf from
Miles City to Bismarck must be mace
on horseback, over vast stretches OF
mains where revengeful REDSKINS
furked, and, much more to be fearea,
the powerful organization known as
Road AGENTS: But M ihat 0%nIa he IVA was
sire. outrun any Indian pony or bano
of Road Agents. And so, with the money
in his belt, q loaded gun IN ms no..
ster, bacon and bareback IN the piatikeC
roll on his saddle, he started on I SHg
trip. Somewhere between NILES 10y
rowly escaping with his life. Pennlless.
he returned to Miles, to begin all e
apain the task Of earning money W
bring his family to him. ~,
Meanwhile, he acquired town tots py
a process the d la Ms q 9ec %are9 There ere
was a law Of provision requiring the
erecting Of a building on lots before
thew could be held. The term "bullo-
ing." however, appears to have oee1
elastic. Two logs planted N the grounu
with a beam connecting them or wen
two crossed y SS1SS0 ny -.
on the lots he had selected and then,
between jobs, started building his
house. A tWo-room log cabin it was,
and. when the family did arrive i've
years later, on one Of the 1lrSt trains
reaching westward to Mles Cisy' r ~
wa sprouting grass, making h house
resemble a funny little man with thick
green hair. as,
The young girl must have inherited
her fathers adventurous spirit for
her dark eyes still sparkle as she re-
lives in memory the early days Of the h
clares, don't know what e g fun Is"
When she arrived in 1882, Miles City
was a town of about 1000 inhabitants.
already becoming known as the eao
ing horse and cattle market OF n
west. The unpaved streets were not ano
bound in winter. Most of the business
blocks as well as the residences were
log structures, the stores had ood
awnings. For warmth the houses were
lined with canvass that bi1oWed when
wind crept through chinks In n logs;
cowboy boots. The courthouse was made
of logs, the jail of thick pine poles
planted deep in the ground and set
very close. In front OF each store wa
a hitching rail. Main street boosted sew
eral town pumps, with watering troughs
for the horses. The fire department..
and fire was a constant menace to that
town of flimsy wooden structures.
consisted of a volunteer bucket bri-
gade. Often the boys, later to become
brave leaders in municipal progress,
INDUCED in water battles, drenching,
not only themselves, but any innocent
passerby who inadvertently ventured
within range. One evening stands out
wildly in Mrs. Decker's memory be-
cause, on that particular evening she
was wearing her very best dress, a
flounced skirt, gathered full at the
coats, the costume topped by. a shirred
net hat trimmed with pink ribbons and
plumes. AS she walked along, in all her
finery, a deluge of water soaked her
and every one Of those .~petticoats had
to be re-laundered. But" she chuckled,
ssSk x,oc IN f,,n yNo uroro uN1Yf10 onH