Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-10-23
Outlaw Was Hero of Wild West Yarns
Spun Around Early Glacier Park Fires

eaIked boots and came 20 Glacier
mark TO open the dance nan that
& named after him. The town Of
Glacier park, being located In the
foothills Of the Rockies, on me
border of the Blackfeet Indian
reservation and in the heart o3 a
big range country where at That
time 100000 cattle grazed on the
reservation alone, was one OF the
rogf western of western towns In
Montana.
From the mountains came hunters,
traDDers and guides, dressed IN the
rouph. bright colored costumes Of
woodsmen. Roundup wagons on nearby
ranges furnished the picturesque
"punchers" and their COW PONIES ana
in a big camp of painted lodges az the
edge Of the town lived the Indian
braves, their squaws and papooses.
When the day was gone the tourist
from the big Glacier Park hotel would
come down in quest OF a little local
color"
From Mixes place word would go
round that "Rattlesnake Slim" or some
other bronco tWister would ride Rock
ing Chair, Grave Digger or any buck
I'M boss" that had won fame IN 'front.'
of Mixes place and the tourists would
wander over.
The dance hall piano would be moved
to the sidewalk and the orchestra
would play for the crowd while the
riders and helpers were throwing the
outlaw for saddling. Between times
cowboy would ride back and forth, an
nouncing who "Rattlesnake Slim" was
and giving full credit to the horses
skill at unloading "bronc fighters"
Then he would tell the chances OF
Slim going to the hospital after the
exhibition.
place and the cinch pulled tight enough
to hold the saddle from slipping, the
horse would be let up on his feet A
blind would be pulled over the horses
ewes and one of the cowboys would
twist the horses ears and bite the tip
OF one in his mouth so as to keep the
attention of the outlaw from the rider,
who was pulling himself up carefully
on his back.
The orchestra would play funeral
march to add little more to the oc-
casion. When the rider called turn
'er loose" the outlaw would sink his
head" He would SunfiSh and buck
blindly in through the crowd. For
some unknown reason nobody ever got
more than a few scratches.
BY the time that the outlaw was
DlCkEQ uD ny Vic AA4OQAAbN0 NQWRIJ1f
the orchestra would have the piano
back on its stand in the dance hall
and playing on their instruments as
loud as they could to attract the crowd
to the dance.
Tourists would step up timidly to
and doors and peek in. As the
natives paSsed they would encourage
them with come on in, folks, we check
our guns at the door," or I'VE don't
stv1Iouc MO q mad - and ttUFfa
plumb bubbling over with joy tonight.
Then Mike would come out, shake
hands and explain that it was a good
safe place to pass the evening.
BY the time the dance had been in
progress an hour the hall would be
bullying with silk and spangled dressed
tourists dancing with cowboys wearing
chaps, bright shirts and scarfs, high
heel riding boots and spurs, while along
The wall would be lined Blackfeet In
dams in buckslSin suits and eagle
Feathered war bonnets, with the red
;hawled squaws sitting cross legged on
he floor
When the sun came up above the
oothills the next morning, little groups
If cowboys could be seen riding off /
across the country, heading for their
'oundup wagons or ranches to be ready :
or the days work on the range.
For several years, until the school,
house was built, Mixes place was the (
,nly meeting place for the townsfolk.
There would be church services, we'd |
iings or funerals and when the boys
rot in trouble the justice of the peace
would hold court in the dance hall.
Among early customers of the place :
we're gunner not gangSterS, but fell !
Ows who would, on occasion, stand up Z
nd shoot it out. The most outStand- /
ng Of this type was j. j. "One-Eyed"
smith. /
In May, 1923, Smith rode into town. !
IS he neared the Great Northern rail- Z
DAD tracks "SiX-gunS" barked from the l
abroad embankment. There was a I
Orce of officers chasing Smith for Z
reaking into boxcars. All through the Z
inter Smith had been riding freights 4
p the east slope of the continental 4
wide, throwing off clothing, food and .
hoes. He would hitch his team to a {
Tagon and haul the plumber down the 2
fountain road at night, distribute it
, folks he thought were in need AS A
ar as anyone knows, he never sold u
nything he stole.
Officers hoped that when Smith saw h
re odds were against him he would h
lrrender but he spurred his horse into =
run and galloped to his log cabin. n
he officers made several trips back
! the hills TO catch him but Smiths h
noWleoge OF the country made him II
dangerous man to hunt. y
Heavily Armed II
At unexpected times Smith would =
de into town, always carrying a six q
looter on each hip. He would dis
lount at the door Of Mixes place. a
rop the reins Uf his well trained cow II
0ny and, with the one good eve r
atching every move of the people 4
-ound him. walk into the place and *
} his shopping. He would tell about n
eing the officers hunting him. and =
joking way he would say: TEL
lose fellows they might step on INV 81
eS some day and make me peevedh IN
rom his hiding place in a clump of n
IShes or high on cliff he kept track 81
all people in Lubec canyon.
Events continued for two months =
it'll one night a few days before M
lily 4. when two officers determined to ",
{ Smith into court and rode into HIS ar