Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1939-12-30
TRAPPER'S LODGE
WAS TAILOR SHOP
FIRST EXCLUSIVE" MEMS STORE
IN STATE WAS INDIAN
TEPEE
There Were No Patterns From Which
to Select Style of Cut, and Each Man
Furnished His Own Materials, Which
Was Skins Of wild Animals.

| In an Indian tepee In the Pryor
mountains, on the high divide that
separates the Big Horn and ClaEk's
Fork watersheds, 81 years ago, was
/ opened the first exclusive mems
| tailoring establishment IN Mon
| tana, operated by q merchant tan
or. Swarthy frOntbersmen, armed
| TO the teeth and ears, ever alert,
guarded the tailor shop with its
one lone tailor and his squaw as
sistants from possible raids by In
dams.
The establishment of the tailoring
shop was one of the unusual incidents
that marked hunting expedition into
the Pryor mountains IN the winter Of
1848-49, when Uncle Billy Hamilton,
the pioneer scout, who, In 1858, es-
tablished trading post at MiSsoula,
and party of "A other free trapperS
from New York hunted and trapped
there from October until March.
There were no patterns from which
to select style for the clothing and
every man furnished his own cloth,
which was the skins Of mountain
sheep, but the fit of each garment
would have done credit to the finest
tailor on Broadway Ned Williams was
the cutter, designer and boss tailor
and he had as his assistants four
EOudWS. WHO were UlEiIHcu W bIdUHCI6.
Wanted Leather Suits
The men from New York expressed
a desire to have buckskin suits such
as the trapperS wore and declared
willingness TO pay well for them After
talking the matter over, Williams, who
had served his apprenticeship as
tailor and had worked at the trade,
said he would make the suits and also
make suits for some of the trappers,
providing he had the assistance of the
squaws and the men would construct
rough work table.
Uncle Billy Hamilton and Jack Per-
kins built the work table and then
preparations were made to secure the
material for making suits. Tt was de-
cided to use the skins Of mountain
sheep, from which the best buckskin
suits were made by the frontiersmen. !
There were plenty Of sheep In the
Pryor mountains, not three miles from
camp and so a hunt was planned. Six
Of the trappers and two New Workers
saddled their Indian ponies and start |
ed off in search of material for their
clothes. With them they took two dogs |
that were well trained to hunt for |
sheep.
Hunted In the Snow
The party had a very hard time |
reaching the mountains, the snow was |
so deep, but about 9 o'clock in the |
after ascending one of the |
loftieSt buttes, tracks Of game were
found. but Uncle Billy was unable to
.ell whether they were the tracks of
sheep or deer. The party was divided,
each starting up side of another hill.
The dogs raised two bands of sheep
and the animals started for the top
If the butte, where the dogs held them
Until Uncle Billy and his party reached
shooting distance.
After chasing the animals back and
orth over the hill the hunters, killing
1t each turn, secured total of IL fine
ioes, two rams and two yeaTlinge. The
lnimals were skinned and the pelts,
With the brains. tongues, sanews and
bout 200 pounds of the choicest meat,
we're taken back to the camp. The
inew served as a substitute for bread
nd the brains were used by the squawS
o dress the hides.
Arriving at camp, Uncle Billy and
lis partners dressed the skins by re-
moving all of the hair and surplus
lesh and then turned them over to
he SquawS I'd oil, dress and thorough :
2 smoke, after which they were ready
Or the tailor.
Made An Absolute Ftt
When the skins were ready to be cut,
Williams tno& She measurement ID the
NO New X@#&Rww With as much bare
5 IL he haxS S#@n wag'&lnR LA o ah- h,
Iaabie ta&Ss asanss azs khaSr lh6z@& I.
e told Gsa@a sE$@ @
rat he waS k0saa@ 30 sfI0w them Just