Glacier County chief., 1940-03-08

BY ERIC THANE
In the spring of 1866 the valley
of the Jefferson river was being
settled. Constant passage across
the river demanded bridges, and
two were accordingly built, owned
and managed respectively by n Mr..
Crawford and MIR. Parsons. A
price war developed at once and
with such vigOr that the bidding
for trade on the part of the two
men forced them to cut their tolls
from the original charge of SIS a
wagon and so cents extra charge
for each yoke of oxen after the
wheel, or tongue yoke, to the point
where both were passing wagons
free.
In May a warm, heavy rain fell,
which continued for several days. The
Jefferson began to rise at once, and
when snow still on the uplands melted
rapidly it lifted to flood stage. Craw-
fordS bridge, hastily and unsteadily
built. went out at once and thus made
it necessary for all teams to use the
Parsons bridge.
Parsons Immediately saw his chance
for profit, and advanced the toll to
the old rate. But the river continued
to rise, and the week after the de-
struction OF the Crawford bridge. Par
sons bridge also was washed out
Decides to Operate Ferry
Crawford decided to put in a ferry
He called on Rufus Boggs an eX-
perlenced Illinois and Ohio farmer who
had come into the Jefferson country
with the first settlers, and George A.
Bruffey, Boggs' partner. Boggs and
Bruffey agreed to help him build the
ferry and get it into service. Crawford
had had experience in boat building
somewhere, and he instructed Boggs
and Bruffey to go into the mountains
to certain tree which he described
and camp there. He said he would send
his son, George, with a team and sup
plies, axes, crosscut and whip saws,
and other tools for boat building. He
added that he would attempt to Sc
cure the aid of veteran boat builder
whom he knew, one Reynolds. in order
to build a ferry boat, that would be
capable of hard usage and Withstand
ing the force of the river
He intended to buy ferry ropes and
secure more help in Virginia City. To
get there he must cross the river, and
this he said he would do by holding
onto the tails of his horses.
Bruffey and Boggs went up into the
mountains about eight miles and made
camp. Reynolds crossed the river in a
entity joined them. With him was
George Crawford. The men built a
huge fire and worked all night by its
light. Reynolds gave the directions and
planned the boat, and by morning they
had the log hewed down to 10 inches
thick. They placed it securely, lined
it and when more men arrived from
Virginia City, set the whip saw to work.
Some men cut sticks with which to
make the bottom of the boat. These
sticks were IL feet long. the width of
the boat, nicely hewed and pinned at
the joints. Other men went out with
sacks to get pine resin with which
to tar the bottom of the boat. In less
than four days they had all the ma
They began to build it alongside the
river, and had plenty of free help
from people waiting to cross.
Reynolds had made a skiff with
which to carry materials back and
forth across the river He worked hard,
and evidently had great hopes for the
craft he planned.
Don't matter how swift the river
is he told George Bruffey. This
ferry is goin' to carry men an women
an oxen an wagons across without
out. either with every little flood"
The stanchions, or gallows, on either
side of the river for supporting the
two ends of the cable which would
guide the ferry, were put into place
and rugged for solid support. The ends
of the cable were to be fastened to a
log windlaSs. since there would be a
terrific strain on it. Lacking wire
cable which most ferries used. they
had to employ a long rope-350 feet
long, in fact, and the largest in diam
eter they could get. This happened to
be * inches.
Plenty big enough to hold the ferry
from floatin' away" said Reynolds.
They Hoped 1t Would
Men waiting to cross hoped 1t would.
They eyed the high water with appre-
henSion. The Skiff with which mater
ials were carried across the river
moved easily enough, but ferry load
ed with oxen and wagons was a diff
ferent matter.
The rope was measured and sent
across in the skiff. The men paid it
out as they neared the landing and
caught up the end and fastened it
over the stanchions. A small rope was
sent over to lead the large rope, other
wise the current would carry 1t down.
stream. About 20 men stood ready to
grab 1t and keep 1t out of the water.
There was rough tlrssle for a few
minutes but at last the men managed
to haul the end Of the big rope ashore
and fasten 1t.