Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1939-09-01
Twodot Wilson, Cattle Baron i'm Overalls, Built
Early Day Empire ON Central Montana Range
By BETTE EISELEIN

NNE fall late in the 1905, the
~ boys from the Two Dot and
other Musselshen valley
ranches shipping cattle to the
Chicago market, were out to paint
the city red. The cattle were mar
keted and the price had been good
and the boys made no secret of
the fact that they intended to raise
enough hell during their remain
ing time in Chicago to furnish
conversation until next shipping
time.
But as the Musselshell valley boys,
dressed in their finest, staggered
along the sidewalks in search Of ex-
element, they were annoyed by the
little beared man in faded overalls
and tattered Stetson who kept falling
behind the rest to look in windows
Come on, Twodotty!"' they hollered,
anything. Hurry up!"
But trying to hurry Twodotty was
as useless as pouring water in a gopher
hole. Unlike the rest of the fellows
Twodotty wasn't interested in getting
game. He didn't drink, smoke or gam
BILE and he was perfectly contented
to loiter along the street and marvel
at the merchandise displayed in win
dows.
Finally Arthur Russell, cattle fore
man of the Two Dot ranch. had an
idea. Stepping up, to police officer on
See that old fellow in the overalls?
Well, he's been following US for the
last hour. Wish you'd run him in"
The policeman did not hesitate in
the performance of his duty and in.
formed the "old fellow, in overalls"
that he was under arrest.
Under arrest" howled Twodotty in
the high, cracked voice for which he
was famous. What the hell for?"
"Vagrancy.". said the, officer.
"vagrancy?" shrieks Twodotty.
What the hells vagrancy?"
Those fellows complained you've
been following EN-"
"Showing" the Policeman
A gleam came into Twodotty's eye
as he observed the boys farther up
the street no longer attempting to
hide their mirth.
in here with me-" And he turned into
a bank on the corner and marched
Young man" he addressed him,
will you take my note for sl5,O0oP"
No glamor boy was George R. 1.-TWO
dot Wilson, but he had Just shipped
into the Chicago stockyards with two
trains of cattle. When he died on Oct.
%, 1907. he left an estate valued at
S258,l27:67 and those who had known
him well had never seen him dressed
in anything but overalls or old cor
duroy.
There is nothing romantic about
Twodot wilson's success story. He sue
saving and self denial. He was born
in Elmira, N. Y, on Sept. 80, 1880, the
son of an English-born farmer with
a large family and small income:
Until he was 16 he lived with a half
brother. But in those days boy OF
mans work, so young George hired out
for wages out west in Whitewater,
wis.
In 1864, at the age of "a, Wilson
came to Montana with a wagon train
of 1854 men and Is families OF women
and children; They reached Virginia
winter there cutting wood for his
board, and for the next few years he
cut and sold wood in Helena and
Virginia City.
Three months ranching experience
with an outfit in the Jefferson valley
were sufficient to convince him of the
future Of the cattle industry in Mon
tana, and after returning to Alder
gulch and breaking even on a golG
claim for a year. he went with friend
to Salt Lake City to buy cattle. They
returned in 60 days with herd, sold
it, and cleared 100 percent. After that
he was never out of the cattle bust
ness, for after successfully buying and
selling cattle for five years, he took
up a ranch in the Boulder valley in
Jefferson county in 1874, and in 1877
he took up another on the Musselshell
near Martinsdale, Meagher county.
His Holdings Grow
His holdings continued to grow as
rapidly as his capital and sound bust
ness Judgment would allow. He had
deeds to about $4,000 acres of land in
Meagher county, and two or three
ranches in Sweet Grass county. FIRE.
quently he owned as many as 5000
head of cattle, 10000 sheep and $500
head of range horses. He had at one
time five or six hundred head of Per-
cheron, Norman and Clydesdale horses
which were his particular pride, own
ing blooded stations which were val
ued at $1,000. He lost all but one of
these one spring when a strange and
hitherto unknown disease struck the
herd. One of the dead animals was
said to have cost him 81 900. His pay
roll averaged the then tremendous
sum of S45 a day.