Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1939-09-15

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during which the scientist served gen.
erous quantities of his wines so that
by the time the inspectors were ready
to inspect they were in SO mellow a
condition that they probably could not
been in plain sight. After long adieus
all around the soldiers left and the
Omega continued up the river. The
company at Fort Union would not be
without Observation-Disclosures to M.
Audubon.
Audubon even got a chance to wit
ing the voyage when a party of braves
hailed the boat indicating that they
steamer failed to stop they fired upon
it and bullets whizzed about the heads
Of the passengers for several minutes.
Nobody was hurt but Audubon got sew
eral bullets to keep as mementos OF
the event.
In an article written for a Missouri
newspaper, Captain La Barge told Of
a disagreeable experience he had with
Audubon when the two became en-
gagged in a discussion concerning black
squirrels. Wrote La Barge:
ION one occasion he (Audubon)
asked me If had ever seen any black
squirrels during my voyages on the
upper Missouri My answer was that I
had often killed them. DO you know
what black squirrel is?' he asked. I
replied that I knew what I called a
black squirrel, and would try to get
days later we were windbound Seeing
that we would be compelled to remain
tied to the bank most of the day I
took my gun and started around to
look for a black squirrel. was for
and shot him. He proved to be fine
large buck. I brought him aboard"
Pronounced Fine Specimen
THE first person I met was Mr.
Bell, taxidermist of the Audubon party.
who remarked, after examining the
squirrel, that it was certainly a very
fine specimen: He called Mr.. Audubon's
NAL carefully, and then said e me:
That is what you call black squirrel,
| is it? expected as much. 1t Is very
strange that people born and raised
in a country do not know the names
Of the animals and birds which 1t pro- pro-
thus criticized for some time. I re-
marked that would take it down to
! the cook and have it baked for din
ner. No, nor said Mr.. Audubon, Mr..
Bell will take care of it, and then
walked off.
Some few days after this one of
his assistants called to me. to show me
| a painting that Audubon had finished
that morning. This was after dinner, as
Mr.. Audubon had always to retire TO
his stateroom after that meal and
have his long afternoon nap. The as
sistant took advantage OF this oppor-
! tunity to show me some of the draw
ings which Audubon was opposed to
our seeing. On entering the. room
saw the drawing of the squirrel Just
finished, and certainly never saw
anything representing life so striking
Mr.. Audubon had remarked that 1t was
the best specimen of black squirrel
he had ever painted
Audubon and his party reached Fort
Union when that outpost OF the north
west frontier was in the midst Of its
most active years. Not a trace OF the
old fort remains today but at that
factor at Fort Union had kept guest
book during those stirring years 1t
would have contained the names OF
several other noted personages IN ad-
dition to Audubon, for other visitors
to the fort during that Peried in enIae
Gore, the Irishman who quarreled vio-
lently with fort officials and left in a
huff and who is remembered to history
because of his ruthless slaughter OF
game in the Yellowstone country; and
Prince Macmillan of Weld, member
of German royalty. one of whose great
grandsons makes modern headlines as
the fast-driving consort Of the Crown
Princess OF Holland.
Audubon and his companions ex-
plored the region about Fort Union
all summer and collected hundreds OF
specimens of animal and plant lie.
The party had its official taxidermistt
along to care for the animals and
birds collected Audubon made num-
Der Of drawings during the stay at the
fort. He did not return to St. Louis by
made leisurely voyage down the river
in the early autumn. Students OF Mon
tana high schools and colleges who
collect specimens as part Of their study
each year are only carrying on study
which was started In Montana nearly
100 years ago by the greatest naturalist
Of them all-Audubon, the historian OF
wild life.