Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-08-14

serve FaAa2Dte EaperS~
The annals OF the west are filled
with stories of wild rides" some
of them heroic performances made
by early-day pioneers in the dis
charge OF duty, such as these Of
pony express riders, stage coach
drivers, and scouts. Montana has
had her share of incidents Of that
kind. One Of the most recent of
/ these occurred along about the
/ beginning of the century in the
/ Neihare country, the result of a
race between Dave Ledbetter ST.,
who was at that time deputy
! sheriff, and Deputy United States
/ Marshal Wall.
! The two we're engaged in their differ
/ ent capacities in the service of papers
! in a mining suit, and upon the result
of the service depended the ownership
Of much valuable property. Which is
to say that those parties benefited
most whose papers were served first.
The deputy sheriff had papers issued
from the state courts and the federal
deputy had papers issued from the
United States court. Each knew that
the other was on the way and it was
a race from the start, through roads
filled with snowdriftS which were in
places four feet deep.
Deputy Marshal Wall, actuated not
alone by the important financial con-
sideration at stake, but by the fact
that his professional reputation was
also involved, won. He did it by leaving
the road and driving his team at break
neck speed along the railroad track,
and crossing one trestle on the high
lope and without accident. His horses
did not have to step mincingly from
ffn m tia Af f0fs fnn fTnCf1n hnd
a plank surface, but just the same it
took iron nerve and disregard for dan
ger seldom found, to take the short
cut which brought him first to the
goal.
Another Montana wild ride" stands
out however, by reason of the fact
that it was made for no particular
reason except that the man who made
it didn't want to go around the long
It was 81 years ago that Under
sheriff Tom Schurlock of Jefferson
county had to go from Boulder to
WickeS to serve some legal papers. He
drove his team from Boulder to WickeS
over the mountain road, found his men
and discharged his business. He then
ate his MONDAY meal before starting
home.
AS he stood picking his teeth while
"
the blackboard, it occurred to him that
he just didn't want to make that long
drive down the mountain. There was
Bnly one other way to get there, and
that was through what is known as the
Wickes tunnel of the Great Northern
railroad. He inquired about the trains.
There was none due for an hour from
either direction.
He announced that he was going to
drive through the tunnel and cut off
miles from his return trip. Efforts to
disSuade him were IN vain. He climbed
into his blackboard and headed his
horses into the midnight blackness Of
the mile long bore at sharp trot.
Spectators, hands In their pants pock-
cts, chewed tobacco, spat, and freely
predicted that he would never come
out the other end alive.
His horses stumbled frequently, and
the buggy jolted over the ties and
uneven floor Of the tunnel. Now and !
then the team splashed through pools |
Of water that had drained in through |
the rock walls Now and then the wheels |
would hit the rails and almost throw |
the driver from the seat.
Schurlock said afterwards that he
began to get scared after the first 100 |
yards, but he kept on going He had |
two principal fears, one that a crew /
Of section men would come sailing |
along on handcar from either direc- /
ton and run into him, or that there
would be a cavein burying him and /
his rig under tons Of rock. Neither of |
those calamities happened, however,
and eventually there loomed ahead of
him the star Of daylight which told
him that he was nearing the end of
he bore. 1t seemed to him that he had
been hours on the way, but as a matter
of fact he had been in the tunnel less
han 30 minutes when he emerged from
.he other end
His journey along the railroad track
didn't end there, however. The portal
0f the Boulder end of the tunnel was
nigh up on the mountain side, far
above the wagon road He had to follow
he railroad grade for more than half
! mile before he found a place where
ne could leave the grade with his team
and buggy and have a $3.50 chance
# reaching the road below, right side
I'D. He made it, however, and broke into
cold sweat after it was all over.
. X-ray machines are being used in
lifting Ch0Qc In Elcrslfr1 e4orar- 1