| Show IT WAS filS nARD WINTEllt I Reminiscence Told by a Man Now a Millionaire of His First Season as a Boy in Montana One evening last full a small party seated In a semicircle 01 gentlemen were ilreplacc In our circle around an open clubhouse in which blazed a bright wood lire Although the fireplace was ornamental affair being purely er modern a very a clubhouse la I namental because the of heated by I a very elaborate system Btcam radiators It served as n reminder of boyhood days to several gentlemen present composed of a number The parly was substantial citizens of tho town her of all of whom wore welltodo and some I million of them are today rated as aires Tito wood lire suggested early I reminiscences and from stories of boyhood I boy-hood life back on New England fanns I i drifted westward to scenes of I I they It soon developed that I early J manhood member of the party with two every had come to the I three exceptions 01 In the sixties and before Ito I great West their fortunes Every mothers seek to f of them started at the bottom of son but honest and had the ladder poor many difficulties to limbed up un crman station Each man was their present achievements and he had of his proud boast to he for every one could right a honorable career Every fellow of an young the average age at had begun start I which most of them had made a was from IS to 21 years old friend John Dayton who long My enviable claim to a very lay PXO could successful mineowner and a record as member of the little manager was a croup had Just given 1 of the gentlemen lOne interesting account of a particularly across the plains when a boy Ills trip when Dayton said California of IS to thnt I made I believe gentlerion earlier period than any at an start my old when T barely 15 years > r voir I was MJ JUU I was obliged to go out and maka my in the world own ray had been that Dayton hod We all knew c cew ni expeil number of thrilling I through n Iumber and as a boy oa the frontier and onces anxious that h6 should most of us were them It Is I difficult to of difcul tell induce of some Dayton to talk I his early life while ho made a record that any for rather should l > o proud of he is r man boasting besides and despises bQagtng modest about it of sadness is tinge ncss I a there t1g a while it awakens a feeling of which whJc the heart of tho listener sympathy fympath for Day Dtl autogetlvjr pleasant not it la l autoeth l talk about osecahl to abut ami especially to On recall this occasion having enjoyed listening a number of Interesting to tening stories by other members f the party Itotles to contribute obligations Dayton fcltutderoblblins tribute his share to the evenings enjoyment who on account tendcrfeeLwho To us 01 joyment To tencerrcL lack of opportunity and count of age luK of I age of coir share deprived had been deprlT tho stories were tlyllllng I adventure Intensely I Interesting died before I was Both my parents id Dayton and I 35 years oC ago said own way In obliged to makis my was I never Ijad an opportunity the world the few months and school hut A to attend fcl100t I felt keenly early age IteeJI at that ngE oven with the to cope lack of equipment my Inclt problems of life serious no help for U lx > wevcr There was confronted me I necessity cnnfronted for grim necesst starve with me I or was hustle beg stuvewlth was I to beg nlthl did not propose JIg other alter going to starve ho I only alel golnr hustle was to hURte native natve in a little ton In We were living Mississippi Illinois near the 11ssl8Slppi northernllnol nea mothers death of my lime o at the r river lr mv rie1 brokin tip was tp fartiily brok m wa Our little with rqlatlvcs and places tCothes found wih sisters homo with n dis while I was offered a able to whie cousin I felt Uiat 1 I was taut cougil mnyStflf and proposed to take earn InI do 1U cabin I employment as found r T soon cmployment Tn rJver steamer Mississippi stamel boy on a rlI quite a lot was of 18C there the spring the discovery of over excitement of exdtcmcl I struck a chance to Montana in tLluck gold lonana to Montana on a work my way up bound for Fort Benton steamboat accepted I offer I promptly which ourl im the Missouri enjoyed the trip up ls with boat was crowded The bont menficly a mixed lot fhe of passengers including gamblers and udven miners trappers gmhl ls and wo turers of all kinds 1 both men an nl of special interest occurred men Nolhlng of Iecil thl except a few curred on the way up n stabbing affray and a brief lights a slabbinl orrr brush with the Indians as we neared the Montana line which helped to vary the monotony On board tho boat T meta post ot Tom Simpson trc1er by the name o who trader iy been in the employ of the He for Bay company years Hudson eompon the neigh to a station in was going n staton stories of uorhood of Fort Peck His ot 101hood life in the wilds of the great frontier wids Northwest interested me greatly and to experience some I was very anxlgus nnIOu offered me a of it myself Simpson place with him at the trading station which I accepted o o On arriving at the trailing post I orivlng enough to satisfy the found It wild stigCy ambition most any boy of my age All of our supplies had to be carried supples in by pack train and for at least eight months of tho year wo were practically practi-cally cut off from all communication world Trappers prospectors with the outer wOld lappers and Indians made pectors squawmon lectors population which was rather limited even counting the Indians The Crow Indians were our neighbors neigh-bors but they were a very bad lot and the further away they kept from the urtlcr better we liked them