Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1940-01-19

1906 was meat is meat" and horse
meat was common food. Carson tells
of encountering a band of Indians and
stealing their horses from them. The
best animals they took for riding and
10 others were killed and the meat
Carson and his men found themselves
in the Grand canyon country very
hungry. They came upon mare in
foal and Immediately killed the ami
NAL and ate all the meat. including
the foal." at one sitting. At scattered
trading posts where supplies could be
bought, flour was 81 per pint, sugar
and coffee 50 per pint; Indians re-
ceived one-half pint of sugar for a
buffalo robe. Wages were not on a
scale with food prices and Carson tells
of working for two years as camp
hunter at a wage of 81 a day. In later
life he was offered $500 a week to
appear with a wild west show, but he
turned the offer down. He scorned
professional weSternerS.'
Despite the difficulties of life in the
wilderness, Kit Carson must have loved
it. for in telling of his trip to St.
Louis in 1912 he states that after two
days he was tired of the city and was
ready to return to the mountains. In
telling of spree in one of the settle
ments after being paid for the seasons
was paid and each of us having sew
eral hundred dollars we passed the
time gloriously, spending our money
freely. never thinking that our lives
were risked in gaining it," The trap
pers of Carson's day were all young
SterS in their tWenties and they made
the settlements lively with fandangos,
fights and other excitement on their
infrequent visits to civilization.
Kit Carson first entered the territory
that is now Montana in 1881 and cen
tered his seasonal trapping activities
in that area for more than decade.
In describing his trapping in Montana
in 1885 he said. On the first of Sep
TENDER we departed for the fall hunt,
trapping the Yellowstone and Big
Horn rivers. and crossed over to the
the north fork and wintered on the
Snake river and its tributaries"
An Encounter With Blackfeet
The Blackfeet Indians were the ter
ror of the beaver hunters during the
thirtieS and fortieS and Carson re-
lated one of his first encounters with
the Blackfeet people. He had long
known the southwestern Indians, and
he found the Blackfeet to be the
fiercest tribe of all.
In November, 1884, we got to the
Snake river where we encamped. We
remained here until February. 1885.
Nothing of moment having TRANSFERRED
until February when the Blackfeet
came and stole ID horses. Twelve of
us followed them and caught up in
about so miles. They had travelled as
snow We endeavored to get the horses
(some shots had been fred but could
not approach near enough to the In
dians to do any damage. They had
snowshoes. we had none; they could
travel over the snow without difficulty,
We would sink into the snow to our
waists.
The horses we're on the side of a
hill where there was but little snow.
Our only object was to get the horses.
We wished a parley. The Indians
agreed. One man from each side was
to proceed halfway the distance be-
tween us and have a talk.
1T was done. We talked some, the
Indians saying that they thought we
were Snake Indians and that they did
not want to steal from the whites. We
informed them that if they were
friendly why didn't they throw down
their arms and have a friendly talk
and a smoke. They agreed and laid
down their arms. We done the same.
One man to guard the arms. We then
met at the place where the first two
were tanning dlo tdlheu anu SilioAed
The Indians were 80 strong. They
sent for our horses but only returned
with five of the worst. They said they
would not give any more. We broke for
our arms and they for theirs. Then
the fight commenced. and Markhead
was in the advance, approaching two
Indians that were remaining in the
rear concealed behind two trees. 1 ap-
preached one and Markhead the other.
was not paying sufficient
to the Indian who. l noticed,
raised his gun to fire. I forgot the
danger in which I was myself and
neglected my Indian for the one of
As the Indian was ready
to fire on Markhead, raised my gun
and took sight. The Indian saw it,
and endeavored to conceal himself. l
fired and he fell. The moment I fired
thought Of my Indian. He was sight