Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-12-04

involved In the states first labor
trouble.
the train, but threatened to shoot the
Mexicans or anyone else who came To
try to take them back. From their ele-
| waited position they watched the wagon
| boss consolidate several teams and
wagons until he had sufficient drivers
to go around without them, and depart.
Joined Another Party
The strikers then went to a nearby
trading post run by Ward g. Gerrie
and tried to buy some pack animals
The traders said that Patterson had
told them not to sell the truant bull
whackers anything, so the next morn
ing they started for Fort Laramie,
afoot, carrying their packs. It took
three days to get in sight of the fort.
At the fort they encountered a train
of is or 20 wagons headed west and
made deal to accompany it to drive
the loose cattle and act as guard, the
train hauling their baggage.
When the wagon train reached the
Sweetwater, beyond the Sioux country,
members Of Woody's party began drop
ping out and going with other wagon
trains until only Woody and man
named White of the original striking
bullwhackers, remained with the train
which they met at Fort Laramie. At
the crossing Of the Sweetwater Woody
was taken sick and the train went on
without him and White, the latter
electing TO remain with his companion
until he was again able TO travel. They
finally went into Salt Lake City with
81 50 upon his arrival
His first Job was watching a small
patch Of corn to keep the blackbirds
out Of it. Thinking to go on to Cal
ifornia, after few days he started
north hoping TO intercept an emigrant
train on the overland trail He met a
man, however, who told him there were
no emigrants on the trail and who in
duced him to return to a place called J
Willow Greek and work for him making
dobie brick for SIS a month and his
board. He also put in six weeks burn |
ing charcoal for this man. He took |
shirts at So each and a pair of elk |
skin pants at $11. Woody spent the |
winter with family who gave him his |
board and room for teaching their |
children.
In the spring OF 1856 Woody went to !
Spanish Fork, so miles south of Salt
Lake City and worked for the govern
nent, which was building an irriga-
Ion system on the Utah Indian reser-
Vation. He remained there until the
middle Of August. He then returned to
salt Lake City with the intention of
solng on to the emigrant trail to
atch California bound wagon train.
But he was told that the trains had all
lassed. So In Salt Lake City he and
mother man named Bill Madison hired
ut to q trader named Van Etten to
rive two bull teams to Hell Gate, two
niles below where the city Of Missoula
now located.
The outfit left Salt Lake City in
1856. There were two
Tagons owned by Van Etten, each !.
ulled by four yoke of oxen. The firm :
7 Hooper g. Williams also sent three y
-agons, one pulled by four mules and :
70 by four yoke of oxen each. They
'aveled up the east side Of Salt lake, ;.
'oSSed Bear river where Corinne is .
ow located continued UP the Malade 4
alley to the head of the stream Of +
lat name, crossed Bannack mountain
Id struck the river Of the same name. :
fter following the Bannack river for
time they turned north to the Port q
euf river, crossed 1t and continued I,
to hit the Snake river at Fort Hall q