The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1937-05-14
SO-Year-0ld Retired Park County Pioneer
One Of YelloWStone'S Successful Farmers
BY ELMO

BY ELMO
"Those we're happy days." said
Chris Jensen, pioneer Park county
citizen, in winding up a narrative
of his life in Montana
Equipped with a good saaoie
horse, all of the west was AT
MANS command. Maybe he was
broke, SO far as money was con-
cerned; but he didn't have a care
in the world. Game was plenthul'
and a man could live OIL the coum
try, and find opportunity 1or prof."
at the same time"
Mr.. Jensen is native OF Denmark.
He is retired now, residing in Living
ston with his stepdaughter, Mrs. Maude
Ettinger. He recently sold nus rancn
in the upper Yellowstone valley, soutn
of Livingston, after owning 1t Tor more
than half a century.
Coming to America as a boy, MI.
Jensen spent three years IN Onaia'
Neb.. before going to Bingham canyon,
utah. where a brother-m-laW was
mine superintendent. After making %
a day in Omaha, So a day at tne ni tnii
was comparative wealth.. In lie t.S
of 1876 Mr.. Jensen and some aSSoclateS
were working a mine on lease. MT;
.Iensen's lob was to operate a ugger,
an ingenious machine used 10 pTeclpt-
tate ores from the baser material, ouI-
side the mine. About Oct. l, an l8-n1cil
snow fell. The prospect OF WORKING ~
the snow all winter did noI appGai W
Jensen. A trapper named SeapecA IL
vited him to come along 70 Nio oI.r;I,eS
IN the Yellowstone valley SIX mics
south of the present Livingston. ana
s,ent the winter on land originally
oWned after settlement began. ny tne
HoIiidav family and now owned ny "A.
q Depuv, They spent the winter Ill
an old cabin they found there.
Seabeck was somewhat OF q MOI
tana character. He had been trappnIs
in the west before the mining DOOM
Started. In 1864 he spent some tnlie
on the Yellowstone fishing. ne Iooh
5oo rounds of trout to Virginia CITY,
and the fish sold quickly at 81 pouilu:
Seabeck took this money to the blIIel
Root valley and bought POTATOES ~
he sold at Virginia City. An eaTly
freeze caught him on the roao, NY
sDllds froze. and the whole lllFeSCilleil'
was losL. He then located on the bltch.
foot north Of Helena Tor seSs4G;d VI
shot in the face with an arrow, ana
his cabin and $1,000 worth OF lurs
burned. He headed for Utah, return
ING in 1876 with MI. Jensen.
Natural Money Maker
few years later Seabeck olsap-
peared. He was a natural nlo'iss
maker. and turned everything ne
touched to profit He had no trust
in banks, and took care OF ms own.
In 1883, worth $4,000 or more, H ae
left for Illinois on a VlSlt alter ~
years away from his o-d nome ne
was never heard of again, nor was
his personal property at Bozeman ever
called for. Mr.. Jensen has always pc
lieyed some interruptions character
who knew of his wealth waylald ana
murdered him for robbery.
Major Pease, Crow Indian agent, had
ranch some IL miles south OF the
present Livingston; there was q snal
settlement on Trail creek; the Hltitls
camp at Emigrant gulch; the EotIieI
ranch; some Cooke prospectors campe9
for the winter on Strlcklano creeH 1 aniu
the small community at Benson'S Land
ing as the total population OF some
90 miles of the Yellowstone valley the
winter of 1876. Seabeck had chosen the
Yellowstone as winter quarters pe-
cause he had been in the region before.
Seabeck and Jensen caught 1000
pounds of trout in 10 days IN tne
early winter and took them TO Fort
Ellis, where they were traded LOT sup
plies. Enroute, they camped IN ROCKY
CANYON, west of the Bozeman hill, and
lust at dusk Jensen missed his part
ner. Looking about he found Seabeck
constructing 2 dam across small Eoek s
creek. He put the entire load OF fish
in the water behind the dam. Next
day. when they were delivered at Fort
Ellis, all the fish looked as II they
had been caught the night before.
In early May, 1877, Mr.. Jensen went
to Bozeman to seek work. He found
crew running cordwood down Sour
dough creek, which used to run through
the east end of Bozeman. The bosses
were paying 30 cents cord for throw
ing the wood on the bank at the wood
yard. Mr. Jensen tried it for a couple
of cords, but found the icy water too
cod. He quit without waiting to collect
his 60 cents.
In Bozeman he met an Irishman,
Mike Shane, who had come from Utah
with a partner the two having taken
a team of mules and an outfit in