Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-04-09

~ AID the members OF q party o.
trappeTs who wandered mp anG
down Alder creek In Madison
u - county In the fan Of 1885,
thought TO look for gold instead
Of good beaver territory, the story Of
tne discovery Of the yellow metal Y
Montana might have been entirely diff
ferent. But they hadn't come for gold
They were trappers for the American
Fur CO., under the command Of Henry
Vandenburgh who had trailed into the
section from Wyoming another party
Of trappers belonging to the Rocky
Mountain Fur Co., and commanded by
Jim Bridger and Tom Fitzpatrick
The American Fur Co. was new In the
northwest, the Rocky Mountain Co..
familiar with its territory and re-
sources. The American company sought
to save time by locating the best beaver
country as found by their competitors
and then cutting in on it.
They succeeded in locating good
beaver country, and when Bridger and
Fitzpatrick, TO teach their rivals a
lesson, plunged into the wilderness In
an effort TO lead them away from it
into hostile Indian territory, Vanden-
burgh's men guessed at their intention
and turned back But Bridger and Fitz-
patrick succeeded better than they
knew. Vandenburgh's party was at
tackled by Indians and Vandenburgh
was killed.
Bridger Wounded
For their part, the party Of Bridger
and Fitzpatrick was also attacked by
the very Indians into whose territory
they had sought to lure their Compel
ttors, and Bridger was sorely wounded
by an arrow. He carried the iron head
Of It in his back for three years before
he finally succeeded in having 1t re-
moved, the operation being performed
by DR.. Marcus Whitman OF Walla
Walla at a trapper's rendezvous In
northern Wyoming when the doctor |
happened to pass by that way.
The rivalry between the Rocky
Mountain Fur Co., and the American
Fur Co., started the instant the latter
company entered the northwest ter
ritory where the Rocky Mountain Co.
had been operating for several years,
practically without competition. To
Vandenburgh, one Of the chief clerks
of the company at Fort Union, and an
able, enterprising and tndefatigable
leader, fell most of the mountain ex-
peditions, when Kenneth Mckenzie,
found that he could not lead them
himself. Bridger and Fitzpatrick nad
been peStered before by Vandenburgn's
men following them. A party under
and q man named DripS
had trailed them In the Big Horn and
Powder river countries, but each time
the Rocky Mountain Fur Co. men had
succeeded in shaking off their purSuers.
In the summer OF 1882, however,
Vandenburgh and DripS had located
the summer rendezvous Of the Rocky
Mountain Co., in Pierre's Hole in north
srn Wyoming and had arranged for
T,ucien Fontanelle, another American
Fur Co. agent to meet them there with
} supply Of trade goods so they could
compete for the seasons catch OF furS.
The Rocky Mountain Co.'S goods,
brought across the plains, was late IN
arriving, but finally reached the rem
devious before the goods OF its COM
,etitor. The trading was finished ana s
,efore the American Fur Co. men had ]
eceived their supplies, the Rocky I
Mountain Fur Co. party under Bridger I
Ind Fitzpatrick broke camp and LETT, I
linking to get away from their rivals l
While they were still waiting for their
They had decided upon the I
leadwaters Of the Missouri river IN :
Tontana for their fall operations. '
Tired Of Waiting E
In the meantime, Vandenburgh and 4
)ripS, tired Of waiting for Fontaneuet Il
tarted to search for him, and located q
i'm Aug. 8, on Green river. There the i
arties remained for four days tran II
acting the business of the annual rem d
ezvous, after which Fontanelle turned L
ack to Fort Union with the furs taken a
a trade and trapped by the Vanden-
urgh and Drips party, and the latter d
NO with their men set out to pick up %
he trail of the party Of Fitzpatrick Il
nd Bridger.
AS they again passed through Pierre's B
Lole, vandenburgh detached party fe
nder w. A. Ferris to make circuit a
Z the country at the head of the W
almon river and find the F1athead CT
ldians, then rejoin their comrades
/ the valley Of the Big Hole river, &C
rincipal tributary of the Jefferson in
yer, one of the three forks Of the vi
Lissouri. Vandenburgh and DripS, with di
lie remainder Of the party, having ri
und the trail Of the trappers ahead be
them, followed it down the Jeffer- tn
N, and so they could travel faster, so
lched most of their supplies and or
Iuipment at Horse Prairie. ca
Ferris and his men rejoined them on ws
spt. / on his return from the Flat an
Fad Indians and on Sept. 10, the gu
hole party overlook Bridger and Fitz- FRI
Itrick. The latter, exasperated beyond wi
eaSure determined to lead the Amer Les
an Fur Co. men q chase they would tn
On Sept. II they set out mi