Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1939-04-29

which many had, and the oxen in the
! train, could travel, and that 1t was all
that the horses could stand. The others
4 thought they could make 35 miles a
day by travelling ahead.
| At the start one morning Allen told
the grumblers he would give them half
/ an hour to pull out and the remainder
of the train would wait that long so
they could get going. IF they left the
train, he told them, they could not re-
/ join it later on. The half hour passed
and no one pulled out. There was no
more trouble.
The train reached Powder river on
Aug and laid up to rest for day or
two, as the animals were pretty wen
worn out, especially the horses. The
mules and oxen stood the travelling
better. The train had had numerous
skirmishes with rowing bands OF In
dams but had suffered no losses. On
Middle Goose creek in Wyoming the
train also paused for q few days TO
rest up and prospect for gold. On Aug
10 camp was made on the Little Big
Horn, Just opposite the Custer battle
field. The train remained there for
several days.
While in camp there, Thomas Ran
dali, Chicago man, was killed by the
accidental discharge OF revolver In
the hands Of a man named Charles
SWerts He was buried In the cemetery
at old Fort @. r. Smith, and the next
day Swerts left the train with his eff
fects, some of his companions having
objected to his continuing with them
after the fatal shot.
While the train was rounding the
base of the Big Horn mountains, DR..
Allen killed his first buffalo. 1t took
five shots TO bring the animal down.
He had thought to get himself q buffalo
robe, but he found the old bulls hide
so thick that he gave UP the sHnning
as two-day job and contented himself
by returning to camp with the tongue
and the meat from the hump.
Reaching the Big Horn canyon, the
guide, Lyons, was entirely at sea. He
left the wagon train for the ostensible
purpose Of going to Crow Agency TO
obtain provisions, promising to be back
in three days. He never did come back.
At this point the wagon train split, 46
outfits going on to Bozeman and pr
Allen and his companions from the
Black Hills heading FOR the Wind river
country, the scene of the alleged gold
strike Of which they had been told by
their guide, and where he had promised
to rejoin them.
In camp on Wind river, nearly out
Of provisions and with their horses
exhausted, they awaited in vain the re-
turn Of their guide. They killed enough
elk to relieve the food shortage, and
even dried some Of the meat for future
use There were now 10 wagons In the
train When the guide failed TO return
to show them where the gold digg1ngS
were, an Indignation meeting was nelo.
There was talk of 8 committee riding
after him and hanging him, but that
was not done.
The camp, however, split again Some
- ~(n ~kkaI
bad lands, and Allen went with that
contingent. Others hung back, how
ever, saying they had decided to winter
In that spot. The fellows who started
north, however, learned that the stray
glers had something else In mind: They
knew that it was tough travelling In
that direction and they had decided
to hang back for several days until
the others had found and broken q
trail out Of the country, after which
they would follow.
Aliens crew resented very much this
attempt to make them do all OF the
hard work. Allen and his companions
encountered q gully 10 miles ON their
road which they could neither cross nor
90 around and were compelled TO build
bridge Of driftw0od and sagenruSh-
It was a long and arduous task When
IL was completed and the wagons all
across the chasn, the travellers burned
the structure In order 70 impress upon
their friends who were TO follow them,
the error of their ways In being so
selfish and lazy. The lesson should have
been taken TO heart, for when the lag
CARDS arrived at the gully on the trail
broken ahead Of them, they had TO
camp for two days and haul timber for
five miles with which 70 build another
bridge. Construction Of the first bridge
had taken all the available timber IN
the immediate vicinity and only the
ashes remained TO show the success OF
The little party In the lead went on
across the Grow reservation TO the
Rosebud river, then 70 the Yellowstone
and on In the wake OF their companions
from whom they had previously sep
arated, TO Boxeman. DR.. Allen says they
arrived In Bozeman, filthy ragged and
destitute" There the party nroke UP,
some going on TO the Virginia City
diggings and others 20 various other
camps Allen worked AZ q blackSniEn IN
Roxeman long enough 20 Sc money
with which 10 outfit himself with new
rIothea and other things b. needed.
Txsaer ha went 30 work on the stage