The Fort Peck press., 1937-04-22
Globe andering Nomad, Silent His Past, Knew One
Brief Moment of Herosm When Prospector He Saved
Member of Exploring Party Lost in Mazes of the Park
BY ELMO

wanderer and soldier of fortune
had one brief moment as a hero
p Then he sank back to Obscurity
noverty and, finally, to the ranks
of forgotten men of the old west. To-
day Baronette lies in grave IN Noun
tain View cemetery near Livingston fts
location forgotten by old acquaintance
It is recorded only in the jungle OF
30-year-oId cemetery records.
Jack Baronettes greatest momenl
was in 1870, when he rescued Trumaan
C. Evarts, who had been lost 1or 81
days in the wilderness. EvartS was loSl
from the Washburn-Langford -Doane
party, which had been exploring the
present yellowstone PARK area.
hungry. almost crazed and completely
exhausted, after he became separated
from the party near Yellowstone lake,
has been well told, both by himself
and by his companions who sought
him for some time before reluctantly
leaving the area for their own preser-
vation The remainder OF the party
left the park by way OF the Madlson
river, then to Virginia City, where
news of Evarts' plight was made known
to friends.
Eyarts. in his wanderings, finally
made his way down the Yellowstone
river to a point below Tower Falls,
where he became too exhausted to con-
tinue. Meantime, Jack Baronette and a
companion named Prltchette, poIn ape
mountain men, started into the Wilder
ness to find EvartS, travelling up the
Yellowstone along the route originally
taken by the exploring party. They dis
covered EYartS none too soon, Tor ne
was in a critical condition after 81
days alone, without normal food or
means of securing it.
The ReScuers Come
Fvarts recorded in the story of his
experiences that where he lay near the
river he was warmed by the heat from
a warm spring formation nearby, rest
ing as best he could before CONSIDER
ing further effort to travel. He saw
Two men approach.
"Are you Mr.. Evarts?" he was greet
ed
"Yes, all that is left of him."
1--WE have come for you"
"Who sent you?"
Judge Lawrence and other friends"
God bless him and them and you!
I am Saved!"
Then Evarts tainted.
Baronette and Pritchette made AS
comfortable camp as was possible on
the spot. Pritchette started on the TO
mile trip back to Fort Ellis for rene
dies and an ambulance. Baronette re-
manned two days with Evarts at the
camp, and then helped the weary man
to move down the Yellowstone to a
miners cabin, probably in the vicinity
of the present Gardiner, where he
cared for Evarts until help came to
move him back to home and friends.
Glory Was Short-Lived
Neither Baronette nor Pritchette re-
ceived much mention of their part in
the rescue, nor, apparently, did they
care. A mountain trail and wilderness
hardShipS were all in the days work for
them, and they gave it little thought.
To Evarts and his friends of the eX-
ploring party, however, the 81 days
Evarts spent in the wilderness were an
event which they gave nationwide pub
licity.
Jack Baronette, leader and principal
figure in the rescue, had perhaps as
wide a stamping ground and as varied
a career as any adventurer in history,
and he was both prosperous and pow
erty- stricken many times before his
death at the Park county poor farm.
Born at Glencoe, Scotland, in 1929,
his father was in the British naval
service. Jack went to sea early in life.
He was on the coast of Mexico during
the Mexican war in 1848. In 1850 he
was on the coast of China, where he
deserted ship to make his way to San
Francisco. He was in Australia seek
ing gold in 1852. In 1853 he was in
Africa after gold. Then back to Aus
'ralia and again to San Francisco. He
was next second mate on whaling
ship in the Arctic.
He was back in California in 1855.
He was a courier for General Albert
Sidney johnson in the Mormon war in :
Utah. Then he was in Colorado, and !
again in California. He was a scout I
With the First Texas cavalry of the
Confederate army in 1868. Back to Cal
fornia in 1864, and in Montana in {
September of that year, taking trip !,
entirely through the territory now en- |
)raced in Yellowstone park. I
He was with Custer in the Indian S
erritory following the Civil war; then
n Mexico again. He had been back in I
dontana but short time in 1870 when 6
le answered the call to seek the lost {
warts. +
Stays Editor r
In 1871, seeing an opportunity for q
lrofit from prospectors and miners in c
he Cooke City area northeast of Vel /
owstone park, Baronette built a bridge
cross the Yellowstone river near the
resent Tower Falls crossing. In 1875 e
lie was in the Black Hills of South
Dakota, where he killed a newspaper
ditor who had, he said, unjustly re-
lected upon Baronette'S character in
rlnt He served as a scout in the Sioux, ,
Iez Perce and Bannack Indians wars Y
+ 1876-77-78. He engaged at various
mes in Indian trading.
This information of Baronette's ear
er years is supplied in biographical
Aetch by Capt. H. w. Chittenden who,
S an officer in Yellowstone park in n
396 and before, had known Baronette Il
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