Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-08-31
Rr InEL 2. ovERHOLsER

of the events Of the year 1887 are
worth relating. And there was
more serious tone TO many OF the
signs and pOrtents OF that year,
for Jim HilPs Manitoba railroad
was rolling westward, and TO the
pilots who for 30 years had brought
the boats into Fort Benton, the
handwriting on the wall was clear,
definite and disheartenlng.
In great daily leaps the railways
steel gangs were driving the ribbons
of steel westward throughout that
summer, and through the long hot
summer months, Fort Benton whlStled
In the dark. for despite the brave words
of the River Press and Of the r1vermen
who claimed that competition would
make the waterway boom, there was
a general realization that the coming
of the railway would mark the begin
ming of the end Of the commercial
importance which the city nao en-
joyed for 80 years.
There were even indignant fears that
Jim Hills road would pass Fort Benton
by, and it almost did, for when the
rails were laid IN September they
spraWled out across the Hat country
north of the city and were almost
three miles from the town at their
nearest point. It was not for several
years that the then Great Northern
resurveyed the old Manitoba route
down from Hayre and brought the
road up the MisSourt'S shale bluffs
and within sight Of Benton-a mere
mile or so away. But by that time
the boats were gone.
We wonder If any OF Capt. Joe
Todd's crew of striking roustabouts
are stin around to recoIlect the re-
placements he secured when they
walked out on the RoSebuds captain
at Fort Berthold?
Earliest Upriver Voyage
The Rosebud left Bismarck that |
snrinp of 1887 earlier than any Of the T
mountain boats had ever begun the |
8OO-mile Journey to Benton, with zOO !
tons of freight. The Rosebud blew LOT /
her landing on April 70, Vne earliesC
arrival on record at Fort Benton IN
All her years as a port Of call. She
left the next day for Rocky Point
and returned from that trip on May
q. then dropped down the river again.
Her roustabout crew sWeated uhder
the work. but there was then no mol
cation of the dizzy deed which was
IN hiring CAPTAIN Todd no little meas
IRE of fame and notoriety on the river.
At Fort Berthold the men decided
they had had enough work-WheCner
from discomfort at food, small wages
or mere overwork, the newspaper DIS
patches did not say, but the papers
soon were commenting on the Ines strlKe-
breakers CAPTAIN Todd employed.
Fort Berthold was sort OF Indian
agency. There were no whites about
and the roustabouts evidently tnougnJ
they had the captain where the mar
was short, and that soon they'd get
what they wanted. Todd was OF an
other mind. He went ashore.
He came back with a crew. One can
IMAGINE the hard-boiled rouSters burst
ing with glee at the sight OF a mixed
crew of eros Ventures, Rec (Arickaree)
and Mandans which Todd INTENDED 70
initiate into the joys OF wrestling WIN
flour barrels. wheat sacks and otner
weighty pieces of cargo. This would De
fun thought the strikers.
And FIN it was. for a time. The
captain was forced to demonstrate All
the ways of the stevedore; ne luggea
the first sack of wheat off the boat,
rolled the first barrel down the gang
nlank, tied the first rope. All the Wnile
his dusky pack watched him graVely,
poker faced and intent upon learning,
especially upon learning If there was
any catch to it besides just work. After
q struggle with unfamiliar objects the
Indians had the cargo ashore at Fort
Berthold. The striking men sullen4y
watched the Rosebud sail out OF sight
up the Missouri, the group Of indians |
clustered on deck enjoying the I'M
LdIfllllAI ScllSdJlOIl "a q OOnS AA~a~'
Names Printed in Newspaper
Captain Todd's purser took the
names of the new crew, and the Bis
reprinted the list for the benefH OF
posterity. The Indians were named:
little Sioux. Spotted Wolf, Grey Head,
Sheepish. Charles Brewer, Crazy Horse,
white Calf. Two Bulls, Stink Face,
Eddie Hill, Bullhead, Red Fox, young
Hawk and Blue stone. =,
Captain Todd displayed all the
diplomacy and tact of which he was
capable, and kept his Indian crew N
fine throughout the voyage. There were
bitches now and then. The aDorlglneS
we're not amenable to ordinary Wnlte
discipline; the bucko mate dlo not J
even consider kicking them INTO &C.
,ivity when they loafed on tne JoD' IoI
,hese were blanket Indians, they had
been wild a few years before and would :
consider a blow or kick mortal IN
,ult. He did try to cuss them into more y
-apid motion, and the Indians prompt
Y sat down to hold council upon
he deck. disregarding pleas and urg-
ngs to discuss the matter. Inc coun-
III soon came TO a decision. and aus
waited upon the mate. s
Their verdict was that he must not :
cold them any more, that their moth |
rs had never scolded them ana ne :
,ught not to do 1t. 1t was the only
rev the Rosebud had and the mate :
greed. whereupon the Indians invited
i'm into their circle and all solemnly
moked the pipe of peace.
Thereafter the boat was all harmony, q
md the Rosebud chugged into Fort I
3enton on May %. drawing the inter- {
st and attention Of all, for her novel il
rev had been well publcized, both IN O
he River Press and IN other papers. c
me Press even complimented the In t
lians in the following language: cap
ain Todd's novel crew Of eros Ventres, {
Zee and Mandan Indians have covered n
themselves with bacon grease, dirt ana o
1ory on their trip up from Berthold, o
-hey have worked remarkably well
onsidering that this is their first ex- b
'erience. Now and then they ask leave II
0 rest a few minutes and smoke their g
ipe, which privilege is accorded Il
hem" IN
Took Noisy Departure y
Not so pleased was the populace OF 8
'ort Benton upon the departure OF 9
be Rosebud, and the River Press again F