Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-09-21

the yards at CulbertsOn and loaded for
shipment 70 Chicago.
The Cherry Greek pool was by no
means the largest spread IN the east
ern end Of Montana at that time. ac-
cOrding 10 Stephens. The famed KIT
OF Texas. also known as the Long X
outfit. ran thousands Of head of fine
cattle and used more than 800 saddle
ponies in their roundups and drives
Things Weren't All Rosy
One shouldn't get the idea that
things we're rosy all the time around
CulbertSon. just a few years later and
after Stephens had set himself up in
business IN that booming little town.
fire broke loose. Though IL happened
on Jan. 5, 1907, things got hot In no
time. Before It was controlled, two city
blocks we're burned.
While Stephens can't recollect for
certain. ne suspected 300-pound Mon
tana Jim Helmer was mixed UP In the
fire somehow, since Jim also was In
business In Culbertson at the time.
This was a period of homesteading
and generally reckless activity, as two
incidents viii illustrate. The $40 acre
settlers ruling had been opened up.
mainly established under the influence
OF Judge Pray. AS a result. the BOOM
erS thrOnged 70 northeastern Montana
in the dozens and often hundreds.
At the time Daniels. Roosevelt and
Sheridan we're all one large county
One OF the more lawleSs incidents took
place when Tom Courtney was sheriff
Of that vast area He had been in
office only three days when a call re-
garding trouble came from SnoWden
on the main line.
Courtney took his undersheriff, Dick
Burmaster, and went in search Of a
negro who had started the rlmpus and
was repeatedly hiding near the Snow
den bridge. The negro was found but
he stepped out Of his seclusion and
shot both men in cold blood. Today
Stephens has a picture OF Courtney
and Burmaster which was taken previ-
Gus to the shooting
Tale Of "HOminy" Thomson
To mention but one more from the
Stephens album of Montana memories,
the tale Of "Hominy" ThompSon's de-
fiance Of the railroad has been told
many times. Stephens has one Of the
few copies Of the picture of the Incl
dent
Elmer Thompson was a Texas cattle
hand who located at Whitehall About
1913 the 500 line began an extension
through the area and sought to buy
the land belonging TO "Hominy" which
was located five miles east of town.
The company offered S2,5O0 a high
bid. and would have made possible a
fat diet for one who reportedly had
eaten hominy for years.
When the railroad refused to give
the $4,000 "Hominy' wanted. and
threatened to run Its right OF way
through, trouble on a minor scale
started. Thompson stuck to his guns
and planked his shack right on the
rails and the trains couldn't go
through.
The thing finally went to a judicial
committee and 1t said 81 100 was
enough. Thompson refused and was
later bound over to federal court: the
matter got more involved before being
settled. In what is said to be the only
pictorial history Of the event, Thomp-
son has his flag out and a gun handy.
He lives today IN Plentywood,
There are more than these few
photos In the w T. Stephens gallery
which contains many sought after
prizes that better than anything else
portray conditions In northeastern
Montana 40 years ago. Today they are
)f interest TO a lot Of people in this
part Of the country and a real treasure
20 Stephens.