Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-09-28

"Tn be dOgxoned ef kin sWaller
ANYTHING that ere hAron sea-
derned ef don't believe he's =
liar,"
Old Jim Bridger. whose own
wilderness exploits. and his tan
tales about them. went beyond the
paIe OF logic. had been listening 60
Sir George Cores Grading Of the
tales Of Baron 9IunchAuscn-
Why" he continued ~SODs G ny
own Set-tOS with EAe Bl2cktee2 would
read jiSt ez wonderful. e they MS
writ down n 3 box
Never IN history. perhaps did tax
characters cclse -cgs-ee- altA as much
mutual attraction IS cd Slr George
and Old jim Bridge Thousands q
miles apart II Els2-lZ-s- habitat, II modes
OF thinking and Il SAYS o. life, they
took 70 each cal1e- IKE ducks &c
water"
No doubt Sir George enjoyed hugely
the tail tales that Old Jun could tell,
and he found much pleasure N read
ing the classics 70 the Old Man Of
the Mountains.
Bridger had been in the wilderness
for more than three decades when, in
1854, Sir George, palled by the sedate
life on his British estates, decided 70
come TO America for a grand hunt and
some dQRCuAAlAE Oh TIC NESNEAA4 AAOAA-.
tier-and beyond.
Arriving at St Louis, the nobleman
QUILTED and invaded the Businesses
OF the Rockies with such an outfit as
was never before-nOr Slnce-Seen in
the Rockies. A retinue of forty men,
112 horses, IL yoke Of oxen, IA dogs, six
wagons and 81 carts found their way to
Fort Laramie to spend the winter OF
That winter Sir George impressed
the forts trading staff as a very demo-
cratic fellow, Notwithstanding his Brit
ish title and ingrown British ways He
was deeply interested in the noted
hunters, the trappers and the Indians
who made the fort their headquarters.
Tt was motley crowd, and Sir George
@'got a kick out of it"
The noble visitor had heard Of
Bridger and his ability as a hunter and
guide. When Bridger appeared at the
fort he succeeded in securing his serV
ices for his expedition.
In the spring of 1855 Bridger guided
the caravan to the head of Powder
river, down that stream and up the
Yellowstone to the mouth of Tongue
river. The scenery and the wild, free
life he was living intrigued Sir George,
and he built fort where, with most
of his outfit, he spent the winter.
Sir George was in the habit of laying
abed until 10 o'clock in the morning, |
then having his bath and going out to
hunt, remaining in the hills often I'M
til well into the night. No matter when
ne returned he always insisted on haV-
ing supper, with Bridger at the table.
Read Shakespeare
Finishing his repast. Sir George
would read Shakespeare aloud and |
then try to draw Old Jim out In re-
gard to the story Old Jim could not
read, and he found great deal of en-
tertaniment in hearing Shakespeare
and other classics. Though uneducated
his keen mind would quickly grasp the
highlights Of story, and pungent in
deed were his comments.
Bridger was not impressed with Fall
staff. ut is" he said, Ito hifalutin fer
me- That ere Falstaff is too fond o
lager beer"
He dismissed the tall tales of Baron
Munchausen as no better than his own
exploits and the tales he could tell
Bridger had clear conception of
events in early American history. Sir
George, after reading Sir Walter SCOTS
account of the Battle of Waterloo.
asked Bridger if it was not the most
Sanguinary battle he had ever heard of.
We'll now. Mr.. Gore" replied Old
Jim, that that mustve been consid-
erabul of a Scrimmage. Doggone my
skin eff it mustn't. Them ere Britishers
must've fit better'n they did down TO
New Horleens whar or Hickory gin
EN- the forkedest sort O. chain light