I was fearfully homesick for the first month after my arrival at the station I used to crawl into my bunk at night and wrapup in my blankets and have a good cry Alone in the world and away among strangers I used to often wonder why I was so severely punished Somehow I looted upon my hard lotus lot-us a punishment and an unjust punishment punish-ment at that because I could not imagine im-agine anything that I had done to merit I > Ch trials as had fallen to my lot Ian I-an recall even now how eagerly 1 used to long for night to come so that I could have a good cry I would have died rather than anyone around the I post should know that I was homesick In the seclusion of my bunk 1 was safe I from prying eyes and night after night I used to cry myself to sleep The men about the post were kind l one ugh I suppose Simpson my employer em-ployer was rather gruff at times but 5 long as I did my work properly he treated inn fairly woll IIo was rather a hard task master lnd at times I Imo im-o hHd jm was IncllnlSl to impose on me because I was a boy l r hud to make u full hand when it came to getting In the winters supply of wood and harvesting har-vesting meadow grass for the winters supply for the soak This was more jjian I nArRnSned for but I was very strong largo for my age and I guess Simpson thought 1 oould do as I much as jt v muri Jlrid therefor gave mea me-a mans work to do 1 recovered from my homesickness in about a month I just made up my mind that It did no good to pine About the middle of September Simpson 1 Simp-son proposed to me one day that I I should ride over to Fort Benton some I 200 miles distant UJ gut the mail Benton WC our nearest postouiee and after the a now began to fair wo would I be abut in until the following May The Indians were bad I knew but travelershad been coming up from Fort Peck and Fort Benton durlng the summer sum-mer and had never been molested s 1 concluded to go Simpson said I could have two weeks to make the trip and I figured that If I hurried through I would lae several cay to stay at Fort lienton which was quite a thriving place for a frontier town u I packed a supply of bacon coffee and I hardfack In a pair of old Saddlebags I I tied a pall of heavy blankets on tho back of the saddle armed myself with I I a Colts revolver and set out riding a horse called Old Bill one of the best caled horses at the post I made the trip down to Benton In five days It was very lonely camping out alone on the bleak mountain side at night and the air was quite sharp mornings and evenings even-Ings hut I got through all rJ hL I i had quite a number of errands to attend to for Simpson at Fort Benton bexidcSgetting the mall I received S letter from my oldest sister which informed me that they wero all well but were greatly worrIed wor-rIed about my safety as they had rmul In the papers that the Indians were troublesome in Montana I answered I my sisters letter tailing her I was all right and rather boastlngly referred to the fact that I had Just ridden through the worst part of the Indian country and had not been molested I did not mention that I had not seen mtntol any Indians but I might have left the impression that the Indians were I afraid of mo I enjoyed my visit to the fort I met quite a number of people with whom I had become acquainted on my trip up the river one In particular a young lady about my own age Mary jvialoney the daughter of an Irish Tttriny sergeant was very glad to see me and Insisted that I should como and take dinner with her I had not seen a woman for four months until I arrived at Denton The sight of this little lady made me think of my sisters back In Illinois and It was only by a masterly effort that I kept from crying when I met her That would never do and fearing to trust myself I tried to frame an excuse ex-cuse for not accepting her Invitation but It was no use she was an impetuous impetu-ous kindhearted girl and I was obliged to say I would go I had met her mother on the boat who on learning that I i had lost my mother recently had given me some I kind motherly advice which endeared her to my heart When 1 arrived at the little loghouse near the fort Mrs I Maloney met me at the door and with I out any ceremony she took me in her big motherly arms and Imprinted a kiss on my heck That was more than I could stand I broke down and cried like a baby I was ashamed to cry before Miss Mary but chancing aside a-side glance at her I vtw tears In her eyes and then I did not fee so embarrassed embar-rassed The old sergeant came In and I was Introduced to him as the orphan boy his wife and daughter had met on the trip up the t river He soon had us laughing Ailh his quaint Irish humor Faith mother said he is this the bye Mary has been afther urgin us to adopt seeln as how we have no byes o our own And then it was Miss Marjis time to be embarrassed The family did adopt me during the remainder of my stay at the fort The old sergeant and his wlfo would have nothing else but that I should i make their homo my headquarters until I un-til I was ready to start back I Mrs Maloney fixed me up a bounteous bounte-ous supply of piovisions for my return re-turn journey and with another good motherly y hug and kiss prayed the saints to preserve me The sergeant gave < a hearty shake of the hand as he said Mo bvo if 1 tho rldsklns get yer scalp just sind word to the Colonel 1 and be jabbers us bluecoats will come out and tilde it away from them sure Miss laY reaped with a hearty hand hake although 1 should have been glad to kiss her If I had received the least hit of encouragement I never nev-er knew If I she thought I was wanting In manly courage or