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Show TRAPPER'S STORY. Experience of Jean Montague In the Rocky Mountains as an Explorer Years Ago. Jean Montague was a Canadian of French parentage. When still a mere lad he had entered the service of the Hudson Bay company and continued con-tinued hi their service as trapper for several years. The follow lng Is an account of ills experiences as l elated to the writer some j ears ago. "In the late thirties the company fitted out an expedition to explore the legion from Manitoba west to the Bocky Mountains and southward Into tho Mexican territory. We weicwell supplied with provisions and cairicd with us a largo supply of calico and tilnkcts to boused in bartering with the Indians for furs, buffalo robes, and buckskin. We had eight or ten wagons and about 00 head of cattlo and ten or twelve horses and mules. There were about fifty men all well armed. We also carried along a small cannon as an extra precaution in case of any trouble with tho Indians. They were very much afraid of the "loud speaking gun" as they called our howitzer. Wo spent the best pait of the summer exploring and trapping along tho Snako river and In the latter part of the summer came down into the region of the Salt Lake. We were very successful in obtaining furs and by September had our wagons wag-ons pretty well loaded, and decided to spend a few days In the Willow Valley (Cacho Valley) before staiting on our return eastvvaid. Wo found fur animals very numerous along all the streams and as grass was abundant abund-ant vvc decided to spend tho winter there rather than take the risk of crossing the plains so late In the season. sea-son. We therefore made our camp In a Cottonwood grove on the cast side of the valley and made somii sheds and pens'for our stock. We also cut and put up a little hay, sufficient we supposed to last us through the winter. win-ter. The winter proved unusally severe and snow fell tosucli depths that it became almost impossible for tho cattle to get any feed whatever. The weather too was extremely cold. Long before the winter was passed it became apparent that we would loose all of our cattle unless wc obtained feed for them. Wc went down on to the river bottoms and cut canes and willows and what bunch crass wo could, and managed to keep the most of tho cattle from perishing but we lost piobably twenty or twenty-live head. It was near the middle of April before spring came and it was about the first of June bcfoio our cattlo cat-tlo were in shape to stait on the return re-turn trip. The loss of our cattle made it Impossible for us to take with us all of tho furs wc had collected and wc decided to cache them and send for them later. We also cached our surplus yokes and chains and all aitlclcs that wc did not absolutely need for our return journey. I did not return with the next company but decided to go into the tiapplng business on my own account. In 1811 I spent the winter on the Blackfoot and in the spring of 1842 came down Into the Cacho valley thinking to stay a mouth and then leturn to tho Blackfoot, but I was so successful that 1 dofcircd my return fiom day to clay until all my food supplies ran out. I had alwajs used tobacco and the loss of It made nic sick. I was camped at tho time on the Logan river a mile or so abovo its month. I shall never foiget the experiences of those few dajH. I was too weak to even get a drink of water and should ceitalnly have died but for my dog. As It was I didn't think I had many liouis to live when a trapper chanced to pass on the other side of tho liver. My dog saw him and seeming to realize my post-tlon, post-tlon, set up a vigorous barking that attiacted his attention. No human volco ever sounded as sweet to me as his did. My tongue was so swollen fiom thirst I could not speak, but I made him understand I wanted tobacco to-bacco and water. Tho valley at that tlmo was a very beautiful piece of country. Game, such as ducks and geese, was very plentiful. All of the btrearas were fringed with a dense thicket of willows wil-lows and tho rivers were alive with beavers, minks and otteis. You people peo-ple coming in liavo spoiled it for tiapplng tiap-plng and I shall liavo to ply my trade elsewhere hereafter." |
