Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-12-05
THE MYSTERIOUS
MIR. HAMILTON
OF FORT UNION


For q long time, Fort Union was
the northern distributing point Of the
American Fur Co. for the Yellowstone
and Upper Missouri country. At first
the journey from st. Louis Was made
by keel boats, and the down river trip
by either the latter or In Mackinaws.
During that period this post sheltered
men OF various conditions from
savages and outlaws to scientists,
artists, and other gentlemen OF cui-
hire and refinement. Some OF these
have left accounts of what they saw
and heard in this remote locality
which, If studied, give us very cor
rect picture Of the place, both without
and within.
The employees of the company diff
fered as greatly In attainments and
environment as did the visitors, but
those who held the higher offices
were necessarily wen fitted for their
positions, which required a. fair
amount Of education, good Judgment,
end force Of character.
Mysterious Bo0kkeeper
They were strange lot, these pio-
neers OF the north country. Amongst
them could be found such desperadoes
and swashbucklers as Alexander Har-
vey, and quiet, resourceful men, like
Major Culbertson. They we're Scotch,
English, Irish, German, French, Span
ish. possibly Italian, and certainly
many native Americans Here IN the
wilderness, they fraternized after
fashion, drawn together by the COM
mon desire for profit and self-pro-
lection.
OF this number was one man, a
bookkeeper. who furnished vast
amount Of gossip and speculation
among the other employees, and re-
NAMED q mystery to them throughout
his stay at the fort.
It is not to be understood from this
fact that the lives Of the majority OF
those who were employed at or fire.
duented this post were open pages for
all to read. Quite the contrary. Far
too many of these man had thought
It a part of wisdom to get beyond the
pale of the law. They felt themselves
more at home with savages than with
civilized people, and some Of them, In
Ais new environment made good. Rose
was an example Of this. He was an
anarchist by instinct, and would not
he bound by law, but among SavageS
he ranked as a leader, and was 8 law
unto himself.
Then what was there about the
s,,bfect of this sketch" 1t may be
asked, that should have caused those
With whom he associated to regard
him with more than ordinary cur
iosity?"
COuIdn't Classify Him
II was mainly because ne could not
be classified. His type was unfamiliar.
one thing was evident; his being an
Rnglshman, and he went by the name
~ Hamilton q remarkably good
name on both sides Of the Atlantic.
Prom Iarpentelr's few references TO
hiru. one might infer that he was
rniddleaged, or past, as he Is generally
SPOKEN Of as "the old man." when his
name Is not given
ALI his fellow employees recognized
his being q person "of uncommon edu-
cation. conversant with many sub
iects, and quite capable OF keeping
books"
But Hamilton was not the only one
AZ Fort Union possessed OF these
qualifications, and these could not
have made him "the object OF wonder
and gossip to the rude inhabitants OF
the upper Missouri valley"
He was suspected Of being noble
man who, for some unknown reason
had left home to bury himself IN the
wilds of America, and his frequent at
tacks of govt gave color to the sur
mise, as govt is held to be a disease
of q peculiarly aristocratic nature,
that does not afflict members Of the
lower classes. 1t would appear that
Hamilton was one of the advance
guard of remittance men, who are not
today in the United States
and in Canada.
Elliot quotes DR.. Mathews concern
ing Mr.. Hamilton, and makes clear
that he remained riddle to the
trappers, and fur traders Of the post,
who had probably never before seen
his like. Says DR.. Matthews:
A Scion of Nobility
'He was an Englishman Of high So
cial position at home-who never fell
into the negligent habits Of the
country. Rurnor made him scion OF
nobility. He took no one into his con-
fidence and was reticent as to his
He wore none but the
finest clothes, and always dressed In
the latest London fashion. Every year
looxes were sent from London to st.
I outs and thence forwarded to him at
the mouth of the Yellowstone.
sSome Of the French Canadians
nave told me, in tones Of awe, that he
took bath and put on clean shirt
every day. he wore ruffled shirt
fronts, had q great gold chain round
his neck, and was always polished,
scented and oiled to the highest de-
gree. Long as he lived in the country
he never overcame his repugnance
b Indians whom he called beasts. T"
I have heard a tale Of his angrtly
throwing a colored silk handkerchief
into the fire, because an admiring I
indian had picked it UP TO examine
It."
Picture, if you can, this exquisite, !
who loathed Indians, continually
brought In contact with them, and I
With white men who had gone ma {
i've" as most Of them did. His life I
,,,,gt hava l1aau a severe uenauce for S