Glacier County chief., 1939-03-17
By ELMO

81
page of history for himself
during the Civil war, watched ever
after his graduation from West
Point for word of classmate from
whom he had expected a brilliant
record. He never heard again of
his comrade in life, but on a post
war visit to Montana he stumbled
on an isolated grave, and inquiry
brought the information that it
was the last resting place of his
old classmate, Malcolm Clark. The
two men graduated together from
West Point way back in the 1905.
Both entered active service at the
same time. But Clark, after a period of
activity as an army officer, yielded
to the lure of the wilderness and came
into the upper Missouri river country
as trapper and trader. While Sher-
man was rising from bars to stars in
the army. Clark was writing for him.
self a rather large page in the pre-
pioneer annals of the mountain
country.
In the Blackfeet tribe one lodge,
larger than others, was dedicated to
the councils of the mighty among the
chieftains. Within the lodge was al
ways one lodgepole much whittier than
the others. often secured after long
and painstaking search 1t was the one
pole among many which caught the
eye upon entering the council lodge.
So striking was Clark's figure, and
so imposing was his personality that
the Indians quickly named him White
Lodge Pole. He lived up to his name
throughout his career in the Indian
hi oyrttra IN,
ried first to Blackfeet woman, the
sister-in-law of Major Culbertson,
Clark became a leadey in tribal coun-
ellis and among the trappers and trad
ers in their dealings with the Indians.
So great became his prestige that the
Hudson's Bay Co., early dominant In
the fur industry and long formidable
enemy and competitor of the American
companies. offered Clark an important
position in its ranks. Clark, a loyal
American, refused.
Turns Rancher in 1864
After almost quarter OF century
as a trader, Clark decided in 1864 to
turn rancher. He located on Little
Prickly Pear not far from Helena and
his half-Indian family. 1t was at this
ranch, after he had turned to more
orthodox white man mode Of life, that
he met a tragic death at the hands OF
treacherous Indian relatives whom he
had helped out of many difficulties in
the past.
a smooth. satisfactory matter for the
first two or three years, his herds grow
ing to profitable proportions; his fam
ily life happy. His Indian relatives still
nomadic. appeared at intervals for
visit and were welcomed. until treach-
cry appeared.
Ne-tus-che-o. a cousin of Clark'S dead
first wife, came to the Clark home,
ostensibly for a routine visit After
weeks stay the Clark horses and those
of the Indians disappeared. The tracks
said the thieves were white men. This
was pretty definitely proved when,
little later, the Clark horses. ranch
brands and all, returned to the ranch.
Clark was in a bad spot. The horses
of his Indian guests had been stolen
from the ranch of their white brother.
They looked to the white man to re-
dress their loss. Clark made every ef-
fort to locate the horses and return
them to their rightful owners, but ne
was unable to do so.
The Indians left the Clark home on
a rainy night when Clark had been
called away on business. Since they
had arrived at the ranch with horses,
they considered themselves justified In
leaving with other horses in their
place. When it was discovered the
guests we're gone and that the morse
herd also had disappeared. Clarks
sons, Horace and Nathan. set out to
follow the Indians and recover the
animals They returned home unsuc-
cessful.
Then Clark, with son Horace. set out
for the Indian camp where Horace TOOK
from Ne-tus-che-o his favorite mount
r1u yNrnCinitQtai n
der. The matter was finally straight.
ened out without bloodshed. Clark told
Ne-tus-che-o that he could have Tor
given the theft of the horses, but
never the theft of his spyglass, which
the Indians had taken from his home.
Ill Feeling Rankfes
Despite the protestations of contin-
ued friendship on the part Of Ne-tus-
che-o and his braves; Ill feeling lily
concealed, ranked still.
Conditions were such at this time
that the Piegans, with whom the Clark
family was connected. had no use for
any white man but Clark, and that
only because Of family ties and Clark's
well established prestige. Clark was
lions as an adjunct to the management
of his ranch, and had matters well in
hand when, in August, 1869, Ne-tus-
che-o and three Indians appeared one
evening after dark at the Clark home
and were welcomed by Clark and his
family. with their horse .feud. crowded
into the background, Ne-tus-che-o and
Horace Clark met and embraced as
brothers. The Indians claimed their
visit was for the purpose of returning
to Clark some horses that had peen
stolen by Blood Indians some years
before, which the three visitors had
recovered.
The actions of one of the Indians
were offensive to Helen P. Clark. a
daughter, and she became apprehen-
sive for the family's safety, but she
could only bide her time and hope she
was mistaken. Her fears were soon
proved well-founded.
Horace prepared to go mile or two
from home for some horses, accom-
panied by a young Indian visitor:
Horace. too. was rather suspicious, and