Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-08-02
Mounted Police HuUe Record of Historic BruUeru:
Four Mounties Handled Bond of RENEGADE Reds

Montanans on the border countie
are familiar with the work of tn,
Royal Canadian Mounted Police, whit
patrol the boundary and keep ordel
Of q superior kind.
Writers and motion picture pro-
ducers have been quick to take adj
vantage Of the work of the Rec
Riders Of the Plains" Probably ths
most noteworthy instance Of their
proWeSs which claimed the attention
OF the people Of Montana, occurred
shortly after the Custer massacre
Thousands Of renegade Sioux who had
participated in the humiliation OF
Clusters command, fearing reprisals by
the United States government, fled
north from the scene Of the butchery,
and, went across the border
Canada had Indian troubles of her
own and did not want more redskins
30 take care Of, SO the wires between
Ottawa and Washington were kept
busy until an agreement was made
that the Indians should be turned
over to American military authorities,
who would place them on a reserva-
ton.
Command" Washed Dishes
The mounted police officer who re-
ceived the orders to escort these In
dams across the international boun-
dairy was sick, so the work fell upon
a corporal, who, with the aid Of three
conStables, started for Montana terri
tory with the band of renegade In
dams. At the boundary he was met
by two regiments Of American troops,
who took charge Of the Indians. The
American colonel, upon seeing the
corporal and two men, said: Where
is the rest Of your commando" The
corporal replied: "5ir, he is back in
camp washing the breakfast dishes"
This act first brought the mounted
police before the eyes Of the Montana
public.
Here Is a story Of the mounted po-
lice as written by a former member
of that body for the Daily Muscular.
The article is authentic and In it the
author corrects many false impress
sions of the 'Mounties," and does JUS
tice to the men whom fiction writer's
have made into demi-gods.
The passing of time, together with |
the advancement OF civilization, is |
to a close one Of the most |
picturesque chapters in the develop !
ment OF western Canada. Too many
Americans who visit the western
provinces and see the scarlet uniforms
0f the Royal Canadian Mounted Po-
Ice consider that force custom Inn
ported from the mother country and
little do they realize that this organ
zation helped to make possible the
settlement Of western Canada
History Of 'AEounties"
The organization was first formed
It Ottawa about 1879 for the purpose
# establishing law and order in the
vest. A call was made for men who
Wished adventure and who had no
Injections to hardships, men who
you'd be willing to live outdoors and
gho had known military service. From
II parts of the British empire came
oldiers Of fortune, clergymen, lawyers, !
sons Of the nobility and
nany young men from the United l
states, burning for excitement and |
dventure. The force having been re- I
ruited up to fun strength, started
Or the territory that now is Alberta (
nd Saskatchewan, through the United
tates by the way of the Northern Pa
lfic railroad, which at that time ex- q
snded as far as Fargo, N. d. Here the I
len loaded their supplies into large S
agons and moved overland to the a
tie where McCloud now stands. A fort r
as built and a chain Of outposts was Il
Established toward Lake Superior. d
About this time an Indian outbreak u
,curred in the United States, fol- o
wed shortly by the massacre Of Gen a
al Custer and an entire squadron Il
the Seventh United States cavalry. o
he Indians, fearing punishment for
lis atrocity, went across the inter- Il
ational boundary with the result as 7
lrrated above. Z
The coming Of the Canadian Pa n
fic railroad brought large numbers u
-. N