Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-11-23
BY JOHN MUNRO

HI health and a poor cOnstttu-
tiOn made william 4. Hamilton an
Indian fighter and frOntiersman.
Sickness forced him st the age Of
20 10 give up living as q social
favOr1te In Sc. Louis and f0reg0 q
career Of business and professional
service to REACH Il on the western
plains and In the Rocky noun
tafns. In search Of health, after
physicians had declared ne had
only 3 few years more at the most
to live, he gave mp n home Of
wealth and luxury and ali the ad-
vantages that money could buy and
IN the spring Of 1872 set forth on
a hunting, trapping and Indian
trading trip.
Some of the associates Of Bill VIII
ltams and Jack Perkins, who COM
manded the party, which consisted Of
eight free trappers, protested against
the taking Of so slender and fratl a
youmgster as Hamilton. believing that
he would get sick on their hands and
that during the journey he would
prove an encumbrance and probably
not survive. But Williams was tnsis-
tent on his going and so when the
party turned its horses westward from
Independence, Mo, where all trappers
outfitted in the early forties, Hamilton
went along, clad in his first suit Of
buckslSin.
Learns Easily
He proved to be a valuable member
Of the party, learning to shoot and
trap as well as an old-timer within
a short time and making friends readi-
ly with the Indians whose sign Ian
guage proved easy for him and in
the talking of which he eventually
came to be recognized as the most
expert among either red or white men.
From the time the party started,
Hamilton improved in health and
strength and the fran boy developed
into a muscular man and hardy from
tiersman. The youngster whose death
within a short time from Ill health
had been predicted by st. Louis best
doctors, lived for 66 years and 10 days
longer, hardly ever experiencing sick
day. and surviving hundreds of COM
bats with savage Indians in which |
scores of redmen we're killed and many |
Of his companions met death.
In the declining years Of his life,
which were spent near Columbus, in
the Yellowstone valley, most Of his
time being devoted to hunting, trap
ping and fishing, Uncle Billy" as he
was known to all pioneers, used to
delight in telling how he had fooled
those early day doctors in st. Louis,
every one of whom he outlived more
than q half century. Over 40 years !
before the grim reaper summoned him
in the spring of 1903, he recorded the
passing Of the last Of the trappers
who had protested his joining the
Williams expedition when it left In
dependence in March, 1912.
Ostracized by Store Clothes
When Hamilton arrived at indie
pendence he was dressed In the very
finest of tailor-mades, style and fash
ion showing in his every movement.
AS a result he was the butt of the
Jokes of the frontiersmen, who played
all manner Of pranks on the tender
foot" and asked Williams If he ex-
pected to feed him to the Indians.
It didn't take the lad long to get
next, however, and he rushed over
to the frontier store and snapped his
fine clothes and trimmings for two
suits Of good buckskin and was soon
dressed "ala prairie" while the store
keeper made fully 100 percent on the
transaction.
'"There were many things in my life
that made me happy, but the happiest
moment ever experienced was when
put on my first buckskin suit and
realized that I looked Just like the
trappers with whom was to associ-
ate" Uncle Billy once declared. Il
was more proud of that suit than
anything I ever secured, unless 1t be
my first scalp and my first buffalo"
Incidents on the western journey
were wildly printed ON the mind Of
the lad and in later years, when past
the four score and five mark, he used
to recall them in detail as perfectly
as when they took place.
Hunted With Roman Nose
The journey was through hostile
Indian country toward the northwest,
the first friendly MISUNDERSTANDING
being encountered on the North
Platte. White Antelope was their
chief and his son, Swift Runner, took
quite a fancy to young Hamilton, as
did Roman Nose, another young
Sioux He was piloted through the VIII I
Iage by these lads and invited to go
hunting with them the following day,
when the braves expected to round up
a herd Of buffalo, believed to be graz
ing about 10 miles away.
Swift Runner and Roman Nose had
the fastest horses In the party and I
brought down the first cows, but
Uncle Billy got the third buffalo killed,
his shot breaking the animals back.
He killed four on the hunt and he
was shown how to skin and dress them
by Roman Nose and Swift Runner.
The daring riding and bravery. OF
the former proved especially notice