Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-05-24

with the government for transporting
|. supplies, not only to military camps
! and posts, but also with troops in the
! field. Carroll, in person, took charge OF
the supply trains of General Gibbon
and other commands during the Sioux
campaign of 1876, and was among the
first on the battlefield where Custer
and his command we're wiped out, the
day after the battle He was with
Colonel Baker when attacked by Sit
ting Bull at Bakers battle-ground, now
occupied by the town Of Huntley.
Profitable Industry
It was an immense and profitable
industry. The Diamond r company
was the largest single enterprise IN the
Rocky mountain region in the middle
seventies.
The Diamond r partners firmly be-
lieved Carroll would supplant Fort
Benton as the river traffic terminal,
and they expected city to grow there.
Maclay, who became well known in
ST. Louis, Sioux City and other ship
ping points down the river, spent part
of his time in those cities, acquainting
Carroll as a receiving point, and was
most successful in directing freight
there. Fort Benton suffered consider
ably from the competition for a couple
of years, but due to the fact that the
road from Carroll to the gold camps
in western Montana led through the
Judith basin, which was the heart OF
constant attacks on wagon trains on
that route. and bad roads, the success
Of the town was gradually impaired, |
and toward the late seventies Carroll
became less and less important and
finally was abandoned entirely.
When the Union and Pacific rail-
roads were united at Ogden, a new
transportation route was opened into /
Montana Corrine, Utah, became the
new base and the Diamond r, with
other transportation companies, began
freighting from there. Among other
competitors were many Mormon teams,
which broke in upon the larger COM
panies, and when winter came, COM
munication ceased altogether.
Fast Freight Line
The Diamond r put on fast freight
line, to be run as regular express
at all seasons Of the year. An extremely
water, Maclay and Carroll took all
kinds Of chances, facing billiards,
shoveling snow-trying to keep the
roads open and get their wagon trains
through But many teams were delayed
or stopped in the drifts, and cattle
and mules died on the trail. The COM
pany lost heavily and only recouped
after several profitable years.
In the late seventies the advent OF
the Northern Pacific and other rail-
road building broke up the freighting !
business and the partners dissolved the
Diamond r.
Life on the freight trails was filled
with hardshipS and freighting was
mans work In all seasons. A wagon
boss had to be resourceful and OF iron
nerve, equal to any emergency. From ]
this class there were developed some |
of the outstanding business men Of the 1
western states and territories
On a freighting trip there were no /
or holidays. The boss and the
SINNERS worked day after day, unless
nature interfered and they had TO lie
for days with a swollen and unfordable
stream In front Of them.
Break New Steers
Breaking In a new steer, wild. from
The ranges, broke the monotony Of
he mornings and Moons and from the
vas being reluctantly hauled along as
me Of the team, the fun was fast and
furious Especially would this be the
Ease II he broke loose and with a
heavy yoke swinging around his neck,
would make the skinners crawl under
ne wagons until the Key DrOke, the
yoke flew off at a tangent and the
business began afresh
To these old-time bullwhackers, once
indian fighters, the bull train stood
or home, and they felt like evicted
enants when the shrek Of the locomo-
i've sounded the destruction Of the
,ul1 camp.
For time during the early steam
,oating days, owing to the limited
means Of transportation compared
With its needs, freighters commanded
heir own prices and at times received
IS high as 10 cents per pound for
lauls Of 100 miles or less This did not
ontinue long, however, for freighters
DON became plentiful. In one year,
867, it was estimated, Montana alone
aid 81 100000 In gold for freight
harges and the population numbered
My q few thousand.
One OF the picturesque freight ter
ltnals OF the seventies was Miles City,
mich first was an army post, then
railroad construction camp and later
COW town Describing those days,
am Gordon. pioneer editor Of that
lace, wrote:
speaking Of freighters, It was sure
? q sight when q Diamond r bull
rain pulled into Main street enroute