When F isle s Expedition Crossed the Plains
Took Northern Route and Outwitted Sioux War Parties; Was Summer's Holiday
HOW JACK HARRIS
KILLED A BEAR
THRILLING ADVENTURE OP PORT
BENTON CAPITALIST IN THE
HIGHWOOD MOUNTAINS.
Bear Puts Up Vigorous Fight After
Receiving Mortal Wound Prom
Harris* Rifle; Horse Detracts
Bruin's Attention and Hunter Man
ages to Escape.
Jack Harris, one of thj foremost
stockmen and bankers of northern
Montana, was, in his younger days,
one of the successful bear hunters in
the state. Now bear baiting is no
child's sport, and in the course of a
number of years Mr. Harris had ad
ventures with Bruin, the telling of
which leaves a thrill.
m
JOHN HARRIS.
"It was in the fall of 1873," be
gan Harris when he was prompted
to tell his pet story to a visitor to
Port Benton, "that James Shaw, who
now lives at Priest, Idaho; John Car
ruthers and myself went hunting in
the Highwood mountains for deer
and elk. We camped on McDonald
creek on the east sute. While the
other two boys remained in camp to
cook the supper, I rode along the
Indian trail that skirted the edge of
the mountain. The trail crossed a
branch stream that descended the
steep wall and formed a meadow
with a clump of willows.
"I looked up the uanyon and saw
a bear rooting on tne side of the
tributary gulch. He was a grizzly—
the biggest I ever saw—and he was
engaged in the innocent pastime of
turning over rocks to get worms and
other insects, as I ears frequently do.
Felt Like a Cave Man.
"I got off my pony and tied her
to a willow with a 60-foot rope I
carried with me. Wljere I tied her
she was hidden from the bear. From
the willows I crawled up the bottom
of the gulch until, still on my hands
and knees, I was almost directly un
der the bear, who continued to dine
—cafeteria style—on worms. Now
and then he turned over a boulder
that threatened to roll down and
crush me. No elephant at a circus
in my childhood days ever loomed
larger to ine than that bear did then.
A short time before I had been read
ing a book that told of some of the
creatures as big as a house in the
earlier ages of the earth, and now I
imagined myself as puny as a cave
man in the presence of one of those
monsters. I was yet 50 yards away
however. With the utmost precau
tion I got on my feet and, standing
broadside to the grizzly and leaning
way back to take aim at the high
angle necessary, I fired.
"The bear fell down and rolled
over and over until he came to my
feet as I stood in the bottom of the
gulch. I had to jump to escape be
ing crushed by his weight. I thought
he had been killed, as he made no
movement until he landed in a heap.
I was standing calmly three feet
from him when he finished rolling.
Bruin Shows Fight
"The next moment my blood ran
cold for the bear glared at me and
reared up on his hind legs. Still
glaring and showing his teeth and
with his lore paws reaching out foi
an embrace, he came toward me as
I took a backward step or two. 1
had no time to take aim, but I fired
as quickly as I could raise my rifle
I had hoped to hit him in the head
but instead the bu!.et went through
his right piw and oroke his wrist.
I almost touched him with my rifle
as 1 wheeled and ran. The bear
jumped at me and I seemed to feel
his hot breath ns we both tumbled
and rolled toother down the moun
tain.
"The pony, hearing the racket, ran
around straight toward me until she
came to the end of the rope. As soon
' as I got off the steep part of the
mountain, I found I was able to out
run bruin. When I reacher the pony
I jumped into the saddle and I was
off like a whirlwind for more than
100 feet. Then I was precipitated
like a bolt from a catapult. My ri
fle went in one direction and I was
hurled in another. When I regained
my feet I found that the pony had
turned a complete somersault. It
Hardship was the lot of most of
the pioneers of Montana who crossed
the plains in the sixties and seventies
to try their fortunes in the new land
of promise, but there was one ex
pedition — the Fixk expedition of
1866—to which the long journey in
carts and wagons and on horseback
was like one long summer's holiday.
This was the largest party that ever
crossed the plains and it included 30
or 40 women and a number of chil
dren. Altogether there were about
400 persons in the expedition, which
was led by Captain James L. Fisk,
popularly known as "Jim" Fisk, one
of five brothers in the party, all of
whom had served in the Union army.
These immigrants followed the north
ern route, virtually the same as that
taken a score of years later in the
construction of the Northern Pacific.
In this way they eluded the roaming
war parties of the Sioux, which hab
itually lay in wait for the unwary
south of the Missouri.
