Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-03-02
Charles MI RUSSELL Montanas Most Famous Artist Left Brief
Biographical Sketc He Was Born 76 Years Ago ST. Louis
Ss a @ts
Rr EnWARp B. REYNoLDs

By EDWARD b. KEXNOLDS
Charles M. Russell, MOntana's
grea4eSt painter, known far ana
eide As ssThe Cowboy Artist was
hnrw Is wears ago on March ~,
1884 The birth Of Charles RnsseAl
was 20 become an occasion OF greet
Significance because kHsseh lsAe
% present day citizens the pa
foriaT record OF the old LIE on the
T,oSsv. when modern writer's are
.,+riviT1c desperately to recapture tne
Tosoneer picture and to record Ine nap
Jennings OF former years, RuSsel 5
paintinps and letters are OF mestln-
si1le value. Russell was one OF Lie
:.doers'' who lived the life ne depicLs
and consequently his work Is Vaiueu ~ ~
Tnar1y as much for their ausnenelC
ss,,aIftv as for their artistic quality.
I3,,sseII was born in St. Louis, MO-
o,J acnIlired at an early age an m
tense desire to live the untranli.ileleSo
S;@a If fine west. He resisted all e.
eov-ts at schooling, even the stern ulS-
cSniine Of a military school, and f1aally
mad his way. He arrived IN MQneal &c
IN 1880 when he was just turning AZ
years Of age .v t.agora PMS
call was a good cowhand and steaolIy
endowed He interspersed his WoIR
,-itb his drawing and painting untl
S,-na1Iv he drew the picture that gained
MIN Immediate fame among tne caCeie-
men. - 1ooe rynay, cattle
died by the thousands and a olSAsC aa1.as,
blow was struck against tne nl Sas ~
in Montana. Russell and NUMBER %
men m were wintering at the Q II r2ncn.
T.o,1iSe kaufman of Helena, one OF tne
sSs.srast. cattlemen of the time, Wrote
yssse philIius owner of the Q ii OUT
Sit for Information as to how the CAV
tie we're doing Phillips menloneu LIZ. IlS
fact to Russell, who remarked, y
make a sketch to go with your teCee Sos
short time later RusSen -. $3.50 80
S,.a If a postcard. It depicted q COW
s,aari1o the kaufman Bar Il praIlo.
The starved animal was on its last teeS
--,aitino for the end. Underneath rus
Vii MAD written, waiting for chi
nook and nothing else.
Mo Letter Was Needed
phillips looked at the picture aIlo
said asHell. Louie don't need ieOOei'
that will be enough. ,, 800. 20
From that time on husSen MaS &c
mons and to this Gay ID st' Is ,o,,I,,
p,1e aytisf-CharIes Russell Ihat Int
SS15 timers were right to q large ca
S Olu4 =, their Judgment is shown by
~ ysll0 ,r,,craaeed recognition Russell mas
t..,ieved Russell paintings have steaoss
~ increased In value and certain a1o
icvers have made also q 1etiSh oA ~
Iecfinp Russell prints. There Is sVs -tss
iIv increasing vogue annons oed
dsntr and disciples of western aIg aLl a1
1s.as,.;can cultural areas 10 start OUT
11itI1 d few Russell prints ana graz
WaI1v build them up to a compleIs GU
issactfor1 prior to RusSeuS deaLn ~
xo9e Montana State university aWaAu u
81 him the fourth honorary degIeS "a
NoctOr of Laws ever given by sna1 III Ill
versity. The degree was AWARDED 'uAA0
~ 4r hsTs are few biographical writings
-, CHARLES Russell and no comptete
Satafled biography. James RANKIN,
New Yorker. is now engaged In wiz
49, +loa biography of the COWBOY artlSC
l A,s e11fohiooraphical sketch, written py
~ Russell for the Butte inter-
Mountain and published IN the Jan 4, I,
1Q03. issue, Is worth reproducing AZ
f1IIl. 1t follows: =. - .o~aar
rv,srjes M Russell, the COWBOY arJasI'
Nos written an article for a newspaper.
NTr Russell was requested 10 prepaIe
Srr the holiday Inter- Mountain
sfratcll of his life, since no absoluDeay
correct biography Of this strange genluS
ever was published. After some ~
slIagion he consented, and mere Is 1lle
story lust as he wrote II: .aer
0' or was norm in St Louis, MO, IN 1860,
and came to Montana % years ago mex
month. coming by way OF the Qtan
Northern and stage TO Helena, Wnere
pike Miller, the man I came Wlbns QUIZ
@,f+ed hIIvifl0 a wagon and four horses.
we pulled out for the Judith BASIN,
where he had q sheep ranch.
sT did not stay with Miller long a.
the sheep and I did not get along az al
well. SO we split up and / don't Inlnk
pike missed me much, as was constd-
cred pretty ornery. soon TOOK up
with a hunter and trapper, Jake Hoov-
er. This life suited me. We mad SIX
horses. a saddle horse apiece and pack
animals. Two of them belonged to me.
one of these, pinto, bought IN 1881,
Is at this minute eating hay IN my
corral. He has good stable but seems
to prefer being outside, so turn MN
loose. He has his choice.
'sHe is not worth much now, but
don't think he owes me anything. we
were kids together have ridden and
hacked him thousands of miles. We
nave always been together. People who
know me know him We don't exactly
talk, but we sure savvy one another.
wen, i uVGQ VIII udAc aOVnt sWS
years. In 1882 / returned 20 st. Louis
and stayed about four weeks, bringing |
back q cousin of mine, Jim Fulkerson, |
who died of mountain fever at Bill
liugs two weeks after we arrived.
Four Bits, 200 Miles to Go
'sWhen pulled out I had four bits |
ia my pockets and 200 miles between |
me and Hoover. Things looked mighty |
rocky. There was stfl1 quite a little |
-. - ASA