Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-10-24

Montana, most natural and pictures
que of those states which comprise
Americas last frontier, has something
new to offerl The Shining Mountains
have opened their matchleSS scenic va
riety to all who care TO journey there,
q vestpocket edition Of the entire west
where still Turk the ghosts and memoir
ial landmarks Of earlier visitors-folk
whose coming meant new chapter in
the story Of this country.
The completion of the So 900 900 Red
Lodge-Cooke City highway over the
Beartooth mountains makes available
to the travelling public q section where
the early VESTS romance was written
In letters that Illuminate the north
vests history just as brilliantly as the
Aurora Borealis streaks the Arctics
midnight skies. It clears the way TO q
region which has been so hard of ac-
cess that 1t is almost as new to a ma
jority of Montanans as to those who
come from far greater distances.
Chevalier de la Verendrye, high-born
and chivalrous, was the first to chal-
lenge the Indians domination Of this
great territory, and after him came
Lewis and Clark, q pair Of scientist
zealots who saw in this uncharted area
real challenge to their constant search
for more definite knowledge. Sacaja-
wea, the Bird Woman Of the ShoshoneS,
was their guide and their party in
cluded Enos. renegade half-breed who
was later to play such q prominent part /
in the Oregon territory's 10-year war
between the whites and allied Indian /
tribes, guided by crafty old Kamiakin |
Of the Yakimas.
Two widely different motives influ- I
enced the quartet to come next. Jere-
1iQh Smith the fro E5cTv@fc he
fur trader, and Antonio Mateo, Portu-
guese trading post pioneer were cour-
ageous forerunners of the mercantile
world while Samuel Parker, q mans
saw in the new territory an
IDEAL center for militant reading of
the gospel which he had elected to
preach.
-Four great roadmakers followed,
eaving behind them a pathway which
vas to be followed by thousands. Jim
3ridger and John Bozeman found in
Montana what they had sought, and
ed their emigrant trains into the
western Shining Mountains and the
ich Gallatin valley of the early SOS.
capt. B. L. E. Bonneville and Ezra
deeker kept on and blazed the way
nto the states which lie to the west
7ard.
The world has yet TO know a scourge /
not q remedy provided, and the /
Inning Mountains saw proof Of this {
l the gold rush that created Virginia ]
ity, Bannack, Alder Gulch and Cooke Z
ity-the latter named after Jay
coke, famous Philadelphia financier. 4
With the miners came the murderer &
nd highwayman, best typified by that 5
Henry Plummer, and out 5
the era Of bloody battles they brought '
)Se men such as X Beidler and Uncle q
lily" Hamilton, who fired the Vigil s
ntes to their grim task Of "erasing" v
ne desperate. g
Bullets Of Gold 3
The Indians, whose birthplace this
as. did not give up their land without Is
grim struggle. The Shining Noun v
Tins, which today survey the new v
Ighway and It's peaceful sightseers, 81
w the battle of the Little Big Horn c,
which the gallant Custer and his fl
Ivalry battalion were snuffed out by Il
tting Bull and his Sioux horde. A c;
ar later they were witnesses of the
Istoric dash Of Chief Joseph and his al
bel tribesmen for the Canadian Dor W
n. They stopped at Cooke City, er
Irned some Of the smelters in that nj