Not a Hostile Indian Met;
Not a Single Horse Lost.
The party left St. Cloud on June
6 with 140 carts and wagons drawn
by oxen and cows and with a con
sideraDle number of horses and ar
rived three months later at Helena.
Not a hostilè Indian was met
throughout the trip and not a single
horse was lost. The weather was
ideal with the nights mild and clear
and at every camp where a smooth
stretch of ground could be found on
the prairie a dance was held. There
was one "regular" musician in the
expedition, W. O. Dexter, a violinist,
who still lives at Fort Benton. There
were others along, however, who were
able to do their part in the make-up
of an orchestra with accordions and
Jew's harps.
"Yes," mused Dexter a few days
ago at Fort Benton as he was tinker
ing with a gasoline engine in front of
his bachelor quarters, "it was a gay
time we had those summer nights in
'66 on the plains. There were a doz
nn or two w. inen in the party—wives
and daughters of members of the
expedition. There were ten times as
mar.y yovnfi; Jellovvs whe desired to
join in Virginia reel, quadrille, ma
zurka or polka. We hadn't crossed
the western boundary of Minnesota
before it became plain that some 25
or 30 fellows, who were among the
most adept dancers, were bent on
monopolizing the women available as
Homesteader, 70
Years Old, Makes
Good in Montana
Here is a story of a homestead
er who, after he had almost ar
rived at the scriptural limit of
man's existence, came to Mon
tana, filed on a tract of land,
proved up, and made a farm
which sold for enough to keep
him in bis old age.
His name is A. S. Brownwell.
He came to Montana from Spar
ta, Wisconsin, six years ago. He
was then 04 years of age. He
located a homestead about 14
miles from Malta, south of Lake
Bowdoin.
His start was modest. . For the
first three years he barely made
enough out of the land on which
to live. Gradually he worked his
place into a state of cultivatioon
which made it profitable.
But he was 70 years of age.
The call of his old home ties was
strong on him. The other day
an Iowa land buyer came along,
looked the place over, and made
him a tempting offer, enough to
keep him all of his remaining
days. He accepted and the deal
was made.
He left for Sparta the other
day with the fat price of his farm
in his pocket. He is going back
to spend his declining years with
his own people. And he is going
back independent. He will be a
living advertisement of Montana
possibilities.
possibilities.
was the rope, which I had completely
forgotten, that checked the pony
abruptly in its course. I was scarce
ly on my feet when the bear was
upon us. Bruin appeared to be be
wildered for a moment. Should he
make for me to wreak his vengeance
or for the horse?
Pony Biffs Bear in Nose.
"Apparently because the pony was
t he larger he gave the pony a slap 011
the hind quarters ttiat left an ugly
scratch or two and then, as the pony
made a leap in the other direction,
he grabbed a big piece of her tail
which he retained in his grasp. The
pony halted in her flight long enough
to rise on her forelegs and plant
her hind hoofs squarely upon the
bear's nose.
"So much I saw as I glanced back
ward in my own headlong flight. I
kept on until I had turned the edge
of the ridge. Then I lay down be
hind a boulder to watch the antics
of the bear and the pony. Several
times bruin raced on three legs back
and forth as the pony ran the length
of the rope in opposite directions, but
he was too lame to catch her. Final
ly he limped up the mountain into a
clump of pine timber.
The next morning all three of us;
went cautiously from the camp to;
the scene of the encounter. We;
found the bear dead on the moun
tain side, killed by the first shot I
had fired, which had lodged in its
side. We recovered the pony, which
had escaped with the loss of part
of its tail and with the scratch of a
claw on one flank."
partners. The wall flowers of the
prairie determined that this was not
to be and formed a kind of vigilance
committee to 'bust the trust.' Word
quickly was passed around that any
male caught dancing twice before all
Hon. Martin Maginnis, Who Accom
panied Fisk Expedition.
had had a turn would be ducked in
the nearest stream. From that time
the rule of 'a dance for each and a
dance for all' was strictly observed.
Moreover, as the leader of the emi
grant orchestra, I was instructed to
make the dances short."
Played for Fort Benton
Dances for 30 years.
Shortly after the expedition arrived
at Helena and disbanded, Dexter set
tled at Fort Benton. There he played
for dances for 30 years subsequent to
1868, or until his hand became crip
pled in consequence of partial paraly
sis occasioned by an accident in which
he broke one of the bones of his neck.
