The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1952-03-06
:RippHng
of the Rivers

An interesting bit of informa-
ton is pointed up in this weeks
ad of the Anaconda Copper
Mining company'S series on
"Know Montana" wherein it is
stated that the estimated eX-
penSe of the Lewis and Clark
expedition was approximately
$4,000.
In the party We're 43 persons,
in addition to the leaders. Items
on the expense account includ-
ed the following:
Mathematical instruments,
$217; arms and accoutrementS
extraordinary, $81; camp equip
age, $225; medicine and pack
ing, S55, means and tranSpor-
tation, $430; Indian presents.
1896; provisions extraordinary.
1924; materials for making up
various articles into portable
packs, $55; for the pay of hunt
ers, guides and interpreters.
$500; in silver coin to defray
the expenses of the party from
Nashville to the last white set
Element on the Missouri, S1OO:
contingencies, $87.
One can hardly compare those
items to the present day, but
who'd like to guess what a gov
eminent party of As travelling
that distance and consuming
some two years would cost the
taxpayers today.
OF course, in those DAYS the
coSt-pluS basis hadn't been
thought of and there warn't so
much expensive civilization to
contend with, but compared
with costs of today's projects,
We think Uncle really got him.
self a deal from Lewis and
Clark. g.
We dare say a present day
contingencies" item alone
would come to more'n 81 bucks.
At the current rate, the year
ly contribution of a half dozen
or SO average income taxpayers
would pay for the whole darn
jaunt.
Quote - Japanese war bride
upon arriving in u. S.: amer
lea is just about like Japan,
except there aren't as many
American soldiers here"
49,
Browsing through the 1917
file of the Tribune-Herald this
week, we came upon an item by
the late Charles M. Russell in
which he said speaking of liars,
the old west could put in its
claim for more of 'em than any
other land under the sun.
These men were seldom VIC
iouS liars, he said. 1t was the
love of romance, the lack of lit
erature and the desire to en-
terrain that stimulated the gift
of story telling. Jack MCGOWAN,
a well known old timer, tells of
a man known as Lying Jack"
who was notorious from Mexico
to the Arctic sea.
One of Lying Jacks favorite
. tales was of an elk he'd killed,
which measured Is feet spread
between the antlerS. He used to
tell that he kept these horns
in the loft of his cabin.
zone time I hadn't seen Jack
for years." said MCGOWAN,
when he showed up in Benton.
The crowd were all glad to
see Jack, and after a round or
two of drinks, asked him to tell
them a yarn.
mo, boys. says Jack, I'm
through. For years I've been
tellin' these lies-told m so
often I got to believin' 'em my
self. That story of mine about
the elk with the 15-foot horns
is what cured me. I told about
that elk so often that I know
ed the place I killed it. One
night I even Lit a candle and
crawled up in the loft to view
the hornS-and I'm damned If
they was there"
Another gem included the fol-
lowing:
Some say ~rattlers amt piz-
en-" said Buckskin Williams, an
old freighter, s'but I know diff
ferent. I'm pullin' out of Milk
river one day with IA, when I
notice my line boss swing out,
an everyhoSs on the near side
crods the chain. My near wheel
boss, that I'm ridin', rareS up
an straddles the tongue. It's
then I see what the trouble is
"a big rattle has struck, misses
nv boss an hits the wagon
tongue. The tongue starts to
swell up. I have to chop it off
to save the wagon, an I'm
dam quick doin' it, tool" /
An observing reporter says:
Apparently a lot of women are
trying to see who can get the
most out of an evening gown"