Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-05-02

I EAMVIat8ANEU AAkz4A AAEI AT nuMs
These men ranged all the way
from the half civilized, or alt0geth-
, er savage French Canadian and
J French and Indian voyageurs, 90
} the brilliant Peter Skene Ogden;
the scientific David Thompson. and
the courtIy and scholarly DR.. Nc
LaughIin. Occupying an intermedi-
ate position between these two ex-
trcmes, was the subject Of this
1 sketch, David Harmon
i Born Of a middle class puritan fam
lily in the state Of Vermont, he entered
the employ OF the Northwest company
when little more than a boy, and re-
manned in the western country for 10
years.
His claim upon our interest lies In
his having kept a journal from the
time of his leaving Montreal IN 1900, In
which he daily noted what seemed to
him worthy OF preservation, including
an account of the Northern Indians,
mainly Crees or Assinniboines, who
often made forays into Montana for
game; to steal horses from the Grows
or other tribes; and to wage war.
other writers, like Prince Maximil-
ian, have given minute descriptions Of
Indians, their dress and manner of
living; but these varied in the numer-
GUS tribes that roamed the plains and
mountains, and what forcibly impressed
one observer, might be altogether over
looked by another. There Is nothing
more noticeable about these early his
torians than the way they contradict
one another Father BeSmet found the |
ASSinniboines unutterably filthy; while I
David Harmon considered them among
the most Clearly. Each told the truth /
from his point of view, but Harmon |
having lived the longer amongst them /
is in this case the better authority.
Life Has Changed
From Father DeSmet's description of
the AsSinniboines he met, he was fully
justified in his statement touching the
few specimens with whom he came in
contaet-it was true individually, but
not collectively of the entire tribe.
Every item concerning the Indians of
that day is of increasing Importance,
due to the changes that have been
wrought in their tribal life since the
advent of the white race.
Many Indians today are degenerates
the almost universal effect
Of trade ON primitive tribes. The pro-
cess Of deterioration was well under
way when Harmon came TO the north
west That 1t was not further advanced
ay In the fact that the Hudson's Bay
Co. confined its trading mainly to the
east until the rival, and more progress
i've Northwest Co., with characteristic !
energy pushed its trade to the Rockies !
and beyond, and forced its competitor
20 follow.
Harmon,s picture Is that Of q man
With high forehead; nearly level and
pencilled eyebrows over eyes !
apparently dark, and set well apart; :,
ong straight nose; determined mouth !
nd a well accumulated chin. Two deep
ut wrinkles tending downward in the
heeks near the mouth could never Z
ave formed there If the mouth had =
broadened in a smile, and =
be eyes, unlike those of Ogden, give Z
o hint Of an appreciation Of hunor. q
is the face Of an ascetic, to which y !,
e bore the greatest resemblance OF -
ny of the early traders.
1t may be readily understood that -
mis- boy, reared in a New England II
Immunity, found much to shock him "A
frontier post, and it is doubtful II
e ever became fully reconciled to 1t o.
Though he fell into its ways to the q
1tent of taking a mixed blood wife, p
hose father was a Canadian, and her II
Iother of the Snare tribe of Crees
whose country lies along the Rocky Ir
ountains' hi
Before taking this step, however, he @,
ave thoughtful consideration to the Jo
lbject, or as he says, mature con- al
Iteration" being actuated by two III
olives; one Of these being "it is Gus eli
mary for all gentlemen who remain b
r any length of time, in this part TO
the world, to have a female COM We
anion, with whom they can pass 20
cir time more socially and agreeably, he
an to live lonely life, as they must fig
J, II single" The other reason for this M,
ton was possibly the all-powerful
onomic motive, that his wife would In
cure to him the trade Of her tribe. IN
wed His Children M,
Unlike many other white men, he no
pected to provide for the woman, in ri
e event Of his going east to remain. he
, Justly thought she would be hap ~,
n to spend her life among her own Nj
ople, than to be transferred to a T.,
ilized community. BY this woman -
Irmon had several children whom he e..
arly loved. One of these, his son - -,
,orge, having been sent east to be Ite
heated, died while there. His father a. a.
sply mourned his loss, but the news 49,
his death caused his mother to be ~
irious for the night following the ~
eipt of the news. t sie'
Harmon must have developed pro- tbs
mced executive ability and exer- %,
ed puritanical conscientiousness in noI
conduct of the affairs entrusted :
him, as he rose from clerkship TO
ome partner In the company. Part ~
his time of exile was spent on the "a az.
tn fork Of the Saskatchewan river, cEi.
,ut 100 miles above its union with a ilc
north fork. ~
UGH an environment as must have iiae
n his, would not seem TO be conduc- :"
to a religious frame Of mind, yet the
product Of New England teachings rub
anne converted after IS years Of Of
1tier life. Being himself converted, fiel
tried to convert all about him, In strI
ling the woman with whom he rive
d, and 70 whom he was afterwards ting
-Tied in due form. This religious ex- and