"The first dances in Benton were
held in 1868," said Dexter. "They
were known as 'squaw dances' as
there were scarcely any white women
in the town and partners were drawn
from the Indian women encamped
with the trading parties at the out
skirts of the post. The squaws, of
course, had to be taught the white
man's dances, but they were very
A New Governor Sits in the Capitol
•• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• ••
Burlingame of Cascade, Montana's Executive
•• •• •• *• •• •• ' •• •• •• •• •• ••
Some Interesting Gubernatorial Situations of the Past
1
• •
• •
• •
Montana has a new governor. His
name is J. M. Burlingame. He is
well known as the senator from Cas
cade county, but as a governor of the
state he is new, and needs introduc
tion. He took office just the other
day.
Governor Burlingame is sitting in
the gubernatorial chair, with his feet
under the beautiful mahogany desk
upon which all the commissions and
proclamations and pardons are
signed. His overcoat is hanging in
the gubernatorial closet, where all
he state secrets are kept, and he's the
regularly constituted executive of the
state, as made and provided by the
constitution, and vested with all
the power that goes with the high
place. The new governor of Mon
tana is a republican.
It came about this way. Governor
Sam Stewart was called east to at
tend the annual convention of gov
ernors of all the states, a meeting
that has become of importance. Lieu
tenant Governor W. W. McDowell,
who would have stepped into the ex
ecutive place by reason of the gover
nor's absence, is also out of the
state.
The law provides that when both
the governor and the lieutenant gov
ernor are out of the state, the pres
ident of the senate automatically be
comes acting governor. Senator
Burlingame is president of the sen
ate. He left for Helena a few days
ago to assume the duties of his
high office. He will be governor for
15 days, when Governor Stewart is
expected to return.
Not An Empty Honor.
There may be some who imagine
that the functions of Governor Bur
lingame, during his short tenure of
office, are purely honorary. Such is
not the case. He is governor of
Montana, clothed with full authority,
and may discharge all functions per
taining to the highest office of the
state.
For instance: President Wilson is
j said to be engaged in picking out his
; official cabinet family. It is said
a western man for the position of
secretary of the interior. What if
1 he would offer this high place to the
that he has in mind the selection of!
_ r
Hon. Thomas Arthur, tall sycamore
of the Yellowstone, and whose know-1
j ledge of the great west is encyclo
pedic? He could go further and do
worse. Tom Arthur, because of his
j expanding oil interests in southern
Montana and northern Wyoming,
; would probably decline the Dost,
Wyoming,
the post,
with one of those famous letters of
his. Then the president would ten
der tl^e place to Senator Thomils
Walsh. Senator Walsh would ac
cept.
Senator Walsh's acceptance would
necessitate his immediate resigi.a
j tion from the senate of the United
States. This would create a sena
1 of
adept pupils and they soon surpassed
most white women in the gracefulness
of their steps. Many of the trappers
and traders had Indian wives. In
later years there were a considerable
number of half-breed girls who en
joyed nothing better than a fling or
a twirl on the dance floor. I remem
ber playing for a number of parties
at Benton at which there were 30
men and six women."
Reported to Have Fired
Cannon Prom Mule's Back.
Humor has it that Dexter routed
a band of Indians in the early days
by tiring a cannon from the back oi
a mule. Dexter qualities .the rumor
oy admitting that he fired the cannon
out denying that he used the mule toi
a gun piattorm. Yet the Jubilee com
mittee at Great Falls when the cele
bration was held there two or three
years ago had Dexter lead a mule in
the parade upon whose back was
mounted this identical cannon. Eight
times as the procession wound its
way through the streets, Dexter fireu
his cannon at an Indian who followeu
on horseback.
Throughout the journey of the
Fisk expedition plenty of fresh meat
was supplied by the crack shots of the
party who hunted buffalo, deer ana
elk. The party reached the Missouri
river 12 miles below Fort Berthold,
passed Fort Union and followed the
Milk river to a point between the
sites of Havre and Chinook, neither
of which towns had then come into
existence. Thence the route lay to
Fort Benton.
Expected to Sweep Up Gold
Like Sawdust Prom Floor.
"As we got closer to Helena," said
N. T. Chemidlin, a member of the
expedition, who is still working as a
printer at Fort Benton, "the gold
fever grew in intensity. The big
strike in Last Chance gulch had beeu
made in the fall of 1864 and every
body was crazy over it. When we
reached Benton a big outfit was in
and all the miners were waiting for
a boat. They carried their gold dust
with them and there were rumors in
the air of fabulous fortunes made.
