Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1939-02-24
e James A. Garfield's Trip Into Montana i'm 1872
Lesser Known But important Point i'm History

the Flatheads against their enemies,
the Crows, Sioux and Snakes.
On Sunday, the 25th, Garfield re-
cords simply: Held a long conference
with the Flathead chiefs and after
almost failing, succeeded"
Thus tersely is noted the agreement
which later became known as the Gar
field treaty-a document which pre-
vented possible border warfare of the
most sanguine and vicious sort. In
the hands of a man less capable,
hatreds might have flared and tempers
broken; the border might have gone up
in the red flames of massacre and
battle. But: %. after almost falling,
succeeded"
and Garfield thought he would come
to terms after having thought the
matter over In this he was wrong-it
was not until 1891 that Chariot, a
grand, old man who loved the valley
where lay the bones of his fathers
and did not want to leave it, moved to
the Jocko with tiny band that had
chosen to cling with him rather than
go to the reservation.
Under date of the 26th, in his diary
Garfield registers indignation at a
letter of William Welsh, Philadelphia
merchant and philanthropist, who was
especially active in the cause of In
dian rights. The letter, addressed to
John Owen, founder of Fort Owen
was published in Missoula newspaper
and read in part: Il have heard of the
them to leave the Bitter Root valley.
If the Indians cannot get the rights
any other way, they are justified in
combining for defense against CO.
ercion."
Removal Peaceful
! Forced to leave the homes of their
fathers. the Flatheads certainly were,
but Garfield had smoothed that re-
moval from one of vicious force to one
, of peace. His work now completed, he
prepared to return east. Under the
date of the 25th. he notes: Took the
stage a little after 2 in the morning
for Deer Lodge. The beautiful Missoula
river has been permanently ruined by
the miners, and has been for three
years as muddy as the Missouri. Be-
fore the discovery of gold. it was as
/ could well be. On the way Claggett
shot seven crows in the space of five
minutes. Reached Deer Lodge an hour
before midnight. Steve being sober
we drove very slow and did not de-
nounce Greeley anything like SO fierce
ly as on the down journey, although
he still refused to support him"
Helena and here spent some time; dur
ing latter day and night seeing various
things there: An acre of ground from
which had been cut SO bushels OF
wheat. and the Chinese quarter of the
city On Friday, the 30th. he babe
goodby to his friends and took an early
stage for the south Passing the dry
gulch, where stands the great deac
pine on which so many men were hung
by the Vigilantes. The driver told me
that he predicted that the tree woulC
not live 10 days after the first mer
were hung upon it. This was the driv.
er's philosophy, man is the master o!
this world. and when his spirit goe:
out. something has to go with it. anc
trees on which men have been hung
always die"
On Saturday, the 3lst, Garfield made
the last entry of the Montana section
OF his diary: The stock on this line
have been fed only on bunchgras
nearly all summer and are beginning
TO show the want Of oats. The road!
are getting a little heavy and We arr
losing time We conclude on this jour
ney not to wash our faces and thu
avoid the bad effects of the alkal
dust on the skin. Our stage is les
crowded than when we came up, bu
the 'Jerkie' which we took during par