Montana oil and mining journal., 1939-10-21
james Willard Schultz, Noted Writer of Indian
Stories Came to Montana to "Kill Buffalo"

lanes Willard Schultz, noted
author of SO books on Indian
life. who was adopted into the
BIackfeet tribe 62 years ago,
came up the Missouri river from
ST. Louis to Fort Benton with the
sole ambition of "kiIling as buff
falo," he declared in recent in
terview. Mr.. Schultz is known
throughout the United States as
the author of "Blackfeet Tales of
Glacier National Park" "My Life
as an Indian" Bird Woman" and
more than 80 other volumes dealing
with Indian life in northern Montana.
He observed his 80th birthday ON last
Aug. 26. He was born at Boonvile,
INV Life as an Indian" Is Schultz
favorite book. Another which, ne re-
marked. incidentally, may be IN error
IN one respect. is titled Bird Woman"
It is the life history of Saca1awea, the
Indian maid who guided Lewis ands
Clark through Montana. In his book,
Schultz said Sacaja jawea died at Chey-
enne. Wyo. A short time after the
book was published an old squaw told
him that SacajaWea was buried at
Great Falls: that she was positive Of
1t because 'I attended her funeral,
Schultz quoted her as saying.
'Saca iaWea." said Schultz, passed
pretty much out Of the picture after
her part in the Lewis and Clark ex-
pedftion and it was not an easy matter
to trace her life and movements in
her latter years The best information
I could get when writing the book
- {a<1 Of ClNarrnt1Tln
Is it possible that she may have died
there, but was buried at Great Falls?
In that case the Squaw would De cor
rect in what she said"
Schultz was born at BoOnville, N. Y,
the son of well-to-do parents. His
father died while he was small boy,
leaving his mother close to $20O, 900 IN
cash, most of which she lost IN IL
nancial deal in Portland, Ore. "She
bought stock IN a bank that went
broke" said her son.
Visited Uncle at st. Louis
Il left my home town in New York
to visit my uncle at st. Louis" said
Schultz in explaining how he hap
pened to come to Montana. MY uncle
owned the Planters hotel. When ar
rived there 1 met a lot of trappers
and. fur traders from Montana. st.
Louis was their outfitting headquar- |
ters in those days. They all stayed at
my mcle's hotel when they came
down the river with their cargoes.
Their stories of life in Montana so /
interested me that I was Immediately !
fired with a desire to see the west.
They told about thousands of buffaloes |
roaming the plains and Of how easy 1t
was TO shoot one I then and there /
resolved that / wanted to kill buffalo. |
Up to that time had never seen one. h
$50 ! wrote my mother, telling her /
of my ambitions and asking that she
send me $500 expense money. Mother
sent the money but made me promise
that / would be back in time to enter
school in the fall. ] had previously
been attending a military academy. l
wrote back and promised. Tnen we
started. had met man at ST. Louis
by the name of Howard Conrad, He
was member Of the f1rm OF l. u.
Baker 81 Co., traders at Fort Benton,
and a brother of w. G.. Conrad, later
a prominent Montana cattleman, bank
er and politician. On the way up the
river-2 100 miles to Fort Benton-We
saw great herds of buffalo, elk, deer
and plenty Of grizzlies in the Rockies,
within the confines Of what Is now
Glacier national park"
Met Joseph Kipp
Arriving at the head of navigation
Fort Benton-Schultz was introduced
TO a Joseph Kipp, half-breed In
dian. They formed q partnership and
set up a trading post at a place called
Carroll on the Missouri river, east OF
Great Falls and about 80 miles above
.he point where the MuSselsheu emp
Ties into the Missouri. That was IN
she winter Of 1879. They purchased
more than 1000 buffalo hides from
-