Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-04-04

what is now the Treasure Stato py way
Of Beaver canyon Idaho, and Pleasant
valley. crossing the continental divide
at Monida. This was in the summer
Of 1880.
Prior to the advent Of this toy road,
which played such an important part
IN the development Of the mineral re-
sources of Montana, the passenger
business in and out Of Montana was
principally handled by Gilner & Sails
bury stage line and the freighting was
done by various independent bull
freighting" lines
After the completion Of the Pacific
railroad lines in 1869. the loading and
transfer business from Idaho and
Montana points was done at Corinne,
Utah.
Early Freighters
These freighter outfits were of all
kinds and conditions, from a single
wagon drawn by two span Of oxen.
horses OF mules, to five. six or seven
team outfit, drawing a heavy wagon
with one or two lighter trail wagons
The teams were driven by one man
usually with a jerkline which he ma
nipulated from the back, or near"
wheel horse which he rode.
Sometimes the driver had a helper
to assist in handling the teams, to
help harness, and at feed times as
well as to assist in preparing the camp
meals, as they always stopped at night
where there was good feed for the
teams. These wagons were strong. es-
pecially built for this class Of noun
tain freighting.
Often the lead freight wagon would
have a load of four tons or even more;
the trail wagons usually carried about
two tons each. Thus each of these out
fits transported about the same ton
mage as was carried in one of the
narrow gauge freight cars Of that day.
An early start was usually made
mornings, and the outfits would gen.
orally travel about IS miles, then make
a stop to feed and rest the teams.
One of the earliest men to engage
in the forwarding business was How
ard Sebree, who was q well known
figure in the business world in Utah,
Idaho and Montana He started in the
forwarding business in Utah inmedi-
ately after the Union and Central Pa
cific lines were connected.
When the Utah g. Northern railroad
was Incorporated and construction
work was begun north Of Ogden, In
the early seventies he moved his for
warding house with the terminus Of
the road until it reached Dillon, Mont.
At the time Jay Gould secured con-
troll of the Utah & Northern in 1878
the principal forwarding firm at the
end Of the track was Sebree 81 Ferris.
When the track reached Dillon the
firm was Sebree, Ferris a. Holt. 1t was
- L.. HrN- TeNA
tired from the firm IN favor of B. r.
White and the firm became Sebree,
Ferris 81 White. Later Ferris retired
and the well known firm OF Sebree g.
White succeeded. This was the first
business OF B. F. White in Montana.
From the beginning B. F. White was
satisfied to cast his lot permanently
with Montana and Dillon in particular.
white Was Governor
With Sebree, White established the
First National bank Of Dillon and
continued as president of 1t up until
the time of his death. He became ac-
lively engaged in the politics Of his
adopted state and was appointed gov
ernor of Montana in 1888 while 1t was
still a territory.
Among the many outfits that we're
freighting into Montana in those early
days was that Of A. L. Kempland, who
later became chief clerk for Marcus
DAILY at the Anaconda smelter and
who also was a member Of the Mon
tana legislature from Deer Lodge
county.
A. L. Kempland was born in Mis-
souri, in 1886 and came to Utah when
he was 10 years of age, three years
before the Union Pacific began con-
struction work at the head of Echo
canyon and out on the west end.
For a couple of years he was en-
gagged in various business enterprises
with relatives who were closely asso-
ciated in the forwarding and freight
ing business. Early in the seventies he
purchased an outfit and went into
business for himself. When the Utah
81 Northern was completed as far as
Dillon, Kempland freighted into Butte
and other Montana towns
While freighting into Butte, Kemp
land met Marcus DAILY and some time
afterwards sold his freighting outfit
and entered the service Of the Ana
conda company.
Anaconda first became a railroad
town in September, 1884. While the
city was surveyed and laid out IN lots
and the actual work on the water
bitches for the upper concentration was
done in 1883, the railroad did not reach
the city until 1884.
AnacOnda's First Train
We find the following clipping IN
the old Anaconda Review Of Septem-
Der, 1884, concerning the first excur-
sion and passenger train that reached
Anaconda:
"An Informal Observation-Disclosures
and Invited Guests Visit Anaconda.
ION Monday last, Superintendent
Doddridge and St. Clair decided TO
come to Anaconda and look over the
completed portion Of the branch. The
gentlemen invited few business men
of Butte to accompany them and the
pleasant party was made up. 1t should
be understood at once that the whole
affair was informal and tmpromptu
and did not partake OF the nature Of
an excursion, and second that the
people Of Anaconda had no knowledge