Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-08-09
Gold Miners Followed Explorers But Was the Farmers Who
Made Montana State; They Came Here Establish Homes

The odd tratIbkaxeTs Of Montana are
becoming fewer each year and IL win
not be long before only historical ae-
counts Of these great, fearless men
win recall 20 our memories the deeds
which they so molly accomplished. IL
win not be long before II win be Inn
possible for . small group Of them TO
assemble 20 talk over the stirring days
and exchange tales Of the time when
the Indian was the principal man In
the country and when it took real
nerve to venture out in the wilderness
in an endeavor to carve out, with
master strokes, the foundation steps
for a future civilization. Stin e took
hardened characters like these to
constitute q state"
When the coasts Of America were
settled, when the Puritans and the
Pilgrims ventured from their ancestral
homes in England and Holland either
to escape bondage or in quest Of adj
venture, they sailed to the very door
step Of their future homes. When Ar
gonauts of another period migrated
to California they skirted the coasts |
of two continents. In a similar way |
many Of the immigrants to Oregon |
E444 HGoA4AA45 tI4 AQI4lAG4 bAAIA AACN \
homes.
But the hardy frontiersmen who
fought their way through the wilder
ness to reach Montana, we're obliged
to make their homes 1000 miles from
any sea in any direction. There were
hostile Indians on the plains who
were determined that the white men
should not steal their lands drive
away or exterminate their wild ami
mails and disorganize their govern
mentS
Dangerous, Slow Journey
There was the long journey across
the scorching plains in none but COW
cred wagons, usually drawn by slow
moving oxen. Surely such dangers as
these are unprecedented in the history
Of the settling of new country. 1t
seemed more like a forbidden land"
beaconing disaster and failure to
whomever would attempt such a trail.
Not even on the mighty Mississippi
Gould the pioneers advance in safety,
Tor never were they out of range Of ,
he lurking savages, whose arrow :
iarted forth from hidden inches in
he sheltering woods, pronouncing :
leath on many man just as he en- :
cred the gates of his promised land" :
:aught the breath of mountain liberty +
md sight of "the Land of Shining =
fountains" :
That is the way the pioneers came, p
nut their means Of earning a living =
7ere just as dubious as the course Of a
heir westward journey. The lives Of a
ONE shine out as grand examples Of q
Prosperity and success achieved
trough one or more Of the various a
hannels Of industry; Of wonderful
nd extraordinary mplishments in :,
be sphere Of scientific research; In "
be forum, or through the medium !.
{ special qualities which leave y
larked impress upon the tablets of =
lemory and history both of which =
i'll live forever. Others did not per- :,
,rm such successful careers to pros =
Gritty some were unfortunate, but all {.
orked equally for himself and his q
.lIow comrade IN such times of stress. -
hey did not emblazon their deeds
n personal satisfaction, or from mo- ne
YES of ambition commit some act as
hich would mark them for a time as ye
.ntral figures. On the contrary, the ot
eater majority Of these homeseekers OIL
CIE hA4QcC WIZ WCAC CfCA A(L0f5AAA@sSA
that splendid type of manhood IA
hich the Creator made 1t possible ~ 3.
r all men TO be. elI
snetsee Finds Gold al
Discovery Of gold was the magnet "a
nich drew hundreds Of adventures -,
Montana. It Is said to have first -,
en- discovered by French half M
eed, commonly referred to as Benet- lin
2, who came here from the Red river sh
untry. He may have been the first Ia -.
1ac youow nleOaA Dus no wa
ing the value of the treasure, and -,
didn't attempt to preserve any Of OF,
J find. -va
The first attempt to find gold In s ~
1ntana was made IN the late ftfties ~ ~,
the Kootenai country, but talis met IN