Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-06-15
When EllistOn Doomed



EIIiSton, q sleepy little town nest
ling IN the hills Immediately west
of the continental divide ON II. s.
highway No. 10 north, stiEl dreams
Of her days Of glory some 50 years
age. Back IA those days EIEfst0n
was q division point 0n che main
line and had the Northern Pacific
r0undhOuse, the fIuming company,
three stores, two livery ggahEes,
three hotels, = couple Of regtau-
rants . railroad strike and nine
saloons ali mt one time.
There might be some difference of
opinion as to the number of saloons,
some maintaining that during her hey
days she had IA. But 9 or IA, the
number doesn't matter much beyond
10 prove that in true western fashion
she provided ample facilities to shake
the thirst of any man who could ring
q double eagle on the bar.
Probably the most pretentious Of her
numerous industries, and the one
which will be remembered the longest,
was the flurning company. That wasn't
it's right name but have been unable
70 find any old-hmer who knew its
official title. 1t was owned by Marcus
DAILY and operated to supply cordwood
for his smelter In Anaconda. Con-
gtructed IN 1889, work was carried on
during the winter and spring months
until 1894 and it Is estimated that
during its five years OF life nearly
quarter OF q million cords OF wood
came floating down the flume to the
dump located half mile or so east
of town.
the nine miles of flume, almost four
feet wide and two feet deep, was con-
structed entirely Of boards and fol-
lowed q southerly direction along the |
Little Black1oot river. AS the wood was /
cut four feet in length, the flume was
built slightly under four feet IN width ,
to prevent the wood from turning |
crossways in the flume and causing /
Jams which would raise the water and
spill the wood out Of the flume.
Wood Hauled by Sleigh
At the upper end Of the flume were
located the company store and camps
for teamsters and other workers. WOOD
was hauled to the flume during the
winter months on l6-foot orag sielgns
saBable Of carrying several CORDS. Be
ng a downhil haul more than TWO
horses on a sleigh were seldom used.
Due to the shortage Of water acCuaI
7oating operations could be carried on
Dnly for short time during the spring !
unoff. Watchrnen rode up ana doWn ]
he f1ume on saddle horses TO break I
ans which occurred frequensiy. a AZ {
he wood came out OF the flume 81
he lower end it was stacked IN long
dies IL feet high to dry and await
hipment.
The piles were constructed TO make e
FADING as fast as possible. Rauroao
ars could be pushed right up 70 the t
lies and as they receded addiglonal U
rack was laid. An average OF % cars o
dav of wood left Elliston for Ana c
onda, for which the railroad supplied
special train and crew. Two men n
ou1d load 30-foot car with IL or ID b
ords of wood in about two hours. Fl
here were usually II leaders working d
nd a camp. consisting of cook shack b
nd two bunkhOuseS was maintained b
n them at the dump. Here the charge W
II board was 81 8 day. The average CT
sariy shipments ran around 10000 Il
,rds. T
Over 100 WOOdsmen p'
During the winter months when the IN
Itfit was running full blast there tt
ere over 100 cutters working In the
nber. With such others as teamsterS, 81
aders, ETC., the total number of men sc
nployed probably was somewhere In vi
e vicinity of 200. OF
John johnson, a longtime E1liston th
sident who worked for the company til
tn as a cutter and loader, said in ia
Scribing their methods: I'VE were an
i'd 81 Q cord for cutting but all Of til
r supplies had to be purchased from
G company Store where prices were Tn
reasonably high. Anyone caught nj
y1ng from other stores was inlmedt- wi
Ely fired. BY these excess profits the In
st OF cutting the wood was actually wa