Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-06-26

met on the trail three French trapperS
/ who told them of rich gold dlgglngS
/ that had been discovered at Florence
/ idaho Vanderbilt and his friends anc
/ 15 other wagons dropped out OF the
wagon train to go there, They were
fold thew could never make the TRIP
with wagons, so they stopped at Three
Buttes to cache their surplus proYls-
ions and rig pack saddles. When tney
had done this, they started on again
leaving their wagons and the suppneS
which they could not carry:
They hadn't gone five miles before a
marty of Indians set fire to their wagons
and looted their store Of provisions.
They lost everything they had left be-
hind They travelled over the mountains
with a guide. When told they were
within one days travel of Florence, the
e1Iide deserted them. They could do
nothing but 90 ahead, but they never
reached Florence. They followed the
trail until they came to the head
waters of the jefferson river where
they found number OF men mining
and got their bearings again. They were
off both the oregon trail and the Flor
ence trail.
Eventually Reached Bitter Root
Eventually they reached Willow
creek in the Bitter Root valley where
several settlers were living. One OF
them. Joe Blodgett, who had a field OF
wheat. came to Vanderbilt's camp and
asked if any of them could use a grain
cradle. Vanderbilt said he could. Blod-
pett offered him IS a day to cut the
wheat and Vanderbilt left the party
and went to work. Vawter and Banty
continued on, presumably to Oregon.
The Indians in the Bitter Root val
lev were friendly, and when Wander
bilt started grading in the wheat field
next day, he had large audience; The
wheat which had been grown there
previously had all been cut with
sickle, and the grain cradle was new
to them. So curious were they, and
particularly the Indian children, that
they greatly impeded Vanderblt'S work.
he had to be careful in order to keep
from cutting their legs as they crowded
into the field about him. NO one IN the
vicinity knew how to bind wheat, and
Vanderbilt taught Blodgett how to
make a sheaf and bind 1t.
When Vanderbilt had finished mar
yesting Blodgett's field, Chief Victor
of the Selfish Indians, who had is
acres of wheat at Fort Owen, hired him
TO cradle and bind 1t. Before he got
through he had been employed TO cut
the wheat Of most Of the other settlers
In the vicinity.
Vanderbilt then gave up all idea Of
going to Oregon and decided to re-
main in the Bitter Root and engage
In farming. Before he got well started, |
however. news came of the gold strike |
at Bannack and with number OF
others he headed for the new camp. !
The party with which he Travelled ar
lived in Bannack the latter part OF De-
,ember and Vanderbilt spent the winter |
saving out lumber with which TO build |
houses.
Bannack during the winter Of 1852
s. probably was infested with more deS-
than any other mining camp |
the northwest has ever seen. There
we're numerous murders and robberies.
In the spring Of 1853 Vanderbilt |
Joined James Stuart's expedition to the
Yellowstone valley. Another party I'M
der Bill Fairweather was to have joined
Stuart's men there to engage In pros
1ecting, but Fairweather and his men
we're unable to reach the place set for
he meeting at the appointed time and i
5tuart's men went on without them. AS
/ result the rich gold diggings in Alder
yulch were discovered by Fairweather's
men on their way back to Bannack.
George Ives, desperate leader hanged
" the Vigilantes, was also q member
If Stuart'S party, and Vanderbilt, who
alter participated in his execution by
he Vfgilantes at Virginia City, always
aid that at that time Ives was as good
Ind courageous man as he had ever
Known.
Vanderbilt built many Of the first
buildings in Virginia City,. which
prang into being with the discovery
If gold In Alder gulch. When the Vigil
mites were organized to stamp out the !
awleSsneSs in the mining camps, Van
ierbilt became one of them. Small OF
stature, quiet, unaSsumtng and soft
;poken, he possessed all Of the intrep-
dity and venturesomeneSS which char
lcterized the pioneers Of the period,
md the Vigilantes relied upon him
heavily when brave and honest men
we're needed and he passed Ilnscathed
through all Of the viciSsitudes OF the
lines. He became q conspicuous figure
n the early settlement Of the region
md helped to blaze the trail and lay
he foundations Of the present COM
nonwealth Of Montana
Travelled With Wagon Train
Vanderbilt was born In New York
tate In 1884. His father was brother OF
Commodore Abraham Vanderbilt. the
irSt Of the line Of financierS Of that
lame. Johns father was not nearly 50
llccessfu as his brother In 9 financial
Eay, which may have had something TO
70 with the fact that the LAD wene west
= en- early age and struck out Tor niKn-
@n. II was IN 1859 that be went 70
Kansas.