Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1939-04-15

II Lfic company 1ailed 70 view IL in the
same manner, no action was taken
/ against Clark TO prove IT,"
/ Under the circumstances. It IS not
! strange that Clarks family tried To
exonerate him from the charge OF
murder. Had he not shot Mckenzie
quite likely he himself. would have
! been killed. The fact that Mckenzie
was drunk, rendered him none the less
! dangerous. Clark, In the language OF
/ the day, was not taking any chances.
I There are plenty OF instances recorded
4 in the history Of the young west Of
feuds like that between Harvey and
Clark and their friends. when It was
the question Of who should shoot first
and straightest. There was one similar
in Bannack (when Crawford disabled
Plummer's right arm, so that he was
compelled to train his left In marks
manShip. Crawford left the country,
knowing he stood no chance against
the strong organization Of the road
agents.. Clark did not attempt TO flee,
and no one ever attributed his willing
ness to go to st. Louis after Mckenzie
was slain, to any such cause. He stayed.
1t was Harvey who left the country
He had become too notorious, and the
mere fact that he acted as q represen-
tative of the American Fur Co, in
jured his trade. The Indians hated
him, taking the first opportunity to
express their feelings when they left
Fort Mckenzie naught but a pile Of
ashes, where nothing can be found
today but a few mounds Of earth over
grown with vegetation, and perhaps
some beads, to indicate the site of
what was once a thriving trading post
at the head of navigation on the
Missouri.
Traders and trappers who cut them
selves off from civilization and their
own womankind cannot be judged by
ordinary standards They not only
dealt with IndianS-they lived with
them, and generally adopted their Gus
toms as more suited to the manner of
the wilderness. Civilization exiled them
through its demand for one item Of
luXury-beaver fur. Tt was the excep-
tional man, like David Thompson, who
was able to live above his surrounding.
Most of the white men, who were the
earliest pioneers Of the mountain sec |
tor, inevitably degenerated, and could
not be said to have furnished bright |
and shining example for their red
brothers. There were those Of our race
here then who had all Of the vices and
few Of the virtues of the Indians.
This we did not like TO acknowledge /
at first; but now that there Is no longer
any great danger to be apprehended |
from the Indians than the spread Of /
trachoma, and we have ceased to fear
them, they are becoming an interest
ing study to any who have a liking TO
and we are willing. to ac-
knowledge that there Is much in COM
mon between the two races, even In
cruelty, our own race bearing away the
palm in this respect.
We do not yet know which is the
stronger factor In our development,
heredity or environment, but the evil
dence brought forward so far gives the
precedence to environment. The early
day environment of the fur hunters
and traders certainly contributed to
make them what they were.
Harvey had good reason to be on his
guard against Clark, as Is narrated by
Chittenden, and from this tale we
CLEAN the impression that the better
portion of the companys employees be-
lieved that while that desperate lived,
no ones life was safe who did not ally
himself with Harvey.
A boat on the Missouri, either going
up or down, stopped at Fort Chardon,
which was situated at the mouth OF the
Judith. Harvey was in command there,
and as was customary, went down TO
interview the new arrivals. These were
James Lee; Berger, the interpreter,
Who first opened trade with the Piegans
,or the American Fur Co., and NAL
,olm Clark
"As Harvey stepped onto the boat"
;ays Chittenden, "Clark struck him
over the head with a tomahawk, and
Berger hit him with rifle. Harvey
would have thrown Clark into the river
put for a disabling blow over the hand
delivered by Lee"
Tt was in 1845 this occurred. Harvey
managed to escape and reach the fort,
where he closed the gates and refused
10 admit even Major Culbertson, who
vas with the Clark party, but had
taken no part in the fray until the
former had plead long and hard.
After this attack on him, Harvey
left the American Fur Co. but not the
FUR trade; as he returned to the country
and became, for a time, a dangerous
competitor in every sense of the word.
He was in the northwest country and
20 was Clark, and during the nine years
slapsing between the attack on Harvey
and the killing of Owen Mckenzie, the
half blood, it is quite certain no love
vas lost between the two factions.
Neither of these stories can be called
pleasant reading, save for those who
delight in bloodshed; yet they serve to
Illustrate conditions here before the
coming of the settlers, who were called
Upon to deal Stringently with men Of
The Harvey type, but none so bad as
ne. Henry Plummer may have equalled
1im in intelligence, but Plummer pos
;esSed more redeeming qualities.