Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-02-07

Ordway Kebbler. given in "On the
Tran OF Lewis and Clark" Mrs. Keb-
bier writes:
"Of all the men enlisted or voIun-
| teered for the expedition he John
| Ordway), was the best educated. In
! an old letter which he wrote just after
he returned from the expedition and
which read in 1852, he distinctly
stated that the diary which he left,
and which he wore beneath his shirt.
was bought by the commanders of the
expedition to be used by them In their
report to the government, and he
thought the $40 they paid him was
good price"
The first journal Of Lewis and CLARK
was edited by Nicholas Biddle Of Phil
adelphia. The material supplied him
by the leaders Of the expedition, un-
doubtedly included the Ordway Jour-
nal, which later was supposed to have
been returned to Clark, but was never
found among his papers.
In 1913 a grandson Of Nicholas
Biddle gave many Of his fathers
papers to the congressional library.
While looking over these papers, an
other grandson of Biddle came across
a large manuscript which proved to
be the long sought Ordway journal. !
The manuscript was sent to the Wis !
consin historical library, where the
further discovery was made that the /
manuscript was incomplete. The Biddle
papers later furnished the missing
portions of the journal, and the Wis
consin historical reports gave to the /
world "the first complete daily record /
of the expedition written by one man. /
1t fills in a gap from the descent of /
the Ordway party from Three Forks
of the Missouri to White Bear island"
In recognition of his services to the
expedition. his name was given by
Lewis and Clark to the Little Prickly
Pear.
Little Known of Him
Little is known of the man himself,
though it is thought he was native
of New Hampshire, to which state he
returned after the expedition ended,
travelling the whole distance by boat
and on horseback. But the lure of the
west was too strong. He went to Mis-
souri,, where he spent the remainder
of his life. Ordway is said to have
left no descendants.
According to the Wisconsin historical
reports, the Ordway party, on their
way to White Bear island "journeyed
10 the Wisdom river, and then up that
stream to the western slope of Bald
In this vicinity they crossed
,he divide to the headwaters Of Grass
hopper creek, and followed down that
stream to the site of the town of Ban
lack. Here they veered to the south,
n the direction of their destination,
he mouth of Horse Prairie creek"
The Ordway party were the first
white men, let it be noted, to visit the
lite Of the future capital Of the terri
DRY Of Montana.
While on the wisdom river (now the
Big Hole) the party made camp one
venipg in July, near the place where
alter was fought the battle of the
Big Hole.
Amusing, as well as tragical exper-
ences find their way into this record
# Ordway's. One of these occurred
lear Portage, now Belt creek. McNeaI,
me of the party out alone, probably
uniting, was attacked by white bear
grizzly. His horse taking fright,
brew him to the ground so close to
he bear that he was unable to use
lis gun in the ordinary manner, so
e had to resort to the extraordinary.
He drew his gun and struck the bear
cross the head and broke the breach
t his gun and stunned the bear so
hat he had time to climb a sapling.
he bear kept him on the tree about
aree hours. He caught his horse and
eturned to camp"
Milo F. Quuaife, in the Wisconsin
istorical report in which the Ordway
ournal is given, says Of this incident:
the bear was stunned or
Istounded' by such treatment is per-
APPS a fair question. Whichever it
as, he was felled to the ground,