Glacier County chief., 1940-02-02

T1hs, tOlo curing MS net1me OF
driving his coach from Divide to
Deer Lodge with the thermometer
reading 60 below-and there were
no heaters in the old-fashioned
stagecoach.
During the winter of 1884, Pierse
| arrived in Montana from Buffalo,
N. Y, youth of Is or l6 years and
with a view OF becoming a stagedriver
| at $40 per month and board. His uncle,
E. E. Corbin, was at the time super
intendent for Gilmer Salisbury G. Co.,
operators Of virtually all Montana
stagelines except the express lines of
Wells-Fargo.
The youth made his trip to Deer
Lodge through Portneuf canyon and
been marked by tragedy. when holdup
men attempted to stop it. Instead OF
stopping, however, the driver whipped
up his team. The bandits fired at him
| with rifles. One bullet struck the driver,
who continued to drive four miles to
the nearest stage station. One hour
after his arrival there, he died.
Hearing the details of this tragedy
of western life, PierSe expressed the
belief that this stage driving business
| appeared to be pretty scaly." He. how
ever. did not abandon his intention to
become driver.
During the winters of 1894 and
1374-75. Pierse drove two, four and
siX-horse stages between Divide and
Deer Lodge. During the latter winter,
he declared, he left the stage station
then located about one mile from the
present Oregon Short Line railroad
station at Divide, when the thermom-
eter indicated that it was 60 degrees
below zero. One passenger was on the
stage.
Despite the cold, Pierse drove his
team and stage TO Deer Lodge, across
the Deer Lodge pass, and arrived at
the latter town but one hour behind
schedule. Fifty-four miles were trav-
eled in the bitter cold.
Was Warmly Clad
Pierse admitted that while he was
warmly clad in buffalo coat and buf-
falo mittens, he suffered somewhat
, from the cold. The winter OF 1S74-75.
according to Pierse, was cold" and
| this cold continued for several weeks.
Pierse recalled years later that stage
driver that was killed the day pre-
ceding his arrival in Montana. Corinne
Utah. was the center OF all stageune
activities at that time.
Among his associates OF that time
were John Davis, noted driver of the
Helena-Deer Lodge line. who later be-
came superintendent OF lines from
Great Falls to Fort Benton Davis drove
the stage from Helena to Deer Lodge
on schedule of six hours and was
given fresh horses at five stations, av-
eraging from to Il miles apart
When II years old. Pierse had &C
cunulated $3.50 as evidence Of his two
years in Montana and earnings Of
$40 per month. He induced his mother,
two sisters and a brother to come TO
Montana and located a wayside inn
and barn on the stageline about II
miles from Butte. The business flour
ished and he was able to enter the
sheep business in Fergus county, now
Judith Basin county near Stanford in
1884. When he was still less than 30
years of age. Pierse disposed OF his
sheep interests to Bower brothers for
$50, 0OO
In 1890 he settled in Neihart and
with w. H. Harrison of Great Falls.
esta blished the mercantile business of
PierSe & Harrison. During the panic
and decline of silver the business met
with difficulties.
Pierse, however, entered politics and
in 1894 was elected treasurer of
Meagher county. then including Mel
hart and Barker. He was reelected
treasurer for another term and subse-
quently served as county clerk
Pierse died in Los Angeles last year.