Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-04-10

carve out an INDUSTRIOUS career because
he did a road agent good turn and
the bandit had the gratitude to re-
turn the favor.
Colonel Broadwater, who came from
an illustrious Virginia family in Fair
fax county, was first heard OF in Mon
tana in 1852, when the gold camps OF
Bannack and Virginia City had their
beginning. He laid out the old town
Of Cottonwood, on the site of the
present city Of Deer Lodge. In the '7O'i
he headed the Diamond r Transporta-
ton Co., the largest single enterprise
in Montana in its day. He built the
Great Northern line from Havre to
Butte. then called the Montana Cen
trail railway. He died in 1892 and his
body lies in the cemetery at Helena,
across the valley from the famous old
Broadwater hotel. which he built.
Outsmarted George Ives
Long before he became one of the
Mister Bigs" OF the west he had
very ample mental equipment-a brain
that didn't let him down in the clutch.
Had this not been so he would have
died young, at the hand of George
Ives, dapper and smart road agent who
was out to get him. But thanks to
tip given him by one of Ives COM
radeS in crime, Broadwater was not
caught unprepared. He outmaneuvered
the bandit and escaped with his hide
as well as $4,000 in gold dust
Broadwater was a man not averSe
to turning a hand for others-and he
found that it paid dividends. 1t was
Augustus Moore who revealed to
Broadwater that the road agents COW
eted his wealth and were willing and
ready to murder him to get It,
Moore knew whereof he spoke. He
was a road agent himself-just as
bad thug as the rest Of Henry Plum
mer's boys, and he would not have re-
vealed a contemplated job to an in
tended victim without good reason. In
Broadwater's case, Moore's reasons
were certainly good, since he owed
his life to the man. Moore. ruffian
though he was, wasn't entirely devoid
of decency.
Moore and a pal, Charlie Reeves, had
been banished from Bannack after
standing trial for the murder Of three
Indians and a Frenchman. They went
to the mining camp in Deer Lodge val
ley near the present site of Deer Lodge.
BroadWater and a companion, John
Pemberton. had come to the territory
few weeks before and selected this spot
as an eligible location for town. They
were engaged in laying it out at the
time Reeves and Moore arrived. They
had already built two cabins, one of
which they occupied.
The two road agents made camp in
a clump of willows along the banks of
the Deer Lodge river and were con-
siderably short of solid comfort. 1t was
iI fnl, hn
tense. With nothing more than blan-
kets for protection against the wintry
blasts that raked the valley and food
supply limited to beef and coffee,
Moore and Ives suffered severely.
Moore finally fell sick of mountain
fever and undoubtedly would have
crossed over the hill had not Broad
water provided quarters for him in the
vacant cabin and nursed him back to
health.
Later Moore and Reeves learned that
their sentence Of Punishment had been
lifted at Bannack and they returned
to- the geld camp, with Broadwater
providing Moore with horse. Indians
had stolen the road agents steed dur
ing his illness.
Broadwater, engaging in the cattle
business the following spring, pros
pered He bought in Deer Lodge and
sold his herds at Bannack. The pro-
ceeds of these sales often amounted to
thousands of dollars in gold dust. After
one of them BroadWater was preparing
TO return to Deer Lodge with a fat
amount of dust when Moore secretly
cautioned him to watch his STEP
There's not another man in the
country for whom I'd take this risk,
Broad" Moore said, but you were my
friend when I needed friendship You
saved my life and I'm grateful-but
you must pledge your honor not to be-
tray me-"
Broadwater promised to keep his
mouth shut, whereupon Moore told him
that there was a band of road agents
In Bannack who knew of his intended
departure for Deer Lodge and that
they planned to waylay him enroute,
murder him and take his gold.
You are spotted for slaughter"
Moore said. Leave town secretly and
be constantly on your guard"
He Wasted No Time
Broadwater had intended to leave
town the next morning but, satisfied
that Moore was telling him the truth
and believing, too, that Moore was one
Of the gang, he departed that evening
and by O'Clock next morning was at
the crossing of the Big Hole river.
There he stopped to rest but soon after
ward was aroused from slumber by a
skulking Indian. After soaring off the
redskin with rifle shot, Broadwater
continued on his way, an hour before
sunrise.
His route now lay directly over the
main range Of the Rocky mountains
and just before daylight he began to-
descend the declivity at whose foot
flowed one Of the tributaries Of the
Deer Lodge river. He was congratulate
ing himself that the dangers of his
trip were over and he looked forward
to completing his journey with leis-
urely ride through one Of the most
delightful valleys in the world.
But his thoughts did not remain
pleasant long. Rounding an abrupt
angle in the road he saw. seated at a
camp fire, two Of the very persons
about whom, he was convinced, Moore
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