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Jack Bradley, Well-Known Montana Steeplejack, Has Had
Many Thrilling Experiences During Wind and Electrical
Storms; Painted Smoke Stacks for Railroad for Many Years
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By GRACE STONE COATES
Author of *3Uck Cheine»." "Portnlocoo In
the Wheat," And "Mood and Mangel Wancl."
It was no trick at all for a steeple
Jade to climb a tree, fasten a light
block and tackle, and
drag up his heavy
rigging. Jade got 31
a hour for his work,
and was paid for a
10-hour day, instead
Of the regular $2
. (jay's wages. Some
times he got so far
ahead at the crew
that all he had to
do was to stop and
wait for them to
cpma up.
Mr: Bradley makes
an Interesting state
ment about place
era«« stMc Cnm names In the park.
One of the road crew tipped him off
that when the boys came to a spring,
a creek, a waterfall or a knoll that was
noticeable In the landscape, and bene
no name, they would talk the matter
over and decide on a name, or one of
the men would scribble his own name
on a board, nail the board to a stake,
and stick it In the ground. When the
soldiers who patrolled the parie came
by, they would make their reports and
include these names in their report.
Later, official map-makers located
these points, and eventually official
markers were put up.
If Jack Bradley isn't the oldest
steeplejack in Montana, somebody
else is; bat to prove It he will have
to show that he ha* worked more
than 53 yean in Montana at his
trade. The Interesting thing about
steeple Jacking is the number of other
to do. A person
things H teaches
might not think being a "high man"
would help him when tt came to
road building, bat tt helped Mr.
Bradley earn $16 a day Instead of
33 and board when he was working
with a road crow In Yellowstone
park.
There were a good many construc
tion crews In the park in the early
*80*. In Jack's crew were 60 men. They
were clearing timber tor a road by
cutting down the trees and "shooting"
the stumps with dynamite—a hard,
slow Job. Mr. Bradley said if they
would give him 200 feet of cable and a
heavy block and tackle, he would agree
to keep the road clear ahead of them.
His Idea was to cut the big surface
roots, attach the cable near the top of
the tree, and drag down the tree,
pairing- roots and all.
It was something of a Joke among
the men; but it shows how difficult to
trace are the real origins of certain
names. Legends, usually Incorrect, to
the end grow up and are accepted.
Bradley Springs, to the Fire Hole, got
its name when Steeple Jack Bradley
picked up a shingle and wrote bis name
on it, while he was "taking five" be
tween toppling one tree and the next.
—■» Mr. Bradley bad his first experience
to airplanes because he was wearing
his "peak"—the pointed cap sacred to
steeplejacks and chimney sweeps. "Are
you a high man?" the aviator asked
him, wanting someone for ballast to
the army plane be was trying out.
Jack liked the air so well he was on
the spot the next day, and every day
for the rest of the week, and the avia
tor gave him plenty of thrills. He Is
somewhat deaf, and says that after a
nosedive of several thousand feet he
found bis hearing greatly Improved.
Steeplejacktog In a Montana wind
can be almost as exciting as air stunt
ing. Bradley was painting the Mil
waukee stacks to Miles City, more than
20 years ago, when he felt the wind
rising and saw the dust rolling to the
distance. He was on the last "fleet,"
the strip of paint from top to bottom,
and was hurrying to get through be
fore the wind struck. Suddenly It
caught him, and swept him away from
the stack the whole length of bis rig
ging. A steeplejack does bis painting
sitting to a boatswain's chair, and
always carrier a short rope, called a
hang-off, for use at the top. Jack
caught the hang-off, as the wind
slammed him back against the stack,
and took a turn around the guyline.
The wind was so strong that his weight
wouldn't carry bis rope through the
blocks, and the engineer had to come
up on the roof, to the foot of the stack,
and pull Jack and his "bosh" chair
down.
Another time he was painting the
roundhouse stack at Billings. He saw
black clouds rolling up, and an electric
storm coining from the south. He beat
It down, and into the roundhouse. He
hadn't 10 feet to go from the foot of
the stack, but before he was fairly in
side, lightning struck the stack and
burned bis rigging clean.