not but some way I have always believed t that she thought I was not quite as brave as I should be e o I set out en my return journey from Fort Benton on the morning of the 116th of September 3SG The weather was more or less threatening and along I toward evening a cold wind began to blow from the north I traveled as long as I was able to see the trail that night and made camp In a lIttle mountain meadow where there was plenty of good horse feed I was very cold that night I did not light a tire but ate n cold lunch and rolled up in my blankets and tried to sleep I got lo thinking of my sisters and my lonely situation mingled a little bit with the old homesick I home-sick feeling which Mrs Maloneys I motherly atment had awakened and it was veri little sleep I had that night I was up at the first peep of day the next morning lighted a lire by which I made a pot of steaming hot coffee and fried some bacon I enjoyed a hearty hear-ty breakfast and was away on tho trail long before sunup I was rather cold riding in the early morning so cold in fact that I got off and walked for several miles to warm upI up-I made better time on the return trip than I did coming ijt My horse was a good traveler and seemed eager to return home which was agreeable to my wish I and I allowed al-lowed him to have l his own way By the evening of the third day J estimated mated by the landmarks that I had covered threefourths of the distance from Benton to the trading station I made camp earlier than usual that night In order to give my horse a good rest and a chance to feed on the abundant abund-ant meadow grass which abounded in the neighborhood I thought It possible possi-ble for me to make the home station the next day If 1 started early The last stage of the journey was over a high divide and by all odds the most dillicult All day the weather had been threatening snow The sun was obscured ob-scured by clouds and the wind was raw and cold I staked my horse out in 0 sheltered nook behind a clump of willows some distance from the trail and was just preparing to build a lire and boll some coffee when I heard the sound of horses feet coming down the trail some distance above me I was just light enough for me lo see dimly at a distance of about n hundred yjjrds or so At first I thought probably proba-bly It might be a party of prospectors returning from the hflls to Fort Benton Ben-ton but remembering that the Indians were scattered over the country in every direction I concluded to make sure that I should not be discovered If possible until 1 knew if the travelers were friends or foes t I hurrlodly led my hors into the willows I lows and got down behind a large rock myself In a few moments T oud gee from my placo of concealment a party of ten or a doon horsemen coming down the trail single file I could not make out If tley were while men or Indians until they suddenly came to a halt about filly yards from where I Jay and then I know nUt It was n party par-ty of Indians 1 could hear them talk fng CIT plainly and judged that they were discussing the choice of n campIng camp-Ing place for the night I was very I anxious that they should not stop I there but did not consider that it would be polite for me to step out and say HOI I HO-I wnb afully afraid my hOI o would I betray my presence by neighing butj Old Billy never made a Duml 1 1 could see by the way he pricked his earn that he had heard the sound and evidently 1 I I scented danger in thcair I was only a few moments that the Indians rc I malnod halted before they decided to move on but it seemed like an age tome to-me They went on down the trail about half a mile and made camp as I soon discovered when I slipped out to look for them I concluded to moe and I did not stand on the order of my going I sadU died my hoise and rode several miles 1 t In fear and trembling lost I should meet nrst I following the another band nrt J fnlolns dont know how far I rode but it must have been at INun l ten miles when I concluded It would bo safe to stop for the night I left the trail and moved half mile wh ro rld about a over a ridge obolt 0 mie uCr I staked 0 my horsr out In a little gully rolled up In my blankets beside a big rook where 1 I was fairly comfortable although I slept vory little The next lcJt morning as soon as It was light enough I to see I was up I gave my horse a good feed of oats which Sergt Ma goo had Insisted that I bring along Incase I should be obliged to camp some night where the fed was poor I was determmod to make the tradIng trad-Ing station that night and I thought Old Billy would tired tho oats then If ever I did not light a fire that morning My breakfast consisted of raw baron and hardtack with one of ills Ma loneys doughnuts for desert o a I guessed that 1 1 must be at least six I tyfive miles from the station Between I me and there was a high divide traversed tra-versed by an Indistinct trail which in places was vory dangerous Some of the most difficult places were on the other shIp of the range within lAvonty mllos of the station J was my hopo to pass those places before nightfall If possible It was not nearly so cold as it had been which encouraged me I did not I know then that a fall In temperature presaged a snowstorm As I neared the summit the wind became blustery I and I noticed of to the northwest dark clouds rolling down toward me At first I I could SOC the high peak on the mountain moun-tain top to the left of which the trail 1 crossed over the divide By noon this peak was hidden by I clouds Boforo I commencing the last long ascent to the top I stopped and watered my horse at I a little mountain stream and allowed I him to