Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-01-15
Montana Operated on Enviable
Business-Like Basis During the
Last Year, Says Auditor Holmes

The road was finished to within rev
miles Of the present town OF Dillon, the
specific point being the Barrett station
near the mouth OF Beaverhead canyon.
Hauled Bullion From Butte
o. G. was engaged IN freighting from
the railroad terminus to Butte, Helena,
VIRGINIA City and other mining camps.
Mcdonald hired out to Cooper and a
part Of his job was to drive a l2-muie
team with three wagons with supplies
into Butte and haul back bullion from
ore roaSters in Butte and Dillon.
The fall of 1881 found the young
freighter located at Helena and IN the
employ of John j. Rohrbeaugh, q stage
line operator between Helena, Jeffer-
son SON Cifv, Wicks and other gold mining
camps. DESTROYS Of improving his edu-
cation, Charley attended school WINE
working for Rorhbeaugh In the latbers
The following spring he set out for
Dupuyer where 0. q. cooper nad a
brother, Charles Cooper, who had q
sheen ranch about six miles up Dupuyer
creek McDonald worked that spring,
summer and fall for Cooper, the sheep
man. o. G. sold his freighting business
and came to Dupuyer to engage In the
cattle business down the creek from
ais brother. Mcdonald took a fling as
a cowboy and ranch hand Tor o. u,
but this business did not last very long
because o. G. owned no land at that
time and big outfits already established
Zealously guarded their range and re-
fused to roundup with Cooper. The re-
suit was that he was forced out OF bus-
mess and sold some 100 head TO
Canadian concern.
"War" Was On
o. G. promised a battle with the
cattlemen and made good on q InTeat
to have $4,000 sheep in the territory
in a few years. Mcdonald stuck by MN
and Eventually landed in the business
for himself with 1000 head. That was
in 1886, when Cooper permitted MN
to winter on his property, which ne
bought from the government.
The following spring (188D, Charley
purchased a homestead relinqulSnmenJ
from Bill Redding, which was Lne pc
ginning of his subsequent 6,OOO-acre
ranch on the Teton known as nus MONT u
place until 1920, when he sold out TO
Ellis g. Basket There he built a spa
cious house and numerous bulldlngs
and ranched on a large scale. Other
activities such as the founding OF the
Stockmens State bank in 1913 ana &C
uuisition in 1914 of property which was
developed into what is now known as
the Mcdonald block engaged ms az
tention. He served two sessions IN the
legislature, 1915 and 1917, representing
his home county, which then included
all of what is now Pondera, Toole and
Glacier counties. In 1927 the Stockmen's
bank was merged with the Citizens
State bank and McDonald's interests
thereafter were with the latter bank
of which he is now a director.
Marries New York Girl
At Canisteo, N. Y, in 1888 he mar
ried Miss Harriet Todd Guyon OF that
citv. Miss Guyon came to Fort Benton
in 1890 to visit her uncle, w. Q. Dexter, !
a pioneer ranchman and business man
of Chouteau county who came up Jne !
Missouri river on q steamboat shortly !
after the Civil war. She taught school /
one winter near Fort Benton and the
next year came to Choteau to be as |
sistant to j. @. Bair in the Choteau |
public school. Here she met Mcdonald. |
The Dexters and Guyons were prom
inent New York state families. After an
extended visit with them and other /
relatives, the young couple again turned
to the west After returning to Choteau. |
they made their home on the Mcdonald |
ranch Their first child, Sterling, /
(naned after McDonald's father died /
vice president of the Citizens State
bank, and Mrs. katherine Murphy,
wife of County Attorney E. L. Murphy, /
are the other two children.
z3d Birthday Celebrated
Dec. % was McDonald's 73d birth
day. The natal day was made the oc-
casion for a family gathering at the
home of his son and daughter-in-law.
Included among the guests were Mr..
sister, Mrs. Katherine NC
Lean Smith of Riverside, Calf.
A few days ago Mcdonald and Mrs.
Smith left for Riverside to spend the
remainder of the winter. Mrs. Mcdonald
will join them in about month. Cal
iforria and Florida trips are regular
winter events with them.
Read the Classified Advertisements.
I