He was on the flour mill stack to
Boueman when the earthquake of a
few years past rocked It. For a minute
he thought be was beck at sea, for
Jack has been a sailor to "blue water,"
and knows India and Africa and Eng
land almost as well as he knows Mon
tana. He spent two years with Buffalo
Bill to Europe, and knew other Mon
tana cowboys who were with him:
Billy Bullock, Tommy Webb, BUI Pugh,
and "Wild Horse Hairy," whom he re
member* by no other name. He knew
John Nelson, also, author of "Fifty
Yean of Frontier Life." John's parents
had been nii«d by Indians when he
was a baby, and he had been adopted
by the Pine Ridge Indians of Dakota.
They bad stolen, and later returned
to John, his father's hunting knife.
John gave this kalte to Bradley when
wen both with Buffalo rail to
London, to exchange for a cane made
of shark 's vertebrae which Bradley bad
1 made. Mr. Bradley still carries the
knife, which he believes is at least 150.
years old.
John Nelson told Mr. Bradley an In
cident of the Billings country which
occurred many years before Billings
existed. His father. Nelson senior, had
taken a party of buffalo hunters from
Dakota Into the vicinity of what is now
Billings. Among them were some "pil
grims." The hunters knew the country
was full of buffalo, and since they got
to the grounds late In the afternoon,
and the buffalo were feeding peace
fully, they decided not to do any shoot
ing to disturb them until morning. But
one of the pilgrims picked up a gun,
and circled the rimrock. Apparently
he decided to do something big, and
shoot a bull buffalo before the rest
began to hunt. He spotted a big fellow,
took atm, and creased him. The buf- i
falo charged him. The pilgrim made
for a hole In the rimrock and got out
of the way. But when the buffalo
backed off ready for another charge,
the pilgrim came out of the hole. j
The boys could see what was going
on. from the wagon, but Nelson
"Let the buffalo have his fun. What;
did he want to go shooting for, this
time of day?" They knew that 11 the
pilgrim kept out of sight In the hole, 1
the buffalo would soon grow tired, and
trot back to the herd,
But the pilgrim kept popping out 1
from the hole, and the buffalo was
getting madder and madder, and back- ;
tog up farther and farther lor more
furious charges. At last the pilgrim
took a chance and made a run for it.
He got to the wagon one Jump ahead
of the buffalo. Nelson picked up a gun
and dropped him. "Why didn't you
keep out of sight—get to the hole and
stay there? The buffalo would have
gone on back to the herd long ago!";
"Hole, hell!" the pilgrim rçtorted. i
"There was a bear to the bole, bigger
•n the buffalo."
Mr. Bradley was one of the crew who
fenced range for Paul and Jeton Mc
Cormack when the Custer Cattle com
pany was formed. They ran a fence
40 miles, parallel to the rimrock, 10
miles from It. The rimrock formed one
side of the enclosure, fenced only across
the coves where the rimrock line was
broken. The boys fenced to bands of
antelope, that ran with the cattle for
» long time.
Mr. Bradley's first experience at sea
was when he went to India with a
party employed by P. T. Barnum to
bring back elephants. Jack has worked
for every big circus to the country, and
Is an experienced handler of elephants.
He was leading "Baldy," Rtogitog's big
elephant, when disaster happened to !
the circus parade to Butte, years ago. I
The story, as Mr. Bradley tells It, is
this: Someone threw "Granny" a piece
of tobacco. Some elephants like to
bacco, and some It makes deathly sick.
"Granny," who in spite of her name
was the "baby" of the herd, and a '
great favorite with all the elephants, 1
couldn't stand tobacco, and began to
trumpet. Immediately "Baldy," the
lead elephant, turned to go to her, and
though Bradley used the hoc* on
Baldy's big ear and used all his power,
he couldn't turn him. The rest of the
elephants followed Baldy, and the
people on the street were thrown Into
panic. The catastrophe was caused
solely by the people, not by anything j
the elephants bad done.
Fifty Mountain Camp, Glacier National Park
353
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Fifty Mountain camp at Flat toy. er Kipp mountain. <m the route 9 * the north circle In G teeter National park.
Cooney Starts Big Project
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GOVERNOR OFFICIATES
Montana's five-miliion-dollar water conservation program got un
der way recently when Governor Frank EL Cooney turned the first
shovel of dirt for the Dead Man's basin project on the Musselshell
river near Shawm at. Governor Cooney is shewn in the center
above, while at the extreme left is Frank C. Bennett of Roundup,
chairman of the Musselshell county planning board, and at the
right is L D. O'Donnell of Billings, member of the state water con
servation board.
