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

him and thought him one of the finest
fellows I ever met, honest and indus
trious as any man in the west" This
was true of Ives at the time.
Walla Walla, Wash, Cardweu, Elk
City and Orffe, Ida, were the scenes
of Barney's gold diggings IN 1860. IN
1861 he came TO Montana. IL Is quite
likely that he entered by the way OF
Clearwater, for the winter OF 81 ana
81 was spent in Florence
In the spring Of 1862 he made his
way to Idaho. One can vision this little
man among a band of struggling travel
erS making his way up through the
Bitter Root; which at that time was a
series of rocky flats separated by timex
growths Of trees and underbrush along
the rivers and streams. The party Went
up through Ross Hole, by the Giloglee
springs following an old Indian trail
into Idaho. The magnificent interstate
highway between Montana and Idaho
at this point keeps to this old trail
pretty closely.
At that time there was some placer
work in what was later called Gibbons
Vile 1t is reputed to be the Oldest
mining camp in Idaho.
In August of 1862, some Wanderer
carried the news of a rich strike in
Bannack to the Idaho proSpectors.
Barney was among those who packed
their few BELONGINGS. climbed the steep
trail I'D Nez Perez creek, over the con-
tinental divide; waded through the tall
thick grasses of the Big Hole and
GraSShopper and into BannacR.
Bannack proved to be pretty crowd
ed little camp that winter. In fact. It
was overcroWded. So in January, Bill
Fiairweather, Henry Edgar, Tom Cover,
Bill Sweeney, Henry Rodgers and
Barney Hughes hit the trail for Deer
Lodge. About the first OF April, When
melting streams and bare spots on the
hillsides began to call all prospectors
to action these six packed their horses
and headed toward the Yellowstone
river where they had planned to meet
James Stewart and another party OF
miners from Fort Benton.
That trip was the headliner Of the
century, a real frontier thriller. They
failed to make connections WITH
Stewards men and decided to go on
by themselves. 1t was not long before
thew were surrounded and taken prison.
ers by a band of hostile Crows Every
thing that they had was taken away
from them, even most of their clothes.
Here they were held for a few days
while the Indians put them through all
kinds of nonunderstandable antics held
long councils, trying to agree as TO
their disposal Finally a decision to re-
lease them was reached. With a few
old sore backed ponies, a few pounds
of flour, a little bacon and coffee, the
proSpectors we're turned loose.
Barney and his friends camped that
night not far from the Indian village
They felt quite safe. After dark
friendly squaw stole IN among them
and informed these trusting white men
that they had been let go by the In
dams Just for the sport Of recapturing
torturfng and killing them. With Their
blessings on the squaw they moved on
and howl The weeks that followed
were one long game of hide and seek
with the Indians The miners headed
back toward Bannack with but very
vague idea Of where the town was,
FINALLY. on May %, feeling that they
had e1uded the Crows for the time be-
YY1g. they camped In Alder gulch. near
where Virginia City now stands. It was
abort b m. Their provisions consisted
AZ two pounds of flour, q pound OF
Macon end q little coffee. they had
irving pan that served the triple ptr--
roses uf q mixing bowl, gold pan and
kEetr only cooking utensl ~ was
Bnrmevs turn to cook that evening
re has often told the story TO friends
IN Esn Hole pretty much as follows
swTsns old skates the Indians mao
wfven us In place OF our own horses.
@Rrnved a few hundred yards. up xne
eTn@k BflI Fairwea&l1er went after them