The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1937-12-17

dams, was under the spell OF the bad
Ones" Through that impenetrable
wilderness, over m~academized high
automobiles bearing license plates from
every nation in the world. Tourists,
viewing with mild curiosity, all the
wonders of Yellowstone national park,
give little thought to the first coura-
geous men who, suffering u~nspeakable
hardships and perils, plunged into the
mysteries of the inferno and laid the
foundations for one of the most spec
tacular Fairgrounds in the world.
With Lewis and Clark
Very little has been written of John
Golfer whose discoveries rank in i'm
Marquette. He was a member OF the
Lewis and Clark expedition which
started out from Kentucky in 1903. He
was a born explorer, tormented by that
Unsuitable curiosity which is a challenge
to the unknown and leads to new dis
coveries. The wilderness fascinated
him. In 1906, with permission Of Lewis
and Clark, he left the party. at the
mouth of the Yellowstone, and struck
out alone on one of the most hazard
GUS and momentous journeys ever re-
corded. With a pack of 80 pounds, in
Guiding gun and ammunition, he set off
alone, on foot, determined to prove the
truth Of the persistent Indian rumors
concerning a barren land of roaring
fires. He was the first white explorer
of the valley of the Big Horn river;
the first to cross the passes at the head
of Wind river and view the headwaters
of the Colorado; the first to see the
Teton mountains; Jackson Hole;
Pierre's Hole; the first to pass through
the land of geysers now famous as
Yellowstone park. -,
It is not strange that, upon his re-
turn to civilization, many of his stories
of the weird region he pioneered were
discredited. Captain Clark, however,
knowing the character of the man, his
hardihood and trustworthiness," took
of Golfers route. From the description
of Golfer, Clark believed he travelled
from the mouth of the Big Horn to the
forks of the Snake river. Thence across
Teton pass to Pierre'S Hole. Journey
ing northward he reached Yellowstone
lake, forded Yellowstone river near
Twin falls and on the Clark's Fork.
John Golfer must have been a modest
man, giving little thought to the rare
courage inspiring his expedition or to
the importance Of its results. He did
not keep a satisfactory journal. The
most we know of his adventures are
through his verbal accounts later re-
corded by Clark, and such historians
as Bradbury and Breckenridge who.
unlike the skeptical public, refused to
believe the man a liar or a lunatic.
How many times the man may NARROWLY
have escaped death. what hardsnlps OF
he must have endured, is largely left
! to our Imagination. We do know that
! he was captured by hostile Blackfeet.
enraged by the death of n OF the
tribe at the hands of Clark, n thirst
ing for revenge.
One Chance in a Million
We can fancy how the first horror
! of Golfer must have settled into phllo-
sophical resignation as he was led, a
prisoner. into a savage Carnp VI NE
wilderness, 100 miles from any Whlte
! fort, and stood. bound to a tree, !!
his captors gathered about a council
fire arguing as to how best to dispose
Of him, Unfortunately for his peace OF
mind he knew the Blackfoot language
and Indian customs. Some OF the red
skins wanted. to burn him alive. Some
wanted to make him a target Tor thelr
arrows. But finally the chief settled n
matter by deciding that he should run
J. the gauntlet" This favorite game OF tlle
+ indians did give a prisoner one cnai I1c5
in a million of escape, w parallei
lines of warriors established themselves,
armed with knives, tomahawks, burn-
ing fagots. every weapon OF torture
conceivable to cruel brains. And aio1lg
the narrow space between the two llneS
! If warriors Golfer must rum, beaten ana
, hacked and burned every incl OF the
way. He ran, he related afterWard
with a speed that astonished himself:
bursting. body bruised and bleeding
and out onto the plains toward Jeffer-
son Fork. Six miles of open country
still a target for the Indian arrows.
his bare feet coming down. at every
stem on prickly pear. Mile after mile
he ran, needless of tortured, bleedine
! feet. straining every nerve to reach the
river. When within a mile OF ms Tnd goa
was still behind him. Golfer forced
himself to a last squirt Of speed. The
thIId Of pursuing feet was close at his
heels. At every minute he expected an
arrow in his back. Suddenly he turned:
spread out his arms wide. and leaped
toward the Indian. The two were !
20 feet apart. Momentarily dazed ov
the surprise move. the redskin stumbled
as he ran. breaking his spear. Golfer
snatched the broken end. thrust it
through the BODY Of his tormentor and
continued his flight. spurred on by the
enraged yells Of the tribe.
Saved by Raft
Although nearly exhausted. he sue
ceeded in reaching the cover Of cotton
| woods ringing the river. In the stream
was a raft Of driftwood lodged against
the shore. That raft. fashioned BY ma
ture. saved his life. He dived under It.
All day and all night he chung there
his head tust above water. concealed
by low growth. while all along the
shore Indians searched, yelling. as he
related afterwards, like q Thousand
devils. To the man submerged beneath