Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-06-08
BY ELMO


concerned, Il Is useless 20 pretend
that anything ever does happen to
me. / never have an adventure
worth q cent. i. 10 Is true that
i have been horribly frightened.
but generally without any adequate
cause. So the reader must
reconcile himself to find nothing
more than simple, but truthful,
description of an ordinary hum
drum trip"
But after one reads the story left
by the earl Of Dunraven of his visit
TO Yellowstone national park In 1874
the wonder is why he apologi2ed for
lack Of adventure.
True enough, he did not have any
thing blood-curdling in the way Of
danger to report. But to belittle the
events of the expedition, 1t seems, car
r1es apology into the realms Of the
ridiculous. Because the mere penetra-
Hon of the interior Of Yellowstone park
IN those days Of approaching winter
was an adventure worth reporting IN
rather vivid detail, which Dumraven
failed to do. His narrative Is one large
1y Of failure to kill game and Of the
hardships endured, written from the
attitude of disappointment.
Yellowstone In 1874 was still largely
unexplored. Trails had been established
from Mammoth Hot Springs to the
Canyon, Lake and GeySer basins. But
even these trails were safe for stran-
gers only with the guidance o. from
ttefsmen familiar with the region.
Dunraven spent most of his time
from 1870 to 1875 with fellow sports
man, DIR. George Kingsley, hunting
and fishing in Canada and the west
ern states Early IN his American ram
blingS he met and earned the friend
ship Of Gen. Phil Sheridan, who gave
him a letter of introduction that was
an open sesame to all the frontier
army posts, where Dunraven was able
TO command the best Of fare and the
finest guides
Buffalo Bill was with him on many
q hunt. Dunraven was often on the |
fringes of hostile Indian forays but |
was never permitted, or perhaps had |
not the fortune, to get into a position
OF real danger. The nearest he ever
came to a shaky situation was In 1876. |
his wife in the old country had |
letter stating Dunraven was to join /
Gen. George A. Custer on an expedi- I
ton. Her next information was Of the
complete destruction of Custer and his
command at the Little Big Horn.
A long period Of weeping and wait
ing for final details was broken by q
letter from Dtnraven saying bad
weather had kept him from Joining
Custer at all.
The Yellowstone country, as it had
been described to him, intrigued Dun
raven with the idea Of some exception
ally good hunting In an unusual set
QUILTING at Salt Lake City, Dun
raven and his party set out from
Corinne, Utah, by stagecoach for VIZ
yinia City and other points on the
way to Yellowstone. The party included
Dr.. Kingsley; Texas Jack (John ONO
nondro. a Virginian who had spent
many years on the froutter) cousin,
Captain Wynne; Maxwell, colored cook
md barber; Campbell, a servant, and
Tweed, Collie dog.
Describes Virginia City
After a vivid description Of the dis /
comforts of the long stage trip from {
Eorinne. the earl paid his respects to /
he then capital of Montana: !
Virginia Cityl Good Lordi What a Z
anne for a PLACED We had looked for :
Vard to it during the journey as a :
ort of haven Of rest, a lap OF luxury; Z
Capau in which to forget our woes I
nd WEAKNESS; an Elystum where we 3
night be washed, clean-shirted, rubbed, I
hampooed, barbered, curled, cooled r
Ign Of Capua about the placel There :
night have been laps, but there was =
% luxury. A gentleman had h
Horned me that Virginia City con- r
aimed brownStone-fr houses and 4
aved streets equal, he guessed to any :
aStern town. How that man did liel
However, we soon became recon-
lied to our fate. We found the little y
IN very clean and comfortable. We 8
ined on deer, antelope and bear meat, :
fact which raised hopes Of hunting !;
our bosoms; and the people were -
Zceedingly civil, kind, obliging and :.
nxious to assist strangers in any pos .
BILE way, as so far as my experience -
)es Of America, and indeed Of all II Il
)untries, they invariably are as soon y
J you get off the regular lines of =
aveI"
Dunraven's informant had apparently n
infused the two Virginia Cities Some "
embers of his party had letters Of q
PRODUCTION to Virginia City residents, =
lily to find they were residents OF y
irginia City, New, 10000 miles p
DHnraven visited the Grow Indian IL
,ency at Mission creek, opposite the Is
outh of Shields river. He met the 1e
arriors, saw some dances, made pres ~
It's, and thoroughly enjoyed himself e
lder the guidance Of the agent, Maj. "
D. Pease. After several days Of this ~
rode on to the Bother ranch, across m
e Yellowstone river from Emtgrant
llch. By
Joining his party, Dunraven secured WI
ok animals at the Bother ranch and ns
cured the services of Fred Bother ar