«The big beasts circled around "Gran-j
ny." Bradley immediately made Oran-,
ny lie down. He saw a little candy,
store across the street, rushed over,
and came back with a bucket of water
and all the hard peppermints they had
to stock.
. _
mouth, and Bradley sloshed water into
ft then followed with a double handful
°f peppermints. As soon as she got
sickening tobacco out of her mouth,
Granny was all right. _
Mr. Bradley came to Montana to
1882, and began breaking horses at the
stockyards to Miles City. His method
of taming horses is unique. He puts,
his horse into swimming water, and
keeps him out of his depth until the
fight is out of him. He says he can
tame a horse to four hours at most,
and seldom has to repeat the swim
mtog lesson.
Soon after the Northern Pacific
shops opened at Glendive, Mr. Bradley;
went there. He found a steeplejack
had been killed on the big stack, and,
he commanded, showing
"Open!
Granny the mints. She opened her
asked for his Job. He got it, and be
fore be finished with the railroad works
he had painted stacks from St. Paul
to the Pacific coast. He says the name
Glendive comes from a Joint or dive
owned originally by a man named
Glenn. The boys were accustomed to
children, live to Kansas City,
None of his children have lived to
the west. He married Miss Virginia
saying, "Let's go down to Glenn's
dive," and the name was eventually
shortened to Olendlve. He has worked
on almost every high stack to Mon
tana, and has acquaintances every
where. One of his steeplejacktog stunts,
during the World war, was to put his
hat at the foot of a flagpole, say "Fill
'er up for the Red Cross, boys," and
climb the pole. Sometimes his hat
was full of silver, dollars, dimes, halves
and quarters, when he came down.
He had reason to think of the boys
overseas. His two sons, Harry and
Thomas, were to Prance, where the
elder, Harry,, lost an arm and a leg.
Thomas Is employed to the National
Tool works, McKeesport, Pa. A daugh
ter, Mrs. Minnie Warner, and her four
Ramey to Bed alia, Mo., to 1883. £(is
Geraldine Farmer
Harvests Big Crop
Wheat crops that averaged about 35
bushels to the acre were reported on
the farm of Mart Nichai, who operates
In the Geraldine district. It was learned
from Mayor Martin C. Grinde of Great
Falls, who has returned from a business
trip through the Geraldine and Square
Butte districts. Nlchol is said to have
harvested about 80,000 bushels of wheat.
Volunteer wheat crops that yielded
from 20 to 25 bushels to the acre woe
reported in the Square Butte section,
and substantially large yields were re
ported by many farmers.
The winter wheat in the Square
Butte district was said to be heavy No.
1, weighing from 80 to 65 pounds, and
yields at from 30 to 35 bushels to the
acre were not uncommon.
COUNTIES ADDED
TO DROUTH AREA
WHEATLAND, PHILLIPS AND YEL
LOWSTONE COUNTIES SW ITCHED
FROM SECONDARY
(MONTANA STATE COLLEGE)
. .Federal recognition of the contlnu
itiots of the drouth m Montana ha«
coon tie« and an extension of time in
which emergency freight rates are in
force, announces J. C. Taylor, direc
tor, Montana Extension service.
Wheatland. Phillips and Yellowstone
counties have been switched from the
list of secondary drouth counties into
the group classification as emergency
drouth counties. Fergus has been add
ed to the list of secondary drouth coun
ties.
The reduced freight rates which were
originally for the period ending early
In July and later extended to August
4, have been extended again for the
period ending September 4. Under the
new ruling It Is possible to ship live
stock from drouth counties to new
feeding areas at 85 percent of the reg
ular rate and returned for 15 percent.
Feeds can be shipped Into drouth reg
ions for 66 2-3 percent and hay at 60
percent of the normal rate until Sep
tember
«
WHEAT YIELDING HIGH
Threshing reports show that a large
volume at grain Is being brought to
the Fart Benton elevators. Acreage
yields are not reported on. many fields,
but word from the Portage section
stated one field to that vicinity averag
ed 40 bushels to the acre, this being on
the McKerrow farm.
LAMBS SHIPPED EAST
A few days ago 32 carloads of west
ern Montana lambs were shipped to the
Chicago market. They included ship
ments from Poison. Ferma, Dixon, Dar
by and Rivulet.
wife was killed to a street collision to
St. Louis during the World's fair to
1904. Her death ended his home life,
which had been exceptionally happy,
and the family was scattered. Mr.
Bradley has lived to Missoula since
her death.