Most of the members of our party had
the idea that the gold could be swept
up like the sawdust on a barroom
floor."
Of the 400 in the party, 100 were
in the especial care of Captain James
Fisk, who had agreed to take them to
the gold diggings for $100 apiece.
Montana would have the right to
name the man who would succeed
Senator Walsh.
Senator "Bill" Frary.
If all this occurred while Sena
tor Burlingame was clothed with
gubernatorial power, and he should
see fit to appoint his old friend
"Bill" Frary of Great Falls United
States senator for Montana, the ap
pointment would stick until the term
for which Senator Walsh waB elected,
had expired. Frary would be a reg
ular honest to goodness senator.
A number of interesting situations
have been created bj the president
of the senate becoming governor.
During Governor Edwin Norris'
term both he and Lieutenant Gover
J. >1. Hl'KLING AM K.
nor W. R. Allen were called out 01
the state. This made Senator I. A.
Leighton of Jefferson county, w '10
was president of the senate, acting
governor.
When Governor Lcigliton took
executive power he found on his desk
a mass of applications for pardon,
j from convicts in the penitentiary. He
proceeded to exercise executive clem
enc y> and gave about a dozen men
were republicans, and some good
humored chaff was directed
who were the guests of Frank Conle>
their liberty. It happened that
majority of those pardoned
I were republicans, and
humored chaff was
1 Leighton, himself a republican, be
cause of this circumstance, but the
; fact remains that there are 12 mer
enjoying liberty who consider him
' the best governor that Montana evei
| h a d
An Interesting Incident.
Then there was the time when
Lieutenant Governor Spriggs ap
pointed W. A Clark to the United
Previously, in 1862, 1863 and 1864,
Captain Fisk had led parties across
the plains as commander of a military
escort.
Company of 140 Led
By Major Maginnis.
The first train, that of '62, had
left Minnesota bound for Washing
ton, but the greater part of the com
pany resolved to put their fortunes
to the test in the newly discovered
diggings near Bannack. The train
that set out in 1864 was attacked by
the Indians 150 miles west of Fort
Rice and was in danger of massacre.
It was rescued by a command under
Colonel Thomas of Minnesota which
included a company under Andrew J.
Fisk, one of the five brothers.
The big expedition of '66 traversed
the prairies in four parallel columns
to guard against attacks by Indians
Wheeler O. Dexter, Who Furnished
Music for Fisk Expedition Dances
that never came. Among those who
thus traveled together from St. Cloud
to Fort Benton was one party even
larger than Captain Fisk's own flock
This was a company of 140 organized
by Major Martin Maginnis with 40
wagons. The original Fisk party ar
rived in Helena on September 2 and
Captain Maginnis and those under
his leadership on September 5.
States senate. Governor Bob Smith
had gone to California with Tom
Hinds on a mining deal. Lieutenant
Governor Spriggs was out of the
state. Senator Edwin Norris of
Beaverhead was president of the
senate and became acting governor.
The legislature had elected W. A.
Clark United States senator. His
election was contested. Suddenly
came the announcement that Sena
tor Clark had tendered his resigna
tion.
A vacancy was thereby created in
the United States senate. Norris, as
president of the state senate, was the
state's executive head. He had the
naming of the next United States
senator from Montana. He was
just about to announce Governor
Joseph K. Toole as his appointee
when he received a telegram from
Lieutenant Governor Spriggs advis
ing him that he had returned to
Montana. This put instant end to
Acting Governor Norris' tenure of of
fice, and took from him right to ; p
point. Lieutenant Governor Spriggs
arrived in Helena next day and ap
pointed Mr. Clark as United States
senator. However, this certificate of
appointment was never presented
to the senate. At the next session of
the legislature Senator Clark vas
elected. It is interesting to note
that if the opportunity to appoint
had come to Governor Smith lie
would have named Hon. Martin Ma
ginnis as senator.
Some Other Governors.
Under Governor Toole, Senator J.
P. Murray of Beaverhead county be
came acting governor on several oc
casions, and under Governor Stewart,
Senator Dearborn of Granite county,
was on one accasion acting governor.
Under Governor Edwin Norris,
Senator A. W. Miles, of Park county,
and a nephew of Nelnon A. Miles, of
ficiated for a few days as governor.
So it is no empty honor which has
^nme to Governor Burlingame. All
things would be possible if the op
portunity offered.
