Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1940-05-17
By ERIC THANE

E Most trusted of the early fur traders
d Andrew Dawson, Of the American
Co. Not only did the Indians trust
but they became to believe he had
ernatural powers. They decided he
lid even change them into any ami
! he chose.
Spon one occasion an Indian told
he wished to be changed into a
Ete horse. Dawson told the redskin to
=ne to the post in the evening: the
Elan came, and by that time 1t was
Ewing heavily. which exactly suited
EEsons purposes and was seemingly
t,de by his order. The Indian was
epped naked and was picketed like
horse a short distance from the
litter being out for some time. the
Elan came into the post, almost
Zen, and said he had changed his
nd and did not want to be a white
'f-se or any kind of a horse II that
& what a horse had to undergo.
Dawson was born in 1877 in Scotland.
1913 he landed in st. Louis with
cents-50 cents of which he gave
the cabman and Is cents to the
LSsmith as he had lost the key to
trunk. His rise in the fur business
& rapid. especially when 1t became
kown that he was trustworthy and
lsrless-so fearless that upon one &C.
'don he carried, all alone. a large
oper kettle that was in need Of re-
Firing. from Fort Clark to Fort Union,
Hstance Of 200 miles. at a time when
Indians Of all tribes killed white
In whenever they found them. The
uper kettle was really guise to cover
b real design. the important dis
b.ches he tried to keep from the
kissaries OF the Hudson's Bay and
her rival fur companies.
Meets Culbertson
I was at Fort Union that Dawson
d Alexander Culbertson, another
nous trader, became acquainted.
kvson was transferred to old Fort
snton in 1854 and directed to make
brick fortress Of the place. because
any OF the former wooden forts had
+n burned and destroyed by the In
dns
Dawson employed sun-dried bricks.
t-antic negro called "Nigger George
ho could make three times as many
Ecks as any other man. or could, as
swson put 1t, do three days work
one."
wine IdNSOll "dS III Slldl &c Vi TOl Y
tnton, many important persons visit
the place, Of whom not the least
Is Count Koskiosko. grandson Of
runt Kossuth. the noted Polish pa
tot Koskiosko was a congenial soul
1t loved whisky little too much, so
Is nicknamed Count Cask Of
Thisky."
Dawson had many narrow escapes.
ne fall he was taking freight from
t-t Union to Fort Benton. He and
s men had stopped at camp of
.e River Crows and had as was the
ual custom distributed a few goods
I'd bartered for some robes and
sltries.
A young Indian In idle curiosity
imbed on the side Of the wagon, and
hen they started. the wagon jolted
I'd he lost his hold. He fell between
,e wheels. The heavily loaded wagon
sssed over his body and killed him.
Instantly there was an uproar and
avson's whole outfit was at once sur
unded by an Infatuated mob demand
z PREPARATION for the death of their
mrade. A young Mountain Grow was
lietly sent to a camp Of his tribe to
praise them Of Dawson's danger and
come to his aid at once. All day
e horde Of maddened River Crows
need round and round and threat
led every moment to tomahawk or
i each Of the white men. The In
ans told them they would give the
nite men until shutdown to prepare
= death. They added that they had