Glacier County chief., 1940-01-05

He was one of the organizers of the
Fromberg Brick & Tile Co. He raised
sheep, horses and cattle. He established
the first herd of registered Shorthorn
represented his county in the state
legislature, long stride from the early
days when he worked as bullwhacker
for the Murphy-Neal freighting outfit.
The concern actually ran three out
fits. There we're 10 teams. with 3
wagons to team, making 80 wagons
and 200 oxen, not including herd OF
lame or crippled oxen called the
"cavvy herd" This outfit. Nutting says,
was probably one of the most non-
descript in the west. The head bull
whacker was an old negro Under him.
among others, was an Indian known
as Bat" The two hated each other
with a brooding, watchful hatred One
night while the crew was gathered
about the campfire eating supper in
apparent peace, the Indian Sauntered
past and very casually thrust knife
into the negro's head. Bat continued
to eat, unaware of the injury to his
scalp. Shortly afterwards the Indian
walked back and recovered the knife.
Later Nutting. with his brother. did
carpenter work at Beaver canyon. They
built big barn at Ennis They built a
huge barn at Huntley for Meadow and
Westbrook. They wandered up to Vir-
ginia City and worked over the OLD
tailingS of Alder gulch. At Coulson
they made the acquaintance of many
of the old scouts, Billy Hamilton. Joe
Cochrane, Muggins Taylor and Liver
Eating" Johnson. Nutting has grown up
with the west, his youth an integral
part of that growth.
And thus one might go on and on
citing the valuable contributions which
each of this group of men have given
n eqrh nj them
visions of the possibilities offered by
Montana territory and courage to
shape their visions into realities.
T c. Armitage, another old-timer
at the ODonnell birthday party, would
be the first to admit that the raw,
unsettled plains might have become a
civilized commonwealth and that the
even without his cooperation. 1t is
equally true, though. that, had there
been no such men as Armitage, giving
generously of their youth and faith,
Montana would still be the potentially
rich wilderness it was so years ago.
Mile by mile he toiled along with the
railroad, advancing as the steel rails
advanced, from Miles City to Coulson,
and then to Livingston, serving in
many capacities, as clerk, station agent
and district superintendent. He became
one of our successful pioneer farmers.
t1t SeTEtQ Two leIIllS dS Billings pOSl-
master and distinguished himself, he
asserts, by being doubtless the only
postmaster to close his office without
orders from the government and, fur
thermore, without reprimand. That was
on the memorable November day. 81
years ago. when news was flashed
around the world that the war to
end all wars" and make the world
safe for democracy had ended. and
when most of the world went mad with
joy.
Thus, at random, we can select any
one man from this group of Montana's
pioneers and, in recounting his biog-
tory. This Is true of Bob LeavenS,
who entered Montana territory via
Fort Benton when he was Is years old,
and who, from that time on, has lived
a life rich in adventures. He has
played his part in scenes peculiar to
our western civilization-the early day
roundups, colorful and picturesque, the
horse racing up and down the streets
of little towns, the Stagecoaches. Under
the grim, unwritten law of the Vigil
lantes he saw the west slowly emerge
from the menace of horse thieves and
occasional sod huts developing into
one-street villages and those villages
into cities. As a boy he knew Paris
Gibson and heard him discuss, with
X. Beidler. the possibilities of a town
where Great Falls now stands. He got
his first job-with pay-when he was
16, rounding up stray horses and re-
turning them to the + ]. ranch. a Job
made more memorable still because it
was then he first met Bud" ODonnell.
In 1894 Leavens, with John Hughes,
took a contract to carry mail by stage
coach from. Billings to Lewistown.
When the first cavalry troop was or
ganized in the state, troop A at Bill
lings, Leavens enlisted as second lieu
tenant. During the Boer war he, to-
gether with Hereford and Lowther.
purchased saddle horses for the Brit
ish government and practically cleaned
the west Of good mounts, In 1905. while
in the sheep business, he founded the
town Of Bear Greek. He came to BIZ