Being governor or-cisionally is just
a side issue with "Burlie," as hi*
friends call him. He is one of the
strong financial men of Northern
Montana.
AFTER WETZ, EGG KING;
HAS 20 MILLION EGGS
"I've got tliem; what are you
going to do uliont it?"
That is the answer of .lames
Wet/., who has 20.000 OOO e<>gs
in storage, to the investigators
for the government.
Wetie' eggs are in Chicago. A
Chicago ordinance prohibits the
storing of eggs for more than 10
months. Wet/, must place hi«
eggs in the market about the
first of January or not at all.
STATE TO LOAN
FARMERS MONEY
AMOUNTS MINIMUM AND MAXI
MUM TO BE LOANED; INTER»
EST CHARGES FIXED.
Land Must Be Valued at 910 or More
Per Acre; Interest Is Six Per Cent;
Minimum Loans $500 Maximum
$5,000; Loans Made on Two
Fifths Value.
School funds in. the state treasury
are to be loaned. to farmers under
the state farm loan act, and the land
commissioners have promulgated the
rules under which 1 these loans will be
made. LoanB will be restricted to
the land that has been appraised at
$10 or more fox the past three years.
The board stipulated that the loan
shall not exceed two fifths of thé ap
praised value of the land. No loan
will be made for. less than $500 or
more than $5,000, and the interest
rate will be six per cent.
The rules adopted by the commis
sioners are as follows:
"Loans will be made only to ac
tual residents of Montana, and only
upon good improved farm lands of an
appraised—not assessed— value of
not less than $10 an acre. No loans
will be made on more than two -fifths
of the appraised value of lands of
fered as security, therefor.
Method of Procedure.
"Any person desiring a loan must
file with the register of state lands a
verified application, upon a form fur
nished by the ptate board of land
commissioners. Such application
must contain an agreement to ray
railroad fare and traveling expenses
of the state land agent appointed to
make an appraisal of the lands of
fered as security. No application
will be considered unless such agree
ment is filed. Applicants must fur
nish at their own expense an abstract
of title to lands offered as security
upon request from the register of
state lands.
"All loans shall be secured by a
first mortgage upon lands offered for
security upon a form furnished by
the state board of land commission
ers, running to the state of Montana
as mortgagee.
Interest Rate Six Per Cent.
"All loans shall bear interest at 6
per cent per annum, payable annually
to the register of state lands, who
shall receive all moneys, both prin
cipal and interest, arising from such
loans, and account therefor to the
state treasurer.
"No loans shall be made of a sum
less than $500; and not more than
$5,000 will be loaned to any person,
firm or corporation. No loan will be
made for less than three nor more
than ten years. Payments may be
made upon the principal of any loan
running for more than three years
in whole, or in part by payments of
$100 or multiples thereof, upon any
interest bearing date, after three
years from the date of said loan.
State Appraisal.
"Before any loan is made the lands
offered as security therefor shall be
examined and appraised the state
land agent, whose appraisal shall be
based upon the productive value of
the land, exclusive of buildings. The
state land agent shall report his find
ing to the state board of land com
missioners upon forms furnished by
said board.
"All applicants for loans shall as
nearly as practicable be considered
and acted upon in the order of their
filing.
Certificate af Release.
"Upon the full payment of princi
pal and interest and all other sums
becoming due upon any farm loan
mortgage, the register of state lands
shall execute a necessary certificate
of discharge and release as required
by law.
"Whenever any farm loan mort
gage has been executed, the register
of state lands shall forthwith have
the same recorded in the records of
ecated thereby is situated; he shall
the county in which the land hypoth
also have custody and safely keep
all promissory notes or other obliga
tions given by persons to whom
money is loaned."
EQUITY CHIEF OPENS
$200,000 ELEVATOR
Splashing a dipperfull of mud
dy water t'roju the Mississippi
river against the ocncrete wall
of the farmers' terminal elevator
at St. Paul, President J. M. An
derson of the Equity Co-Opera
tive exchange declared the
$200,000 structure open and
ready for business. Five thou
sand farmers from all sections
of the middle west witnessed the
ceremony and cheered heartily.
President Anderson declared
the time not far distant when the
great Mississippi would be used
by the farmers to ship the wheat
which grows on the river's
watershed, to the ocean via the
river.
Speakers at the Equity meet
ing warned big interests against
opposing the farmers. The
statement was made that the
farmers did not intend to destroy
the Minneapolis chamber of com
mercé, but would clean it up.