Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-05-31

life OF the plains. The prairieS and the
mountains appealed to him. The pic
turesque savagery OF the plains Indians
fascinated him. and their carefree
roaming life hIred him. He left Bon
neville to join the Grow Indians on the
Yellowstone He adopted their dress
had his squaw and lodge and even
glued long. black hair to his own to
make It conform to the custom Of the
Indians.
The Crows had previously had a few
white men come among them. but none
Of the superior intelligence and cour-
age Of Meldrum. He soon acquired
great influence with his savage aSso-
ciates and came to be regarded as a
great chief. His adventures were many,
and in later years he was accustomed
to complain bitterly that Beckwurth.
in his autobiography published by
Harper Bros, had stolen for his own
purposes many incidents which Mel
drum himself had related TO Beck
wurth. or which had been told to the
latter by Indians or frontierSmen con-
corning Meldrum.
The story finally reached the pub
fishers. and they sent a representative
TO see MeldrlIm to endeavor TO per-
suade him to gather together a mar
rative Of his life. promising ample
reparation for any misappropriation
Of his experiences In Beckwurth's au-
photography. but he proudly rejected all
overtues. and so a fascinating record
Of strange experiences and hairbreadth
adventures was lost to the world.
In appearance. Meldrum was Of
medium height, strongly built weighed
usually about $50 pounds, had dark,
sandy hair and keen gray eyes, and
had a most attractive countenance. He
possessed a quiet, reserved disposition,
quarrels and contentious, but
no one ever ventured to call his cour-
age IN question.
After living for some years with the
Crows, Meldrum began to long again
for the companionship Of the white
men. and ne entered the service Of the
Fur Co, in which he con-
tinued until his death at Fort Union
in 1865. Upon entering the services
Of the company he ceased to follow the
customs Of the Indians, and In the
garb of a white man was a figure to
attract attention anywhere His face
reflected an unusual mind and he was
FAR superior as a man to large major
ity of his white associates. His Ian
guage was particularly noticed in the
as he never used slang
phrases or words. Several Of his as
sociates referred to Meldrum as a
fine gentleman"
In his later years, Meldrum was az
flicted with an infection Of the kidneys, I
and was also subject to goiter Of the
neck, a disease which was very preva-
lent on the Yellowstone. not only
among white men and Indians. but
even among dogs. Up to the time of
his death he was extremely active.
Meldrum as a Trader
Mai. Alexander Culbertson, who was
chief factor Of the American Fur Co. /
1T Fort Union for several years, had /
he utmost confidence in Meldrum, and /
after the latter had left the Crows to
inter the service Of the company. he
1ut him In charge Of one Of two large
rading boats which left Fort Union, at
he mouth of the Yellowstone, for a
Quincy up the latter stream to Fort
This was In July, 1846. Fort
had been built on the south
1ank of the Yellowstone, somewhere
rear the mouth Of the Big Horn. some
ears before.
Meldrum was selected for service at
FORT Alexander because that post was
n the Grow country, and he was high
Y respected by the Crows. He was
placed in charge Of the post and was
successful in trading Later
le returned to Fort Union, and in his
ater years lived at the fort as a sort
4 pensioner Of the company.
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