Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-01-10

tural commodities and 1896 900, 900 in
government payments.
lean war. in l847, Irvine had one of the
most terrible experiences that a hu-
man being can undergo-that Of be-
ing in trance, unable to move, speak
or even flutter his eyelids, while per-
fectly conscious of everything going
on about him: and while in this con-
dition being thought dead and mar
rowly escaping burial while alive
One day in camp. without warning
or serious illness, Irvine fell into what
was termed trance. He was supposed
to be dead, was so pronounced by the
regimental surgeon and was placed in
coffin that was hurriedly made. His
body became quite rigid and no doubt
as to his being dead was entertained
by his companions. Fortunately, how
ever, the surgeon of the regiment felt
SO puzzled at his dying without the
slightest apparent cause that he sent
for another army doctor. 1t was near
~ 48 hours after his supposed death
that consultation was held and the
two doctors discussed the ACCESSIBILITY
of post mortem examination to learn
what had killed him.
In the meantime. Irvine was fully
aware of everything that was happen
ing and was undergoing the greatest
imaginable mental strain, as he feared
that he would be buried alive. When
the second doctor arrived he listened
to the consultation and was then ter
rified by the prospect of having his
body cut into.
At times he believed he was. in fact,
dead. and that he was experiencing 4
consciousness existing after death.
for tt,o
Just before he was to have been placed
in his grave, he began to recover the
use of his faculties. The shock that
some of his comrades experienced
when they saw him open his eyes and
heard him speak was almost as great
as his own when he first discovered
himself in his awful predicament. IN
few hours he was as well as ever,
and he lived for half century there
after without any recurrence of the
experience. Rare cases Of a similar ma
ture have been known to medical
science before and since. with varying
explanations of the phenomenon.
Famous Indian Girls Foot Race
Judge Irvine probably knew as many
true and interesting stories OF indian
and frontier life as any man living at
the time Of his death, and he poSseSSe1
rare gift of telling them in an IN
teresting way One OF the most inter-
esting historical stories he used to tell
explained the origin of the name OF q
stretch of road near Arlee station on
the line of the Northern Pacific IN
Missoula county, which is still known
TO old timers as Course de Femmes,
or the Women's Race Course.
In 1912, the Judge related. one of the
hea dtraders of the HudSon'S Bay
company, Francois Armintinger, traV-
eled south to the Flathead country With
trading party to secure the beaver
pelts and other furS of the Flatheads,
who were then in camp in the Jocko
valley. He had a fine large stock OF
goods and trinkets. and the Indians:
learning of his arrival, flocked around
his camp, located near the present site
immense stock of fine furS, bear and
deer skins, but they were accustomed
to going south to some OF the tradng
rendezvous where assembled in the
spring the traders Of the American Fur
company and few independent trad
ers from the south.
The Hudson's Bay men realized,
therefore, that they must win the favor
of the Flatheads / fthey were to per-
suade the Indians to remain and COM
plete the trading, and thus secure the
whole winter catch OF furS.
Armintinger was resourceful. how
ever and he knew enough OF human
nature to appreciate the Importance
of getting the women of the tribe on
his side. He therefore decided to work
through them, and without saying a
word he selected and piled in one heap
in the ground liberal supplies of the
gaudiest beads, trinketS and most bril-
liantly colored goods that he had In
stock
The women and girls crowded
around, with wondering, eager eyes,
admiring the goods, while the warriors
sat apart in dignified silence and
smoked. Armintinger then announced
that he was DESTROYS Of seeing the In
dian women run race and that the
fleetest one of foot should receive the
entire portion Of goods he had laid out.
The girls and young married squaws
gladly assented, and even the men.
universal gamblers as they were, began
to show a lively interest. Soon 40 girls
and women began preparing for the
race. throwing aside their blankets.
tying up their braids into fast knots.
fastening up their leggings securely |
and capering about to timber up their |
Joints.
Red Beauty Wins
The course was laid out down a |
beaten trail to . large pine tree.
around 1t and back to the starting |
point, the distance measuring fully two
and one-hAH miles. When Armintinger
called out 70 prspaFs 70 staxt tie to