Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-02-07
Nv E. NJ. CLPMAN

The scenes laid in the terri
attending from Mexico City
he south TO the great Peace
country Of Canada on the
l.. with experiences which
varied from stage driving,
c-nunching and placer mining
Montana to handling n six
team in n worlds champion
competition at the great Chi
ryposition. and driving the
ans Deadwood stage for the
rtatlon Of the monarchs OF
me: such has been the lie
nv OF Charles Hisganbotham,
ontana pioneer.
rr OF the stage which brough:
United States mail into Butte
rs ago: prospector and miner
aimed dirt where the business
0f the city now stand: taking
tive part in the stirring events
fg-.iy gave Butte the name of
widest camp on EARTH the story
aged pioneers life reads like
Bret Harte's epics Of the west.
stage route in the early days
territory: not stampede 10
strike: not a camp from Canada
yIro. and hardly a lonely train
great empire west OF the Mis-
ii river but what was the stamp
r-1uud of the early-day Mon
IN Peoria, H., October "a, 1910,
les Higganbotham spent the early
Of his life in a little farming
tunity. Working during the sum-
months and attending a coun-
h0Ol for the short period when
ryices could be spared during the
he acquired an education, and
spurred by the stories of for
made overnight in the goldfields
west and impelled by the wan
81 from which he never re-
led, he left home to seek his
pc
Express Rider
first employment was that Of
kny express rider. on the route
Independent Rock on the Sweet
10 Pacific Springs, distance
10 miles, and for IA months he
led this territory. in daily peril
road agents and hostile Indians.
ng Of a four-horse team on the
route from Benefits Ferry on
North Platte river to Fort Hallack,
b. foot of Elk mountain, part
road from Salt Lake to st. Joe,
his next venture. undertaken In
hummer OF 1868, his employment
the Wells-Fargo express on this
! starting within n week after the
was opened to transportation by
1ereStimation OF his capacity for
-hooch" dispensed at one OF the
Dns on his route was the cause
b. termination Of his employment
This stage line. according to Mr..
anbotham. Crooked Neck" Bob
dy, division superintendent OF the
broke the news that the Wells
10 had decided to dispense with
service of Charley" and attempt
perate the stage line with the help
tss hilarious employees, and. in the
fuage OF the pioneer. II was look
| for a job" That his search was
in vain was evidenced by the
that within a week he was again
Inning" a four-horse team, this
on the Denver to Omaha road.
section Of the route being near
Nebraska and Colorado line, from
Cottonwoods through Julesburg to
Mcpherson.
was working for Charley Slade.
was afterwards hanged at Vir-
IA City" said the pioneer, in an
E-day interview. "On my first trip
Berry. who was called the Mon
b Kid and I got into Julesburg
hours after Slade had rm-jn
b Jules Remey. the Frenchman
was running the station there.
lotice the newspapers, when they
ation Slade in telling Of the early
5, always call him A. J. Slade, but
tybody knew him as Charley in
old days.
Hes Revenge
This Frenchman named Jules was
and he was rustling
ie's horses and then selling them
K to him. Being a squawman, he
In with the Indians around there
when the horses were turned out
food they would run them off and
ne them in the gullies. Then Jules
Id go to Slade and Offer TO find
horses for a reward. and when
got the money he'd send out and
e the Indians bring then IN
Finally Slade got wise to the zane
he roped this Frenchman and
bbed him up to post In the corral
cut his ears off. I remember he
off his RICH. ear and put It in his
II vest pocket and then his left ear
put 1t in his left vest pocket He
the Frenchman that he would cut
heart out but 1t was so black 1t
ldn't keep. He beat the French
to death with the butt Of his
and they dragged jules
and buried him within 10 fee Of
corral fence. Then we sli went
and had a drink.
Berry went to work for Siade at
running a blacksmith shop.
afterwards drifted into Montana,
re he was one Of the best known
in the territory In the early days
lderstand that he died in the poor
Sc at Butte a few years ago. but l
W Berry when he took fortune
OF hole In the ground and then
oped it within few days at faro
k"
nree months was the term of serv-
for Higganbotham on the Cotton
ds-Fort Mcpherson route under
lie, then the wanderlust turned his
to Texas, where he secured en-
'ment With the Iowa Stage COM
=, operating stages on several
es in the border state. Here he
Bob GAllOWRv. brother of the