feed a few minutes I was along a-long hard climb to the top I v a In fear of meeting another band of Indians I I In-dians all the time but I was obliged to move on and take chances on that score I was worried lost I should fail to pass the bad places on the trail ho fore night and then there was the evor threatening danger of a snowstorm The wind grew colder as I ascended the mountain so cold In fact that I tried the experiment of getting off and walking to keep warm Walking warmed me up all right but I made such slow progress that I soon oimbed on my horse and braved the cold J must have been a oclock In the afternoon when I finally came to tit top of the divide For several mllcrrJ the other aido the road was fairly good and Old Billy mac < good tlnu As I descended the air became less chilly but there was every evidence of an approaching ap-proaching storm I had scarcely gone a dozen miles from the summit when the storm broke I came rolling down from the northwest In great blinding flakes I was impossible to sce ten feet ahead but Old Billy kept trudging along I lost sense of direction or distance traveled trav-eled 1 soon realized that my only hOe was to trust to the instinct of my home For hour we moved on through the storm Just before dark the t snow suddenly sud-denly ceased falling and 1 could see that we were nearing the part of the g road that I most dreaded To add tom to-m discomfiture the I wind began to blow cold My clothing was damp from the snow and I soon began to foci tho I I cold keenly I cannot remember just how 1 managed to get over Ito worst part of the trail I I In fact I soon became I numb with cold and darkness coming I on suddenly I could not see whore 1 I was going and eared loss After the storm coasod the only thing I romom bor distinctly was that T foil from my horse 1 I sat up in a dazed way an looked about mo it was quite dark I could not tell where I was except that I was sitting in LIme snow somewhere in the t mountains Tho Cal must t havo started my blood to circulating because be-cause I soon began to realize that I had fallen from 1Y horse I could not see or hoar Old Bill > rriy whero about and came to the conclusion conclu-sion that he had gone on and loft mo 1 was not very murh alarmed T know I would frooe lo I death but that dir I i not worry mo because I thought Old Billy would go to UH post and they would come out and find my body 1 was htginniug i to borome drowsv again when I hoard something approaching lp the trail In a moment Old Billy came up and stood beside me I did not make any effort to get up and after standing I there a fow minutes i the old follow began to nose me about t This had the effect of arousing mea me-a ain i and by and by 1 thought I 1 must get up and climb on the horse mid T did I dont know how I accomplished the foal because the whole transaction lnn seems like a dream The only things 1 can remember distinctly are the fall the return of Old Billy and my resolve to climb on his back The next thing that I remember Is that I awoke in my bunk at the trading post the next morning with my hands feet and face I all wrapped In bandages saturated with sweet 011 Simpson told m < that they had been awakened about 3 oclock that morning morn-ing by Old Billy neighing at the door On golnS out they found me unconscious uncon-scious my damp clothing frozen to the saddle which had prevented my falling off They were obliged to remove the saddle and all In order to get me off the horse At first they thought I was dead but on closer examination they discovered faint signs of life Restoratives Re-storatives were applied my hands feet and face were rubbed vigorously with snow A hot blanket was rapped around the trunk of my body When I came to T vtmm out of my head and suffering great bodily pain Simpson who had a slight knowledge knowl-edge of medicine I had administered I an opiate which caused me to sleep n aMy C a-My hands and feet were so lady frozen fro-zen that I was absolutely helpless for months An old trapper by the name of Jim Hempstead took charge of me and no father oould have cared for his only son wjt any more lemleriipfs than ho cared for me He was familiar I with several Indian remedies and It was due to his efforts alone that my life was spared because mortificatlpn threatened of feet and one my everyOne every-one about the post except Jim thought It was all day with me Ho worked night and day over me for over 0 week until I was out of danger I was truly grateful to him for what he did for me that winter Two years later I was able to repay his kindness In part by saving his life at the risk ot my own but that Is another I an-other story Shortly after I had begun to mend a party of about a hundred Crow Indians made a i descent upon the post and carried car-ried off everything in the shape of eatables that they could find together with all the firearms and ammunition save my friend Jlmllompstcads rlllo I and a hundred cartridges which he managed to slip Into my bunk The Indians I In-dians were afraid that I had some contagious con-tagious disease so tlny kept away from me They were very ugly and we Merc glad to etcapc with om lives The only grub wo had loft wntf nno sack of flour and five sacks of beanr which had been cached outside of the store for want of room Eight of us lived for over four months on boa us and flour duff together with such nne game as Hemp tad could kill from time to time with his rifle I have always regarded that as my I hnpd winter 1 have never experienced so very much ral hard luck l since and I have come to the conClusion that t hate h-ate thought that 1 had had my share when I was young |
