Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-01-29

hetS anu Nurucu MS TWO horses
loose 20 feed The trail, long and
lonely wound back along the Judith
river without sight Of human being.
The Montana wilderness stretched
out on all sides scared and dry
from the summer heat. With the
silence Of the hills pressing in from
all sides, the boy sank upon the
ground, leaned against his bedrou
and rolled q cigaret. It was Kid
Russell, heading fearlessIy into the
I unknown to make his own way
Kid Russell, who was to become
famous as an artist of western life.
He had Just come from a two
months herding Job, his first in the
west. AS sheepherder young Russell
was not a success. you see it was like
this" he himself said in later years,
Il didn't think the boys had money
enough to keep me supplied-as could
lose the id things about as fast
as they were turned over TO me-"
He had managed to acquire two
horses during these two months one
Of them the famous pinto called Monte
who lived for 80 years
AS the boy sat looking across the
wilderness another rider appeared on
the trail, came slowly to a halt oppo-
site. The stranger unpacked his horses
and then strolled over to where Russell
silently watched the process.
Hello, Kid" said the buckskinned
clothed man, where's your grub and
camp OUTFIT"
Haven't got any," replied Russell
shortly.
The stranger looked him over specu-
latively. Eat at noon2"
NO" again Russell's answer was
short.
WELL" said the stranger. pulling off
his wide brimmed hat and scratching I
his head you'd best come over and /
eat with me. Elk meat amt so bad on 1
an empty belly, and never yet seen
a kid that didn't have an empty belly"
Accepted New Home
Without SO much as a grin, Russell
rose and followed his new friend IN
demonstrative with words he showed
his gratitude by hustling wood for a
fire, water for coffee and by doing
other camp chores. He answered briefly
the questions the stranger put to him.
Finally the man said, Son, my
names Jack Hoover. I'm huntin' and
trappin' up on the South fork Of the
Judith. You'd better come up there
with me when go back and stay until
you get somethin' better to do. You
can help me round the place"
Russell accepted and for the next
two years his home was on one of the
IlOok III NNO1lLdIld. II
was approached through a narrow
canyon with towering cliffs on either
side and was impossible to reach eX-
,ept with saddle horses and pack out
lit. To the 15-year-old Russell it was
paradise with its wild animal life, its
gorgeous sunsets and it's narrow, wind
ng trails up the mountain sides.
Hoover was an ideal companion for
he boy eager to listen to the stories
# gold rush days and frontier life for
le had personally experienced them.
1t was said Of the two that they only
lad one quarrel Russell was an ardent
outherner in his sympathies, while
Hoover was just as ardent in uphold
ng the north when the Civil war was
nder discussion. One day the battle
OF so hot that Russell packed his bed
ing and hit the trail. Two weeks
tier he was back, and after that the
lbject was never again mentioned be-
ween them.
1t was on this ranch that Russell's
esire to draw became an ambition
nd for hours at time, he sat, pen
l in hand, all nature lending him =
eauty for studio. He tried to trans i
r to canvass the life about him y
it'll no master to teach him but only =
IS own instinct guiding him-that n
Id the rich colorings Of the wilderness "
T patterns. r.
Left Home at Age IA n ~
Charles Russell was born In ST. &
1uis, Mo-, March 10, 1865. He was
rever dreaming of the COW country m
/ the unbroken plains. He hated II
hool and on several occasions ran st
way and headed for the west only In
be caught and returned to his home. &c
lSsells father, a wealthy manufac- di
rer of fire brick, eventually decided sa
Of ~ uroc fYaYanccilNla IN hold he hCx -
1ger, and so gave his permission for In
e 14-year-old lad to go west with ca
friend and get it out of his sys- so
m" in the hope that he would soon isl
turn home satisfied with the ven sh
re. But Russell loved the west and 20
ly returned to Missouri on visits
At the end Of two years on the Hoo -
r ranch, he made his first visit but -
On returned, bringing with him a IA
isin who came down with mountain
Ier and who died at Billings about
0 weeks after their arrival Russell,
n only so cents in his pocket and
h the snow on the ground, started
, for Hoover's ranch, 200 miles dis
1t. He had gone about Is miles Pa
ded in getting the lob as night
angler. Some Of the men in the out
were dubious about putting 300
Idle horses in charge of "the ornery Mo
.ksktn Russell Kid" for his repu- (
ion as a sheepherder had preceded \
4, but Russell made good. This was
start as a cowboy but for many
RS after he rode the range, lived in
: camps, followed the roundups un-
learning from the ground o
the things which later he was to 4
on canvas From the first he was p
'wn as the kid who painted pic Z
IS. 9
lis early efforts were mostly In the I
Of caricatures of people with whom hdr,
came in contact. They were crude ano
popular none the less. AS he grew way
er, he began to paint the things the
ut him, the life on the range, In pac
rs, horses. His pictures were always sue
2 to the life he knew and exact In the
~ detail.
Terrible Winter T
ussen was in the employ Of Stadler Cru
Kaufman when he made the or
oh which made his famous. It was and
ing the terrible winter Of '86-'87. foul
~ cattle outfits in Wyoming and bett