Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1939-05-13

FF3EtACG1 SAAAAA
Privates Provided Entertainment"
with dinners, dances, luncheons'
teas and card playing for tne on
ficers. and target practice, arliis
and inspection for the pTtvates, aao
occasional church going for D0tn,
the list of amusements at Fort
shaw. In the days when 1t was
fronfier most, is by no means e1-
hAusted. ,,u r4,,oV,
There were private theatricals gwen
~, t1a officers and their wives, assisted
~ fine post orchestra, which at one
time numbered 20 pieces, ana was
probably the best musical orgaIllzatlOli
IN the territory. ,s..,so,,,
These entertainments were uecIoe!y
popular among the settlers III tne W -
rfnitv who came for miles around a.
tn q country dance, to attend them: Oh
one of these amateur affairs Mrs. roe
writes. s'It was surprising that so many
Of the Sun River and rancn peopS
came for the night was terrible, even
for Montana. and the roads must nave
been impossible in places" This was
in 1879. an unusually severe winter.
Mrs. Roe continues: Even mere III tIle
post there were great drifts OF SHOW,
and the path TO the theater was Sus
T1TOlIQn DdIiko VI o4AOW AA~5-%~e
Moods IT had been mild and pleasant
for weeks. and only two nights DeIore
fine entertainment we had gone 10 Inc
hail for rehearsal with fewer wraps
than usual We had been there apous
an hour I think, when the corporal OF
the c1lard came in to report 10 Cne OF
ficer of the day that fierce pnz1aL -
was making it impossible for sentrles 70
walk post. His own appearance Uolu
better than words what the stornl Wa
He had on q long buffalo coat, musk
rat can and gauntletS, and the 1ur
from his head down, also heavy over
shoes. were filled with snow ana at
each end of his mustache were lclcies
HANGING. He made q fine, Soldierly PIC
tire as he brought his rifle to his size
and saluted. The officer OF the Gay
hurried out, and after time returned,
he also smothered in furs ana snow.
He said the storm was terrific ana ns
did not see how many OF US coulu
possibly get to our homes.
Nevertheless, those who were re-
hearsing were willing to essay IL ana
All managed to reach their homes IN
safety. Those living in the garrison
found their way, notwithstanding tne
fierce wind that was blowing, as tney
had the snow banks along the walk 10
guide their way; but their progress was
Seriously impeded by the blown snow
which filled the path.
Others, however, were not so 1orCu-
nate. major Pierce undertook 70 see
Mrs. Elsmer safely to her home at tne
suffers store and in order to get there
fhev were OBLIGED to cross a wide space
in between the officers line and the
store. Nothing could be seen 10 feet
from them when they left the last
fence. but they tried to get their bear
inps bv the line of the fence, and CLOS
inc their eyes, dashed ahead into the
cloud of binding, singing snow. Major
Pierce had expected to go stralgnC 70
a side door of the store, but the aWlui
strength of the wind and snow pusneu
them over and they struck a corner OF
the fence farthest away-in TACT they
would have missed the fence also II
Mrs. Elsmer's fur cape had not caught
on one of the picketS, and gone out on
the plains to certain death. brlgnC
lights had been placed IN the store
windows. but not one had they seen.
The fact that the lights were IN
visible is not remarkable, II the Two
wanderers continued to keep their eyes
closed, as when they set out. Such
storm as is here described cannot De
said to be a common occurrence IN
Montana. and a winter of great severity
is frequently followed by one mllder
than any known in the east. The winter /
of 1926 was an instance of this.
It is not strange that the settlers IN +
the neighborhood of the fort should
have availed themselves Of every OPP
portunity offered there that would
serve to relieve the monotony OF their
They were no weaklings, and
never hesitated to 60 40 miles TO
dance no matter what the weather.
And this was long before the day Of
the automobile when old Dobbin con-
stituted the motive power.
Towards the last, there were bona
fide plays given there by trained actors.
In 1880, Katie Putnam and her COM
pany came up the Missouri to Fort
Benton, where they played one night
next day the company started for Hell
ena, where they had an engagement;
but learning that the Helena opera
house would not be ready for use with
in 10 days, they stopped over at Fort
Shaw, where they played for week
Their acting there was done on the
credit system, the sergeant of each
company listing the men who attended
and deducting what they owed for
tickets from their next pay. 1t worked
all right. and the actors we're not losers;
IN the contrary, they realized goodly
sum from their stay at the fort.
The story is told that MRS. GIDEON,
wife of General Gibbon, then in COM
mand at Fort Shaw, was the first to
bring professional actors to the fort. 1t
s said that she and her daughter,
while passing through Prickly Pear
canyon, noticed new cabin there. Co
ing to the door, they knocked and
we're surprised when woman con-
fronted them. She was, as they later
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