Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-05-15

nizing Lieutenant Johnston, he greet
ed him with great cordially having,
it appears, met him in Fort Benton.
He then asked us to help him look
for his purse, which he had thrown
away in the grass, taking us for road
agents, d. e. highwaymen); after con-
siderable search, We found his bag of
gold dust, containing about $1,000"
Such were the good old days of 1868,
when robbery was common, and Henry
Plummer, as sheriff, administered the
law. No wonder the stranger greeted
Lieutenant Johnston with great cor
diality."
From the Dearborn the party moved
on to the Little Prickly Pear, and re-
manned for a day at Morgan's ranch
to rest their stock. Here they were
presented with beaver, which their
cook converted into excellent bouil-
lon."
First Death Occurs
On Sept. II occurred the first death.
that of William H. Holyoke. who had
made the journey for his health. He
was buried near Morgan's ranch, on
the mountainside, and accorded a mill
tary funeral. Captain Fisk had head
stone erected at the grave, and ar
ranged with Morgan to have the grave
surplanted there, land to guard it from
dissertation"
A day or so from Morgan's ranch,
300 Pend dOreilleS were encountered.
on their way to hunt buffalo south
of Fort Benton. The captain was i'm
pressed with the good appearance OF
the horses, and the mean looks of the
Indians, but he found them civil and
well-behaved."
Mention is made of the gold diggings
on the Prickly Pear, where the miners
were busy preparing for the next sea-
sons work. Crossing the divide, a sa-
lutte was fired. then they passed down
Otter creek to The Little Blackfoot
where they made camp, and some of
the company attempted to wash out
gold, which there yielded from 2 to
10 cents per pan. Here they also fished
and found game plentiful.
They entered the Deer Lodge valley
near Johnny Grants ranch. Cotton
wood City," says Captain Fisk, lis
springing up near here on the Deer
Lodge. 1t contains about 80 homes and
$50 inhabitants. MeSsrs. Higgins and
Worden have large stores, with sup
plies of all kinds for the miners
When near the crossing of the Big
Hole river, the party met train COM
ing from Virginia City. The captain
asked one of the train where he came
from He answered pretty gruffly,
He'll Gate. Where had he been? Stink
ing Water What was the name OF this
valley? Big Hole. The stranger went
on his way without another word.
These wagons had been taking vege-
tables from He'll Gate to the Virginia
City mines. The farmers had got very
high prices for their produce. Potatoes
and onions were worth from % to Az
cents a pound"
The next encampment of the party
was on the Rattlesnake, and from there
it was but comparatively short DIS
lance to Bannack, where they arrived
on Sept. %. about two weeks after the
long Journey over the plains and
mountains ended. On nearing the town,
a salute was fired from the little
howitzer, which had been upset by
team of mules taking fright at the
top of a hill above Bannack, and run
ming into the carriage on which the
gun was mounted. But it was soon in
place again, and in readiness to an
nounce in no uncertain tones that
strangers of Importance were making
their entry.
Citizens Welcomed Them
A delegation of citizens mainly COM
posed of those who had been part OF
Captain Fisk's company of the pre-
ceding year, went out to welcome him.
OF this number were N. P. Langtord
and James Fergus. Langford had been
one of Captain FiSk'S assistants on the
former expedition.
1t was not a pleasant day as snow,
driven into their faces by the wind
had caused the mules to take fright
and overturn the howitzer. The party
came in at the upper end of the
valley, crossed the Grasshopper and
camped on Yankee Flats, so-called be-
cause Captain Fisk's men, of the previ-
GUS year, who were most of them from
Minnesota. had camped there. This is
Captain Fisk's account of the deriva-
ton of the name. AS Yankee Flats
bordered on the Grasshopper, it may
also be stated that this stream was
originally known as WIZARDS creek,
having been named for a member OF
the Lewis and Clark expedition. 1t was
Charles Rumley who gave it the pres
ent name, because of the countless
grasshoppers on its banks
While in Bannack, Captain Fisk
visited its mines, both placer and
quartz He states that the former yield
ed from IS to SIS a day. He also speaks
of the little quartz mill with its four
wooden stamps, which crushed Isl 500
worth of gold per week."
After selling part of his stock and
provisions In Bannack, Captain Fisk
went to Virginia CITY where he readily
disposed of the remainder. Before leav-
ing Bannack, the flag and howitzer
were entrusted to the care of Judge
Edgerton, as he was the only repre-
sentative of the United States govern
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