«
FARM PRICES ARE
ON AN INCREASE
LIVESTOCK CONTINUES WEAK
FEATURE BECAUSE OF FORCED
SELLING FROM DRY REGIONS
Department of Agriculture
Prices of (arm products made a
fairly strong «how mg at the
ë
ton, dairy products and eggs. Live
stock continued the weak feature be
cause of (Meed selling from drouthy
sections. Prims of fruits and vege
tables «bowed the usual uneven
trend*. Fruit supplies are Increasing
and price changes mostly downward.
Prims of citrus fruits were about
steady. The potato market position
improved with tighter shipments.
It Is in the livestock situation that
the country will feel the more lengthy
effects of this summer's crop failures.
Not only are many pastures burned
brown, but farmers now face the cer
tainty of high-priced grain and scarce
feed next winter. To the reduction al
ready accomplished In bogs is being
added an enforced selling of cattle and
sheep
The total acreage of field crops har
vested probably will be the smallest
in 25 years, owing to acreage reduction
programs plus the effect of drouth. The
crops of com, wheat, oats, barley, rye
and flax are expected to be the small
est harvested in this country in 30
years.
With fewer cattle placed In feed lots,
and with government purchases remov
ing large numbers of the lower grades
that might be carried over and market
ed next year, the total supply of cattle
for slaughter in 1935 is expected to be
considerably smaller than that of 1934.
The supply of well-finished steers un
doubtedly will be much smaller than
the unusually large supplies which came
on the market in late 1933 and the first
half of 1934.
Missouri river cattle markets began
the month on a higher basis. Fat
lambs advanced a few days ago 25
cents to 60 cents. Hogs sold moderately
higher with the top at Kansas City 34.
75 and at St. Louis 34 JO. Comparative
ly few fed steers sold above 38.50 and
most straight grass cattle downward '
from around 35.60. Replacement de
mand improved and advances of 9
cents and more were general on stacker
and feeder steers. Slaughter grades of
cows and heifers shared fully In the
steer advance.
The situation In the cattle market
next year will be very much like that
following the very short com crops In
1924 and 1925. Cattle feeding was re
duced because of feed scarcity, and sup
plies of well-finished cattle for mar
ket were greatly decreased, with the re
sult that prices of such cattle roue to
very high levels. Prices of the lower
grades, however, made very little ad
vance, and this resulted In an Unusual
ly wide price spread between prices of
the better grades and the inferior
kinds.
The sheep and lamb situation Is very
much like that of cattle. The drouth
Is m a kin g It necessary for sheepmen to
reduce flock numbers and will cause a
large proportion of this year's
crop to be marketed in thin condition.
W
Lamb feeding next winter may be
greatly curtailed because of feed scarc
ity, although the favorable returns from
last winter's feeding operations an on
Incentive to feed increased numbers.
Domestic wheat prices advanced
rather steadlly during July, with No. 2
hard winter wheat quoted Jiily 24 at <1
or more a bushel at the principal mar
kets. Spring wheat advanced more than
winter wheat, with ordinary protein
dark northern spring bringing un to
3110 a bushel at Minneapolis late In
Jury.
«I
The production of wheat per capita
of population this year is the lowest
** The winter wheat crop Is
•bghtly larger than last year, but spring
wheat apparently will be only half a
Will«! bushels. Canadian estimates In
dicate a wheat crop there not much
above last season's short
crop.
ALFALFA GROWERS
TO HOLD MEETING
eh 2£SL*Î?* üai ' regional con
FERENCK WILL BE HELD AT
STATE COLLEGE
(MONTANA STATE COLLEGE)
Representatives (rasa all the west
ern alfalfa producing states will meet
at Montana Stale college Aug. 17-18,
for the eighth annual regional
conference, advises Sam Sloan,
*- - — agronomist at TWnwte^n state
The meeting also will be attended by
directors of the Montana Seed Grow
ers' association, representatives of east
ern consuming states and from the seed
trade.
The principal speaker will be Dr. R
L - Gratoer of the Wisconsin Experiment
«tatlon, who will discuss winter hardl
and wilt as it effects production
andmmrteting. Other (topics will Include
mancettog. the development and future
pnepectx to alfalfa seed production.
A* the org ani sa t i on Is concerned
Chiefly In Standardisation,
horn Montana, Idaho, North and ft™**
,3
and the effect of tbs present standards
to grading alfalfa, according to 8kmn